Classroom activities and lessons:
Lesson Plans:
Forms in Architecture. Grades 2 - 4. Students explore shapes and forms in architecture, take an architectural tour (on foot or with visuals) to identify forms and shapes, and construct building models from found and made forms.
Design a House. Grades 5-8. Students explore the basics of house design, including the influence of site, materials, function, form and style. Students then create a floor plan and conceptual drawing of a house.
Designing Future Houses. Grades 5-8. Houses of the future may be very different from the familiar houses of today. Students discuss the changes we face and what kind of future house designs students can imagine, then create a floor plan, make an architectural drawing, and write a short description about their future house.
Activities:
Drawing floor plans
Architects draw floor plans to show how buildings will function. Draw your own
diagram of a house as seen from above.
Future architecture
What will houses of the future look like? Will people live on other planets?
Or underground or under the sea? Architecture must change as we change. Try
to imagine what your future house could be!
Try This! Building Collages.
Buildings are made up of different shapes. Make a building shape collage
using paper shapes. Add details with markers, pencils, pens, or colored
pencils.
Try This! Model It!
Architects plan buildings by building 3D models of their plans. Build a
model of your dream house from paper forms, boxes, and other found forms.
Add details with markers etc.
Try This! Building Contours.
Architects plan buildings by drawing the facade. Make an architectural contour
drawing of your house, school or other building using pencil or pen.
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