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Frequently Asked Questions
When can I use this book?
Throughout the school year! Architecture can be much more
than a once-a-year unit. Schoolyards
to Skylines shows how to weave
architecture into daily lesson plans for all subject areas,
from September to June.
How can I fit an extra subject
into my school day?
We fully understand the many demands placed on you and your
students. Architecture doesn’t have to be an extra subject
squeezed into your school day. In Schoolyards
to Skylines, you’ll find
lessons and activities that use architecture as a real resource
tool to teach the core subjects you already cover. Forty-seven
lessons are organized within five subject areas: Social Sciences,
Science, Mathematics, Language Arts, and Fine Arts. We intentionally
grouped the lessons by core subject rather than by grade level,
because we encourage you to explore and discover other themes
that build on what you are already teaching.
How can I use this book?
The lessons are interactive, hands-on, and experiential. They
are designed for a range of learning styles. Your classroom,
the school building, and your local community are used as
starting points for experiencing architecture. Images, drawings,
maps, and articles are all included on the student handouts
at the end of each lesson. We are aware of budgetary concerns
at many area schools, so lessons require only common materials.
How does this book relate
to my state’s academic standards?
Every lesson is directly linked to the Illinois State Goals
and Chicago Academic Standards. These goals and standards
were used to guide the lesson themes. At the beginning of
each lesson, the goals and standards are listed and reprinted
in full for easy reference. If you teach outside of Illinois,
the lessons in Schoolyards to
Skylines will also be beneficial
tools in your classroom. Your state’s academic standards
can be matched to those in Illinois, and the ideas explored
in the lessons are easily transferable to buildings in your
city.
My planning and preparation time
is limited. What resources are included within Schoolyards
to Skylines?
Drawings,
maps, photographs, newspaper articles, and advertisements
are all included. Background information for the teacher,
vocabulary, step-by-step lessons, images, student handouts,
extension ideas, and resource suggestions make the book easy
to use and exciting to teach. Chicago’s amazing architecture
comes alive through fun activities and experiments using simple
everyday materials.
How did teachers help to
shape this book?
More than 20 educators—from large and small schools,
from both public and private schools in urban, suburban, and
rural areas in Illinois—spent two school years brainstorming,
reviewing, and field testing the lessons found in Schoolyards
to Skylines. In addition, many
professionals in the architecture field served as consultants.
Their combined expertise has produced a book that is easy
to use and enjoyable to teach.
I teach 8th grade. Can I use lessons from different grade
levels?
Yes!
Teachers who field-tested the book found many lessons, from
outside their normal grade level, to be both intriguing and
useful. We purposely left off the grade level on the student
handouts to make it easy for you to share the 3rd grade lesson
on terra cotta, for example, with your 8th graders. By varying
the intensity or number of activities, the lessons can be
adapted to different grade and ability levels. Whether your
students are working below, at, or above grade level, the
activity procedures, discussion points, extension ideas, and
interdisciplinary connections provide you with variety and
flexibility.
I'm not a classroom teacher. How
can I use Schoolyards to Skylines?
Schoolyards to Skylines is designed
for teachers, as well as curriculum specialists, resource
coordinators, home schooling families, after-school and scout
program leaders.
How can I evaluate what
my students have learned with this book?
Each lesson begins by asking a main critical question that
appears in large print at the top of each lesson’s first
page. Student objectives are also listed on this page. Student
learning is measured through their fulfillment of these objectives
and by their ability to respond to the critical question.
How does this book connect to the Reading Initiative of the
Chicago Public Schools?
Schoolyards to Skylines
offers an extensive variety of readings and related activities
to enhance any reading instruction program. It also supports
the four components of the Reading Initiative of the Chicago
Public Schools: Word Knowledge, Fluency, Comprehension, and
Writing.
What other resources are available
to help me teach with architecture?
The Chicago Architecture Foundation offers a variety of programs
for teachers and students in addition to this K-8 teaching
resource.
CAF has also written The
Architecture Handbook: A Student Guide to Understanding Buildings.
This high school architecture textbook and accompanying teacher
resource book are the first of their kind in the country.
CAF sponsors professional development
workshops for teachers, the
Newhouse Program & Architecture
Competition for high school students, and architecture
field trips for students.
For the general public we offer dynamic
exhibitions on architecture
and the built environment, related lectures,
adult education programs, books
on Chicago architecture, and, of course, our popular architecture
tours
by foot, bus, bike and boat.
Our ArchiCenter Shop& Tour Center offer architecture-related
books, slides, posters, puzzles, and CD-ROMs for use in your
classroom. Visit our online
shop or 224 South Michigan Avenue.
Contact
Us
Please send us your email address
or postal address. We would love to "keep you in the
loop" and send you periodic updates about CAF programs,
tours, lectures, and workshop for both adults and students.
education@architecture.org
Chicago Architecture Foundation
Education Department
224 South Michigan Avenue
Chicago, IL 60604
312.922.3432
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