HOT TOPIC: Architecture
Volume 3, Issue 1 - September 10, 2006"Welcome to the third year of the Digital Dozen Newsletter! The format has evolved to even better meet the needs of teachers looking to find and organize online resources for use in the classroom. Now recommended web sites are grouped by rating with thumbnail screen shots of each page, appropriate grade levels and a quick-reference summary of the value of each resource. The printable summary sheet remains a staple of the newsletter, offering a one-page review of the best of the best on a topic. A nd each issue of volume three includes a listing of additional resources you may wish to consider in addition to the top twelve recommended sites. D12 offers you more value than ever!
We kick of volume 3 with a look at the best resources online for the study of architecture. The structures of a community offer concrete, observable, measurable evidence of its history, character and values. Whether you are studying your home town, states, nations, civilizations or epochs of history, the study of architecture can enrich and extend your curriculum. Consider the Art & Architecture project I hosted in 2003 (view it online at http://surfaquarium.com/A&A/ ). Students from Arlington , Virginia , Kansas City , Missouri , Ojai , California , Skopje , Macedonia and Tampa , Florida each researched their town's architectural heritage, ranked structures based on established criteria, and created a virtual tour based on their findings. The result is an interesting visual collection of architectural styles from societies around the nation and the world.
Architecture is also a topic rich with possibilities for integration across the curriculum. There is potential for connections to engineering, physics, geometry, measurement, history, anthropology, archaeology, descriptive writing, interviewing, health, safety, ergonomics, graphics editing, databases, multimedia presentations and so much more. The resource people you can introduce to your students both online and in person are too numerous to mention, and the real-world application of a variety of skills students need to master only add to the value of this topic in your classroom.
Never considered the study of architecture in instruction before? Here's your chance! Already making the use of architecture in your classroom? Add these resources to your repertoire!"
