| Connecting the Dots? Geometry and Architecture |
| Lesson plan connects concepts in geometry with architecture and the sciences. Students begin with an Internet scavenger hunt to determine the meanings of geometry and architectural terms. They watch a video, “Geometry in the Real World: Students as Architects,” and write reflective responses. |
| Provider: Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum |
| State Standards: View state standards for this resource |
| Grade(s): 9–12 |
|
| Yesterday’s Tomorrows: Past Visions of an American Future Teaching Guide |
| Six lessons on the “history of the future” (how we have envisioned the future). Imagine and plan a future city, explore aspects of heritage to pass on to the future, and analyze how the design of the built environment will shape life in the future. |
| Provider: Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service |
| State Standards: View state standards for this resource |
| Grade(s): 4–8, 9–12 |
|
| Doghouses, Doors & Design (PreK-1) |
| Lesson engaging students in active problem solving as they create a design for a doghouse. Involves work in collaborative groups, exploring numerical problems, and explaining strategy. Targets grades preK-1. |
| Provider: Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum |
| State Standards: View state standards for this resource |
| Grade(s): PreK–3 |
|
| Save Outdoor Sculpture! Children’s Page |
| Online children’s program on outdoor sculpture featuring five interactive activities. |
| Provider: Smithsonian American Art Museum |
| State Standards: View state standards for this resource |
| Grade(s): PreK–3, 4–8, 9–12 |
|
| The Humanitarian Side of Architecture |
| Lesson exploring the role that architects have in rebuilding communities after natural disasters. Teaches about the aftermath of the 1906 California earthquake and current efforts to rebuild after natural disasters. Students research current rebuilding efforts and present their findings. |
| Provider: Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum |
| State Standards: View state standards for this resource |
| Grade(s): 9–12 |
|
| Turn it Upside Down: Introduction to Computer-Aided Design |
| Activity exploring roller coaster design, computer graphics, and architecture. Students focus on understanding the connections between mathematics, science, technology and innovation. |
| Provider: Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum |
| State Standards: View state standards for this resource |
| Grade(s): 9–12 |
|
| Chairs, Chairs Everywhere… (PreK-3) |
| Activity designed to help students become aware of the multitude of design variations in everyday objects by conducting surveys, collecting information, and creating a catalog of chairs. |
| Provider: Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum |
| State Standards: View state standards for this resource |
| Grade(s): PreK–3 |
|
| Smithsonian in Your Classroom: Building Up, Breaking Down (2000) |
| This issue explores the weathering of buildings, which begins the minute they are assembled. Physical breakdown (such as rock fracture), chemical weathering and pollution are all key ingredients in this discussion of the geology of the built environment. |
| Provider: Smithsonian Center for Learning and Digital Access |
| State Standards: View state standards for this resource |
| Grade(s): 4–8, 9–12 |
|
| A Tale of Two Schools |
| Lesson plan has students evaluate the architectural styles and designs in their community as they compare two different schools and their surroundings. They learn about Sanborn Maps and archives as they collaborate to research the schools’ histories and designs. |
| Provider: Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum |
| State Standards: View state standards for this resource |
| Grade(s): 4–8, 9–12 |
|
| African Forms in the Furniture of Pierre Legrain |
| Online exhibition exploring the influence of African chairs and stools on the work of artist Pierre Legrain. |
| Provider: National Museum of African Art |
| State Standards: View state standards for this resource |
| Grade(s): 9–12 |
|