Curriculum Project - Architecture and Urbanism

[Taylor Bub]

Explanation: This is a 7 day lesson plan/project where students explore the influences behind Asian architecture.  This lesson would be taught in a homeroom setting.  At my school, homeroom is about 25 minutes long each day, which is why the lessons seem shorter, but could be combined into a typical class period and would take place over less days.  

 

Rationale:

I would incorporate this curriculum into my homeroom classes. These classes are only 25 minutes long, so the lessons will be shorter but cover a longer period of time.  I want to take a month or two of instruction and have students explore different cultures from around the world.  This unit would fit in one week of that month, where we would focus on similarities in architecture and how we can make improvements by getting ideas from different cultures around the world.  

 

Content Objectives:  Students will be able to make comparisons between the architecture of the city and area that they live in and architecture from different cultures around the world.  They will then make a presentation describing how they might bring in influences from the cultures they have explored and propose changes to some sort of architecture near them.

 

Assessing student achievement:  Students will be assessed on their final presentation of the building they design.  They will need to ensure that they include influences from the architectural style that they researched and an explanation of how they are found in the building the students designed.

 

Day 1: Introduction to Unit and Project

 

5 minutes - Students will watch the following video Asian architecture, explained (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=podl5OB2hKg).

10-15 minutes -  After watching the video, students will engage in a class discussion to answer the following questions:

1. What do you notice about the different architectural styles found in different parts of Asia?

2. What part does nature play in the architecture found in Asia?

3. What similarities and differences do you see between the architecture found in Asia and the architecture that we see here in our area?

5 minutes - Students will get into groups of two and select an architecture style from the video (Japanese, Chinese, etc.).  They will be given the instructions for what they will be presenting to the class the following week.

 

Day 2 - Research and Starting the Project

 

5 minutes - Teacher will take the first few minutes of class to review the instructions for the project and what each pair of students is presenting.  

 

15-20 minutes -  Students will use this time to complete research on the different architecture style that they have chosen.  They will use the student instructions below:

 

Student Instructions

 

1. Choose an architecture style to explore and research. Write it here: _______________

2. Conduct research that answers the following questions:

   1. What influenced the style of architecture you chose? (think about things like nature, outside cultures, religion, etc.)

   2. What is the most important aspect of this style of architecture?

   3. Choose one specific building style, and describe as many details as you can regarding this architecture style (For example, if you were describing the Parthenon in Greece, you would describe the importance of the pillars that are found along the outside of the temple, and the specific details found at the top of each pillar.)

 

Day 3 - Finish Research on Architecture Style

 

10-15 minutes - Students will be able to continue their research and finish answering the questions provided for their architecture style.

 

5 minutes - teacher will stop students and explain the second part of their project.  Students will be shown a plot of land that is located near their school.  They will need to design a building that is useful to the surrounding population that will fit on this plot of land.  They will need to incorporate influences from the architecture style that they researched, in an appropriate way.  (For example, they might create a building that has very large windows that are able to slide open to allow nature in and include gardens around the building that represent surrounding nature)  

5-10 minutes - Students can begin brainstorming for their ideas for a building to create in the vacant lot.

 

Day 4 - Designing the Building

 

5 minutes -  Teacher will spend the time reviewing the goal of the project and answering any questions students may have on their project

 

20 minutes - Students will begin designing their buildings on paper.  They will be required to write a small paragraph describing their building, what it would be used for, and how their building was influenced by the architecture style that they researched. 

 

Day 5 - Finish Designing and put together a presentation

 

25 minutes - students will have the entire class period to finish designing their building and complete their explanation as to what influenced the design of their building.  They will prepare a five minute presentation to propose their building to the class the following week.  

 

Day 6 & 7 - Presentations

 

25 minutes each - Students will take turns presenting their projects to the class.  Students that are not presenting will take notes on each project by writing 2 things they really liked about the presentation and one piece of constructive criticism.  (This will take two class periods because the class time is shorter) - At the end of day 7, students will vote on which building design they liked the best and that project will earn an extra point)

 

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