Title of Lesson: Architecture Closure

Teacher: Zoe Nelson

School: PVO

Grade Level[s]: 4/5

Date to be Taught: 4/26/18

Big Idea that drives Lesson/Unit:

We spend our lives surrounded by buildings and spaces, so why should they not be beautiful? Architecture
shapes the way we see, what we see, and how we see it. Exploring architecture of the past can inform our
designs of the future. We will consider how different aspects of design can influence the functions of a
building and the way people move throughout it. We define our favorite spaces to be in by the way they
make us feel, and we will look at how to recreate our favorite spaces and elevate them with design.

Key concepts about Big Idea:

● Connecting all the aspects of architecture
● Reflecting on projects

Fine Arts Goals Met by the Objectives:

● VA:Cn10.1.5a Apply formal and conceptual vocabularies of art and design to view surroundings in new ways through art-
making.
● VA:Re.7.1.5a Compare one's own interpretation of a work of art with the interpretation of others.

3-4 Essential Questions:

● How does architecture influence community?
● Why is beautification of our surroundings important?
● What impact does architecture have over time?

Vocabulary Acquisition:
● Beautification:
● Community:

Key Artistic Concepts:

● Beautifying spaces
● Artistic reflection
● critique/feedback

Artmaking Materials Needed:

● Paper
● Pencil

Contemporary/Historical/Multicultural exemplars:
● Show what architecture can do to places - bringing beauty to rundown communities and reviving them
○ Theaster Gates - Chicago beautification
■ Architecture is about making spaces that enhance the function of buildings. This artist is taking
spaces that people don’t want to be around, and making them into places that invite communities
to come together. \
Procedures:
● DISCUSSION: (10 minutes)
○ Go over Theaster Gates’s work - creating communities with art
■ How architecture/art can bring people together just through being beautiful
○ Where in your artwork did you feel the most creative?
○ Did you feel like an architect when designing all of your work?
○ One of the key parts of fueling creativity and inspiration is looking at your surroundings in different ways
■ Hopefully you all feel like you can now look through an architect’s lense when you are out in the world
○ What was the most challenging thing you encountered throughout our projects?
● DESIGN/WORK SESSION: ( 20 minutes)
○ Students will have the chance to finish up any projects they didn’t complete
○ Writing artist statement about their favorite work
○ Students will swap seats and read each other’s artist statements and view their artwork up close
○ Then they will answer the question - In your opinion what is the strongest work in front of you? Why? What do you
think that work could bring to the world of architecture?
○ Depending on time, students would go to at least 2 desks, maybe 3
○ Come back together and ask students to share anything they saw from their classmates that was interesting
● CLEAN UP: ( minutes)
○ none
● CLOSURE: (3 minutes)
○ Recap the importance of architecture in creating a community
○ How will you take what you learned and apply it to your everyday life and art making?