Macro teaching: Art 3700; a Janice Rahn Class

By:

Nava Beja

Architecture of Natural Materials

Architecture in the Classroom
Architecture, urban planning and design have affect on our natural, physical, social and cultural
environments. By making kids aware of the process that forms these environments, they might
be better equipped to make positive changes to their physical world as they grow up. By
participating in architectural activity, children get to know elements and principles of design as
well as materials, structures and cultures as well as principals of environmental design. Since
architecture is a broad subject, I have chosen to focus on environmental education for my
macro teaching: Architecture of Natural materials".

Architecture of Natural materials

This activity focuses on houses, and was first done in the Helen Schuler Coulee Centre. It was
based on the exhibit: animal architects at the centre, which looked at animal habitats. There
are three parts to the activity, the first two serves as introductions to the third, which is the
hands on. The first part explores animal habitats and animal use natural materials; the second:
looks at how people from around the world do the same with their houses, and in the third
students are asked to build models of houses from natural materials.

Structure and age: This document is a collection of activities; it is here for you to play. You may
do the whole thing, choose part of an activity, modify or add. The activities are not age
specified in most cases, and it is up to the teacher to decide. However, the range of activities
can be done with students from pre-school to higher grades.
Acquired Skills: creativity, problem solving, critical thinking, cross-disciplinary applications and
cooperative learning.
Vocabulary used: natural materials, form, colour, structure, support, beams, columns, shape,
scale, thermal comfort.
Sources: The pictures and information were taken from various sources (see bibliography).
Most activities are my ideas.

First part: animal habitat

This part was based on animal habitat exhibit at the Coulee Centre, which explored how
animals used natural materials to build their homes. Originally the students were suppose to be
given a tour of the exhibit by a local guide, however, since the day turned out to be gorgeous,
we have decided to change the plan and went out to watch habitats around the natural reserve
which was very successful. We have seen the home of a deer, woodpecker and a rabbit, also
beavers lodge and spiders web.
Objective: Learning about some building techniques and materials used in animal habitats.
Materials: natural reserve, park or any area where animal habitat can be observed.
Vocabulary: Animal habitats: nest, den, burrow, etc. Natural materials: straw, mud, wood etc.,
shelter, protection from weather.

Procedure:
Introduction:
Discussion on:
-

What animal habitats do we know?

Wh y d o a n i m a l s n e e d a h o u s e ? (To protect from potential enemies, and as shelter from

the weather).

Think of animal habitats that you know, which material are they made of?

Activity:
* Have the students look at examples of animal habitats: either bring pictures or more
recommended, take the students on a nature tour and see what you can find. You may wish to
get help from a local nature guide (e.g., coulee centre, etc.). For more information on animal
habitat, see bibliography.
* For every example you have, ask the students:
1. Which materials were used to build each example?
2. How do animals obtain protection from potential enemies and shelter from the weather

Closure:
List materials that are used by animals (mud, straw, stone, wood). Indicate that same as
animals use natural material to build their homes, so do people around the world. This will be
the subject of the second part.

Second part: houses from around the world

In this part, students will be looking at examples of houses from around the world, and will try to
identify materials, and methods that are used in different cultures. Pictures of houses from
around the world are included and can be in a separate document called: A r c h i t e c t u r e
L e s s o n P l a n P i c t u r e s . The teacher can use those pictures, add to it, or use their own
examples and pictures.

Objective: Getting to know houses from around the world, and how climate, availability of
materials and culture effects the them.
Materials: Variety of pictures of houses from around the world

Procedure:
Introduction
Discussion on:
- What is a house?
- W h y d o w e b u i l d h o u s e s ? To protect from potential enemies, and as shelter from the
weather; The human body is comfortable only in relatively narrow range of thermal conditions,
and people are looking to maintain their thermal comfort (to stay warm when the temperatures
are low, and cool when it is hot). In the modern world people use heating and cooling facilities
which are operated with electricity, oil, gas etc. However, a large population around the world
does not have access to such facilities, and yet, they make sure to maintain thermal comfort in
their houses. How do they do that? The best way of answering the question is looking at
examples. My second document lesson plan-pictures contains pictures of houses from around
the world, with explanations and suggestions for activities.
- Which materials can be used to build a house? People in the modern world have a
variety of materials to choose from when they build, and they sometimes ship building materials
such as stone, wood, and earth from far away. On the other hand, there are many other people
who do not import (usually because they cant afford to), and instead, use whatever they have
available locally.

A c t i v i t y:
Guessing game:
-

In small groups: The students are shown different pictures of houses from around the world:

You may want to look at the document Architecture Lesson Plan- Pictures now.

The pictures can be shown to the students in any of the following formats:

Slide show.

Print the pictures and pass it between the groups.

Make a cards game, where the picture are on one side, and the answers on the other.

The students have to guess:

1. What is in the picture
2. Where is it from in the world
3. Which materials are used
4. Why was it built this way
5. How do the dwellers maintain thermal comfort

* After they guessed, you can have a discussion in the class, and fill-in the information.

Closure:
After the students have seen all the pictures, go over the different materials and techniques that
were introduced in class. This is done so when they build their own models at the third part, they
will have an idea of the options they have.
*If you do the third part on a separate day, you may wish to remind the students of the different
animal habitats and examples of houses they have seen just before they start building their
models.

Third part: building a model

In this part, the students have a chance to develop the newly gained information into hand-on
activities.
Objective: Having the students build models of houses from natural materials
Materials:
- N a t u r a l m a t e r i a l s that can be found outside - mud, clay, straw, weeds, pieces of wood, small
stones etc.
- B a s e s f o r t h e m o d e l s (cardboard or any flat surface, approximately 30X30 cm)

Procedure:
Activity:
1. Collecting materials with the students can be done in a park, nature area (you might
need to ask permission), or anywhere in the neighbourhood that you think is appropriate.
* It is better to go with the students, because you can better direct them on what to bring, give
them ideas, and also make sure that they will only pick things from the ground, and will not harm
nature in any way.
2. Giving the students figures to build the models for (so it will be: a house for a bear,
mouse, poke man etc.). This could be a miniature of an animal, person etc. Those
figures help students develop a sense of scale.
* If you have the time, you can make students build their own figures from clay, Fimo, make
cotton dolls, etc.
3. Have the students build a house for the figure, using only the materials they brought
from outside (they may add water to their mud). You can choose a geographic location
(desert, arctic, forest etc.), and encourage the students to provide the house dwellers
with sufficient thermal comfort (by making sure to use insulating materials, wind
chimney, fireplace etc.)
4. When done, you can arrange an exhibit of the models, including brief written explanation
on what they have done and why.

Additional suggestions:
1. This could be a parents-students activity, another option, Invite parent to see the exhibit.
2. Alternative location: The activity can take place in nature (for example: I know of a
teacher who made her student build fairy houses in the forest).

There is so much more that can be done with architecture. Architecture can be integrated into
social studies: building models of famous houses, castles etc. (build a model of the Bastille,
build a model of a pyramid, etc.). It can be integrated into sciences: when learning about forces
(students can build bridges), calculating angels, surfaces. You may want to have a look at the
web sites given at the end for more ideas.

Here are other suggestions for activities:

- Design the house of your dreams
- Build a model of your neighbourhood and re-design parts that you do not like (group work)
- Design a house in a remote location using local materials; supply your own water and
electricity. (For higher grades)
- Re design your room
- For Harry Potter lovers: build a model of Howgarth

Etc, etc, etc.

B i b l i o g r a p h y (sorted by relevance)
Books
A r c h i t e c t u r e w i t h o u t a r c h i t e c t s / (Available at the Lethbridge Public Library)
S h e l t e r / Shelter Publications/ California /1973
Th e N a tu r a l H o u se B o o k / David Pearson / Gaia publications (Available at the Lethbridge
Public Library)
A r c h i t e c t u r e f o r K i d s / Carole Arnston / Architectural Institute of British Columbia, 1997
N a t i v e A m e r i c a n A r c h i t e c t u r e / Peter Nabokov & Robert Easton / Oxford University press,
1988. (Available at the Lethbridge Public Library)
M a n . C l i m a te a n d a r c h i te c tu r e / B. Givoni / Elsevier publishing / UK / 1969.

Books on animal habitat:

A n i m a l a r c h i t e c t s / The Helen Schuler Coulee Centre / Research Package / 1999.

Books for world explorer series: A n i m a l a r c h i t e c t s / National geographic society / Washington

D.c. / 1987.
T h e a r c h i t e c t u r e o f a n i m a l s / Forsyth Adrian / Camden House Publishing / Ontario / 1989.

Relevant Websites (sorted alphabetically)

ARC Home Page: http://www.norfolkcounty.com/aerc/

A R C L i n k s : http://www.norfolkcounty.com/aerc/links.html
Architecture for Kids at Loggia | exploring great architecture sites for kids and
e d u c a t o r s ! : http://www.loggia.com/designarts/kids.html
A r c h i t e c t u r e i n E d u c a t i o n T o p i c s : http://www.whyy.org/cgi-bin/netforum/aie/a/1
A r t a n d e c o l o g y : http://www.artsednet.getty.edu/ArtsEdNet/Resources/Ecology/index.html
Catalogue for books on architecture for kids:
http://www.norfolkcounty.com/aerc/catalog.html

E 2 : E n v i r o n m e n t & E d u c a t i o n : http://www.enviroaction.org/curricula/index.html

The Galileo Educational Network Association: Working with and in schools:

http://www.galileo.org/school.html

GEOEC: http://www.geoec.org/index.html

Lesson Plans Sorted by Grade Level:

http://www.artsednet.getty.edu/ArtsEdNet/Resources/grade.html

Primitive Cultures:
http://meltingpot.fortunecity.com/covent/14/anthro02/housing.htm

RealGoods: http://www.realgoods.com/

Shelter in Architecture In Education Web Resources- Architectural Lesson Plans:

http://www.whyy.org/aie/new-stuff/resources/archlesson.html

S t r a w b a l e i n f o r m a t i o n : http://www.balewatch.com

Strew Bale Houses: http://www.balewatch.com/