Benjamin A. Gorman
Major Concept:
While buildings tend to be extensions of humans, reflection of our needs, memories and dreams, the architecture of a building should be a pleasing visual experience. The first step in appreciation must be the observation of a building in a way to critically discern its features.
Objectives:
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1. Students will develop observation skills by viewing slides and photographs of buildings in their textbook.
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2. Students will develop communication skills through writing a description of the building.
Activities:.
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1. The prepared slides, available at the Teachers Institute Office, should be shown. The section titled “The Architecture” in this unit can serve as the descriptive narration for the slides.
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2. Distribute the following vocabulary and definitions lists; discuss the terms by relating them to the school building.
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Place—indoors or out, private or public, it is an enclosed space where human activity(s) can happen.
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Path-passages or routes which may vary in design and purpose that connect places for human locomotion or vision.
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Center-place of major activity, may be singular, multiple or undefined.
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Entrance-point of transition into a place, may be more than one into a structure or onto a property.
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Pattern-the system in which path and place are related.
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Edge-marks a boundary by separating a space by walling it in or facing out from it. Facades, walls and bays are examples.
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3. Depending on the social studies textbook used, the teacher can list on the board the pages where photographs of a building or group of buildings can be found. A partial list from
Western Hemisphere
and The United States and The Other Americas can be found in the Bibliography.
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4. Each student will select a photograph and write a paragraph describing the building(s) only. The description should include: color, material, shape, information on detail, arrangement of windows, and roof type. Student’s name is to be put on the back.
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5. The descriptions are collected and then re-distributed by the teacher to other students in the class.
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6. The task for the students is to locate the building’s photo as described in the textbook. The descriptions may be exchanged and the activity repeated. As an alternative, the teacher may select a number of descriptions, read them aloud and allow the students to match the photo. Discussion may follow on the quality of the description in relation to the pictured building(s).
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7. Extended discussion might compare some of the buildings to illustrate changes in American social and economic conditions or style differences in other countries.
Extended Activity:
Write a paragraph describing the front of your house.