If you walked into a shop class in the 1960s, you new it instantly due to the smell of sawdust, machine oil and freshly cut metal.  For generations, shop class (or industrial arts) was a normal part of American school life.  Then it quietly disappeared.

This video explores what happened to shop class in American schools, why it vanished between the 1970s and 1990s and what we lost in the shift to college-for-all and screen-based learning.

From scarred workbenches and real industrial tools to the modern skills gap in trades like plumbing, welding and HVAC, this story of how America changed its relationship with the physical world.

Shop class didn't just teach woodworking or metalworking it taught a relationship with the physical world:  how things are made, how to fix them and the confidence that comes from building something real.  

High school shop classes declined sharply starting n the 1980s due to budget cuts though they are making a comeback.  Rather thanjust basic parpentry, moden shop classes incorporate advanced technology like robotics, 3D printing and computer-aided design (CAD).  With high demand and lucrative salaires in fields like welding and plumbing districts are investing in the trades to off viable, non-college career paths. 

Many districts now partner with local community colleges to allow high schoolers to earn professional trade certifications or college credits before they graduate.