Brief Description Objectives Materials and Resources Activity Description Internet Resources Library Resources

• Grade level: Middle School, High School

• Subject Area: Social Studies

Brief Description

    Students begin to familiarize themselves with some of the competing philosophies underlying architecture.
Objectives

    Students will:

• Use the Internet and library resources provided to develop a rudimentary understanding of the philosophies underlying architectural pursuits.
• Understand that the construction of buildings and other structures is a form of artistic expression as well as a practical undertaking.
• Begin to examine the buildings in their communities with "the eye of an architect."

Materials and Resources

    In developing our lessons and activities, we made some assumptions about the hardware and software that would be available in the classroom for teachers who visit the LETSNet Website. We assume that teachers using our Internet-based lessons or activities have a computer (PC or Macintosh) with the necessary hardware components (mouse, keyboard, and monitor) as well as software (operating system, TCP/IP software, networking or dial-up software, e-mail and a World Wide Web client program, preferably Netscape, but perhaps Mosaic or Lynx). In the section below, we specify any "special" hardware or software requirements for a lesson or activity (in addition to those described above) and the level of Internet access required to do the activity.

1. Special hardware requirements: None.
2. Special software requirements: None.
3. Internet access: High-speed (greater than 1 MBPS via network).

Activity Description

• Read some passages from architecture and architecture philosophy books (see Library Resources below for examples) aloud with the class to provide a context within which students can examine Internet sites on their own.

• Have students speculate about why architecture might be considered an art form in addition to a practical undertaking.

• Allow students a fair amount of time to peruse the Internet Resources below on some of the philosophies and beliefs related to architecture.

Internet Resources

• CONNECTOR, Essays, Articles, and Links
  [http://darkwing.uoregon.edu/~struct/resources/essays/essays.html]
  This site provides some scholarly essays on the more philosophical attributes of architecture, with a focus on the introduction of computer technology into the field.

• Louisa Marsonet Architecture
  [http://www.arch.su.edu.au/~marso_l/arch.html]
  This is the personal home page of an architecture student, containing an extensive list of resources and notable examples of architecture.

Library Resources

• Books on architecture and architectural philosophy. Examples are provided below.

  Cottom-Winslow, M. (1995). Environmental design: Architecture and technology. New York: PBC International, Inc.
  Examines the effects of modern technologies on the activity of architecture. Contains wonderful pictures.

  Kolb, D. (1990). Postmodern sophistications: Philosophy, architecture, and tradition. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
  Discussion of modernism and postmodernism in architecture, and the effects these schools of thought have on current thinking about architecture.

  Vickery, R. L., Jr. (1983). Sharing architecture. Virginia: University Press of Virginia.
  Designed for the reader interested in knowing why structures are built in a certain manner. Defines terms, descripes factors that determine how a building will be built, explores relevant philosophies of beauty and function.

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