January 3, 2009

By: Michael D. from Barkhamsted, CT
Comments: 4

I really enjoyed your lesson. If you have more time perhaps there are ways to bring the spaces that the students are examining to life by adding a bit of the human element to it. In Waterbury, Connecticut there still exist the buildings that once housed the brass industry, hence Brass City, U.S.A. Both the design of the buildings and the industry that was conducted within has been maintained by the Brass City Museum. Here docents relay the tales of the rise and fall of the industry, as well as the human stories that arose from within. Many of these buildings have been renovated for various uses, and many still languish. It would be great if students were able to hear from the people that had occupied the space at one time.

Posted By: Michael DiMartino
On: 12/15/2008 12:31:15 PM

This unit looks like a great way to teach design through using a number of subject areas. It would be a great way to teach an interdisciplinary unit with others. As a social studies teacher I like the relationship between history, the use space and design along with the relationship between technologhy and design.

Posted By: Karen Lennan
On: 12/15/2008 1:48:05 PM

I think it would be a great lesson for students of architecture in our engineering program. It would be great to look at five different spaces in our city, and turn it into a research assignment as well so they could possibly interview designers of the new library for instance, to find out what influenced them. Karen Lennan

Posted By: Debra Buchan
On: 12/30/2008 5:30:36 PM

I think examining five different spaces in any city could lead to creative as well as research-based learning for students. This lesson could work with an English class and during after visiting the spaces, students could write poetry or journal entries or stories that describe/connect/expand their ideas about what they have seen.

Posted By: Sharon DiMarco
On: 1/1/2009 9:13:33 PM

I think a great extension to this lesson, would be to encourage students to create their own individual city space. Once students have created their city space, they could describe it's purpose and function. This could be use as an assessment piece on the children's understanding of the unit.

Posted By: Bruce Miller
On: 1/3/2009 10:56:53 AM

I really enjoyed your lesson. If you have more time perhaps there are ways to bring the spaces that the students are examining to life by adding a bit of the human element to it. In Waterbury, Connecticut there still exist the buildings that once housed the brass industry, hence Brass City, U.S.A. Both the design of the buildings and the industry that was conducted within has been maintained by the Brass City Museum. Here docents relay the tales of the rise and fall of the industry, as well as the human stories that arose from within. Many of these buildings have been renovated for various uses, and many still languish. It would be great if students were able to hear from the people that had occupied the space at one time.