Definition

Noun: 1. A school subject teaching practical skills: A course of study, typically taught in secondary schools and technical schools, that focuses on teaching students the methods, skills, and knowledge for using tools, machinery, materials, and processes involved in industry, manufacturing, and construction.

Usage

• As a school subject: "Industrial arts" is used to refer to the academic discipline or class itself.
  • All students in the eighth grade are required to take a semester of industrial arts.
  • The school's industrial arts program includes woodworking, metalworking, and automotive basics.

Advanced Usage

• Historical/Educational Context: The term "industrial arts" was widely used in 20th-century education to describe hands-on, practical skill courses, often seen as a precursor to or component of modern technology education or career and technical education (CTE).
  • In the mid-1900s, industrial arts was a staple of the American high school curriculum.

Variants and Related Words

• Technology Education (Tech Ed): A modern educational term that often encompasses and expands upon the traditional scope of industrial arts, including areas like robotics, engineering design, and computer-aided drafting (CAD).
• Vocational Education (Voc-Ed): A broader category of education that prepares students for specific trades, crafts, and careers, which may include industrial arts as a component.
• Shop Class: An informal term commonly used to refer to an industrial arts class, especially one held in a workshop (e.g., wood shop, auto shop).

Synonyms

• Manual Training (an older, somewhat synonymous term)
• Practical Arts
• Technical Education (in a specific context)

Related Idioms/Phrases

• To have a background in industrial arts: To have studied or have experience in this field.
  • His background in industrial arts helped him repair the engine himself.

Noun

1. a course in the methods of using tools and machinery as taught in secondary schools and technical schools