Level IV. 1. Uses reading skills and strategies to understand a variety of informational texts (e.g., textbooks, biographical sketches, letters, diaries, directions, procedures, magazines, essays, primary source historical documents, editorials, news stories, periodicals, catalogs, job-related materials, schedules, speeches, memoranda, public documents, maps)

Level IV. 5. Uses strategies to address writing to different audiences (e.g., includes explanations and definitions according to the audience's background, age, or knowledge of the topic, adjusts formality of style, considers interests of potential readers)

Students will:

• conduct Internet research
• participate in small-group and large-group discussion
• learn about the design process
• analyze, summarize, critique, and evaluate information from varied sources
• make judgments
• create a presentation

• “People’s Design Award Journal Log” handout (attached)
• “Submit Your Design” handout (attached)
• Internet Web sites

• Computer with Internet access
• Writing journal

1. Read the following information aloud to the class:

• Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum, located in New York City, is the only museum in the nation devoted exclusively to historic and contemporary design. The Museum launched the People’s Design Award in September of 2006, which gives the general public an opportunity to nominate and vote for their favorite designs. By logging on to www.cooperhewitt.org users are able to browse and vote from the existing nominees or upload images to nominate a new object. The site receives hundreds of nominations, thousands of votes and more than 100,000 visitors. The winner of the first People’s Design Award was the Katrina Cottage, which was designed by Marianne Cusato.

Visit the Web site that has information and images of the Katrina Cottage at
https://www.dexigner.com/design_news/8012.html. Ask the students to brainstorm ideas about why the Katrina Cottage was chosen as the winner of the People’s Design Award.

2. Lead a class discussion on students’ opinions about the benefits and drawbacks of an award that is chosen by everyday people instead of design experts and how this relates to good design.

1. Divide the class into teams of three students. Provide each group with a copy of the “People’s Design Award Journal Log” handout. The handout asks students to browse the Web site for three days. Each day the student teams must record information about what they see, as well as their reactions. Give the students fifteen to twenty minutes to explore the Web site www.peoplesdesignawards.org. They will choose their favorite design and their least favorite design.

2. Lead a class discussion focusing on the students’ favorite and least favorite designs and the reasons for their choices. Post a list of the reasons for their choices to use as a shared resource.

3. Keep the students in design teams of three people. Tell them that they are going to submit a design—either their own or someone else’s—to the People’s Design Award. To help students make their choices, give each group a copy of the “Submit Your Design” handout.