Part 1
Some Thoughts on Architecture
I've always been disinterested in American architecture. It seems we often
sacrifice artistic freedom to functionality and cost. I never knew that there
is a lot to learn and study in American architecture and that simply by virtue
of being practical the architecture says something about us. Mulling that
over, I've come to realize that some architecture is definitely art and some
is definitely not, but that both types reflect on their culture and should be
studied.
_Architecture as Art_
In college, I delved into art classes, thinking deeply about art and what it
means to the spirit of man--that the humanities are a large part of what being
human is all about. Charlotte Mason knew this. She celebrated the humanities.
She celebrated the beautiful things manmade and in nature. Many architects
are artists at heart and their work can be studied as we would study a famous
artist such as Van Gogh.
Some cultures emphasize the beauty of architecture more than others. While
you might ask yourself whether such laviousness is vain, it's impressive to
see the possibilites that a building can take on.
I once took a course on Vienna's History. To my delight, I was able to visit
Vienna after I moved to Germany and saw many of the things I had read about
close-up. Vienna, is the most architectually-impressive city I have ever seen.
Every building is beautiful there. Art has been a part of architecture for
many centuries and it shows in the buildings. One glorious display after
another. The people of Vienna (Wieners) know what art is all about and many
sought to bring art into their everyday lives as much as possible.
My husband and I wearily marched across the whole city to see a building
with a modern-art slant. The man who built it liked to mimic nature in quirky
ways, having non-flat floors, (arguing that flat earth doesn't occur in
nature), throwing convention to the wind and giving creativity at its height.
I loved this apartment building he designed. When you think about buildings
being primarily to house people, I think this man, named Hundredwasser would
disagree, even though he accomplished the practical purpose. I delighted in
the creativity of this architectural masterpiece.
Along the same lines, the castle of Neuschwanstein (southern Germany)
mimics a theatre set design which caught the fancy of King Ludwig II. It was
designed primarily for beauty, and the architect's task was to make this
cartoon of a castle be functional--not easy when working with laws of physics.
Eventually the interior was left incomplete, but the exterior of this
spectacular castle floating on top of the mountains was the inspiration for
the Cinderella castle at Disney world.
My last experience with a city of architecture is Rome. Rome's architecture
is the oldest I've seen. The fact that many building are still standing is
impressive. Rome is built on 7 hills, and on the hill called Palatino you can
see the remains of an enormous governmental palace, which grew more enormous
with each year and each Ceasar. The word "palace" was coined from the name of
this hill.
The forum is another part of Rome which can say a lot about its culture.
People were so poor that they attended the government-sponsored events such as
chariot races and later the ghastly displays of combat held in the coloseum.
It was like PBS, only live. Not only that, but they were given food and drink
if they attended.
The city also has countless statues. In the Vatican City alone, the statues
could fill a stadium (okay, I didn't try it). Statues were part of the
ornaments used to embellish buildings, and many building had statues built
into the design.
The artistry of many architects is looked over and the credit of a building
is often given to the owner. For example, King Louis XIV of France is most
often the person accredited to France's palace Versailles, not the architects
who designed it. It would be interesting to study the works of an architect
to compare the works of one with other architects of a time period, and to
compare earlier works with later ones. Architecture may capture the fancy of a
child whose interest in artists isn't blossoming as it should.
_Architecture as cultural study_
Rob Shearer encourages us to make architecture a part of our studies about a
time period. I couldn't agree more. Why are we studying history? To learn
about the people and how they lived! The buildings say a lot about them. What
were there homes like? What was the government's buildings like or royalty's?
Was the King living extravagantly while the peasants were in pitiful huts? All
these things say something about a time period and can help the learner get a
better feel for the people.
American's have been a practical people from the time they came over. They
took pride in respectful, but small homes, that mimicked their upbringing,
their home country. I think we still keep some of the practicality in our
architectural designs. What they lack in design, they can show where our
priorities are. I think the 70s was the peak of ugly homes, but I'm pretty
inexperienced with this and anybody can shoot down this idea, with their own.
Along the same lines, our opinion of an "average-sized" home has certainly
enlarged, even from the fifties. What does that say about our culture?
What can a child learn from driving around the city...? Are there a grouping
of smaller homes built in the fifties? What is the oldest building in the
city? Try finding an historical society which can guide you to special
buildings and learn about their history. People didn't rent apartments as
much back then. How did that affect the times? (age of marriage, for example;
boy waits to save for a house). There is a lot to teach children about their
parents' and grandparents' generations just from the buildings.
I think Rob's article covered a lot of the different civilizations and their
types of buildings.
We can learn from the smallest hut to the largest palace and get a greater
picture of the people we study. We can also get inspiration from other
architects to learn what makes a building a work of art!
--Heather Woodbury
I do want to add that I'm writing this from an American perspective, mainly
because I'm an American. In all my studies of other countries, I find
Americans tend to need the most "opening up" to other cultures. It would be
too presumptious to assume things about cultures other than my own, so I limit
this to my viewpoint. I don't mean to be egocentric.
PART 2
Architecture Studies
Why Study Architecture? (adapted from Rob Shearer's essay)
1. Because children are naturally interested in it.
2. There are many possibilities for hands-on projects.
3. It can enhance the study of a specific time period. It tells us much about
what the people considered beautiful and what principles they valued.
4. It expands our understanding of other cultures.
5. It's a form of art.
What Architecture?
1. Different types of buildings.
Igloo, pyramid, Roman temple, Gothic cathedral, skyscraper, castle, house on
stakes (in flood areas), mud house, teepee.
2. Different architects.
Study one architect over time or just many of the buildings he or she created.
3. Different styles.
Roman, Gothic, rococo--what characteristics make these styles?
4. Time periods.
What did all the houses of a certain time period look like? What were the
great palaces of the same time period?
How to study architecture?
1. Tour It!
Visit the historical buildings in your city and others where you visit. Find
out about the people and the history that makes a building special. Call the
historical society and see what's available in your area. Even look at the
types of buildings built in the last 50 years and see the difference in styles
from the 50's, 70's and 90's.
2. Watch it!
If you can't visit, you can watch a video to actually see and learn about the
buildings. America's Castles (on PBS) celebrates some beautiful American
homes. There are lots of special documentaries and dramas of time periods.
Check out your library's video section. Discuss the architecture when viewing
historical movies.
3. Build it!
Dowels, small rope & straw can be used to build a great house on stilts. Legos, duplo, blocks, Lincoln logs, even tinker toys, can all be used to build houses. Pebbles or model bricks could be used. Commercially you can buy the kits (like the ones from Greenleaf press). They can be Styrofoam or paper. Pop-ups, etc. You can also buy model kits or wood kits. What about Puzz-3-D? There are some incredible buildings available. Even 2-D puzzles would be great.
4. Eat it!
Gingerbread with chocolate frosting make a great mud house, sugar cubes or even marshmallows and toothpicks could make an igloo, pretzel sticks could be logs or sticks. Cookies, crackers, etc. Bake a cake and shape it like a castle using upside-down ice cream cones as spires. Make bread dough and bake in a loaf pan for a rectangular structure (carve out center), or use the dough to create soft sculpture. With food as medium, you can often eat the finished product. (don't forget to take pictures).
5. Use Fine art.
Draw buildings during art time. Have them copy original pictures or beautiful buildings nearby. Use rulers to get straight lines. I did this in college and it took me a very long time to get a perfect building (with plants and all!) You could also use plaster of paris or other art materials to create a building. Paint or pastels--make a beautiful picture of a beautiful building.
6. Go full-scale!
Create a castle in your living room with refrigerator boxes. In your backyard, try making a mud house with the proper materials you learn about. Build a wooden house and try mimicking the style of the early settlers or of Southern plantation houses. Robin Poppy's two youngest children built their own thatched roof hut after reading books about the Pacific Islands. The buildings need not be temporary. You could have the child participate in the family's new house plans or in the plans for a permanent tree house. Did you say you needed a storage shed?
7. Create a scene!
Try adding in people, and items that occur during the time period that the architectural item was created. Was it war time? Where can you find a set of cival war soldiers to display with your plantation? Find some miniature trees, and add in a river & mountain.
8. Study pictures.
Find an architect and study it the way Charlotte Mason studies artists. With several photos and over the period of several months. You could also use architectural styles as a study. Magazines are great resources for pictures, especially architectural magazines.
9. Study floor plans.
Let children discover the symbols used for stairs, toilets, sinks, ceiling fans, fireplace, windows, doors, etc. Home magazines often have floor plans available.
10. Read Living Books.
Find a living book about an architect or about a specific building. Also listen for building descriptions in historical books and look up the type of building it might be, or find the exact building and show the child that this famous building "actually existed." Lynda suggested a wonderful children's book on architecture by Frank Llloyd Wright with activities in it.
11. Imagine it!
Have a child create a chez-d'oeuvre from his architecture studies. This can be
a carefully graphed building from the child's detailed blueprint studies, or a
zany imaginary building--or maybe an artistically beautiful building. What
kind of interesting features does your dream house have? Mine has secret
passageways, a secret garden, a secret room and a waterfall. Okay, so they
won't be secret anymore now that I've told you! Whether it's written in a
story form or actually created or drawn, the imagination has few limits!
Penny Gardner saw a creative design from a magazine--a computer
rendering of a building designed for Longaberger basket company, which looked
just like a giant picnic basket, complete with two handles! The windows were
hidden in the cranny where the weave folds under. She suggests letting the
child use his imagination and art supplies to create a bizarre building.
12. Make an Architecture notebook.
For architecture enthusiasts! Collect architecture pictures from magazines. Sort by style or theme or even just in order discovered. Put in sketches and other architecture art. Add photographs of places you visit, historical information, and essays about a building and what was learned from studying it.
13. Study Bad Architecture.
What makes for ugly buildings? On your city tour, take photos of ugly buildings or poor architecture. Often landscaping or surface touch up (painting) makes a big difference. Put the photos in your notebook and talk about what could make a building look better. Possibly, have the child write ways to improve this look, or why this building isn't artistic or beautiful.
What have you done to increase architectural awareness in your studies?
What have you learned from studying architecture?
Do you have more examples to add to these lists?
Do you have more reasons for studying, or things to be studying about
architecture?
What are some of your favorite resources for studying architecture (which
living books, which kits or projects)?
Have you tried any of these and had good or bad experiences?
Please share!
Thanks,
Heather Woodbury(:
Thanks to everyone whose ideas are a part of this!
Just what is Narration, and how does it work? What is the difference between a 6 telling a Bible story, and a highschooler giving an analysis of the principle character's motivation? What are some narration methods that have worked at your house? How do you develop that delighted child into that thoughtful teen?
May 18, 1998 Shakespeare and Stop Signs
Review by Sandy Fairchild
_The Parents' Review_ is a magazine that was published by Karen Andreola (author of _A Charlotte Mason Companion/Personal Reflections on the Gentle Art of Learning_) four times a year from 1991 through 1996. She stopped publishing the mag. in 1997 in order to have time to write her book and spend more time with her family. She may start again next year. Anyway, you can still buy all the back issues, and since they are timeless and classic, don't worry about anything being out of date. In Karen's TPR, she includes articles from the original "Parents' Review" (CM's mag), as well as cultural articles on composers, artists, authors, etc., and very practical articles on how to teach any subject via CM's methods; also articles on child training, mother culture, book reviews, etc.
To see if you would like it, send $5.00 for a sample copy to Karen Andreola, and ask her to send you a back issue order form. You don't have to buy them all at once, but can buy a few or one at a time.
(address being updated - check the website)
Also, Karen has a website which you can visit and read about the magazines. There is also an order form there: Charlotte Mason Supply Company .
Go To The Charlotte Mason Study Loop Homepage.