Introduction to Architectural Philosophies

What features mark a building as belonging to a particular culture, time, and place? Class members investigate the architectural movements represented in structures built in Forsyth County, North Carolina from 1880-1980 by examining...

Discover how to analyze architecture from a geometric standpoint. The fourth installment of an 11-part unit on architecture first provides a presentation on axis, balance, basic form, formal, pattern, proportion, symmetry, and tripartite...

Who knew that paper is an amazing building material? Scholars learn about the properties of planar materials, such as paper, as well as their structural capabilities in the sixth lesson a series of 11 on architecture. Working in groups,...

Young citizens construct an understanding of urban planning in this cross-curricular unit. Covering every aspect of city development from the political, economic, and social influences to sustainable building practices, this 10-lesson...

Have you built your home on the slopes of Mount Vesuvius? Why not? Friedrich Nietzsche challenges viewers to live a fulfilled and dangerous life, to use the humanities as a guide to life, and to own up to one's envy, as explained in a...

A life without forms would be chaotic and unwieldy! Plato asserts the importance of using forms to guide one's life, as well as the value of working toward an ideal life, in the centerpiece of his philosophy. 

Whether you say it in Latin (cogito ergo sum), French (je pense donc je suis), or in English (I think therefore I am), you are expressing the rationalism of French philosopher René Descartes. Learn more about Descartes's worldview and...

Art can be a vehicle for social change and cultural expression. Upper graders examine the art of photographer David Goldblatt, as it pertains to apartheid, South Africa, and the AIDS epidemic. Discussion questions and image links are...

Students organize objects in terms of form and function. In this architecture instructional activity, students are introduced to the ideas of form and function by playing a game in which they organize spoons in different ways. Extension...

Students consider the impact of architecture around the world. In this introductory architecture lesson, students view a sideshow of historic structures and create their own architectural structures using the listed art supplies.