Page 67 - Copshaholm Curriculum Book_2015

Architecture in My Classroom?

You can use these tips to introduce your students to the subject of architecture. This
(and the enclosed activities) will help your students understand Copshaholm and why it
was built here in South Bend.

Architecture and the design of surroundings is something you and
your students experience every day, both at home and in the
classroom. Think about how you choose to arrange furniture, select a
color to paint walls and ceilings, and decide whether your windows need
shades or curtains.

When you arrange your classroom, you might put carpet in a corner to
create a quiet and comfortable place for reading where students can sit or
lounge. You might arrange bookshelves around the area to define the
space and block sound. You might make sure the area is located near a
window for good lighting. Elsewhere in the classroom you might gather
desks together for group activities. Compare this to an arrangement where
all the desks face in one direction and how different arrangements affect
student interaction.

This simple example shows that you and your students need go no
further than the classroom to discover architecture, although the
school's neighborhood and students' homes are obvious places to explore
as well. In discovering architecture, there are innumerable lessons for
students of all grades.

Have students become detectives and dissect their surroundings.
What materials make up the classroom walls, ceiling and floor -- carpet or
linoleum, painted walls or wood paneling, and painted ceiling or acoustic
tiles? Continue the investigation and be creative, and you can teach
through architecture. Here are some ideas:
Does the classroom echo? Why? How can you change this?

Is it hot in the summer? Cold in the winter? How can you and your
students control the climate so the classroom is as comfortable as