American Residential Architecture

Submitted by: Marilyn Headley, art teacher at Robious Middle School
Lesson: American Residential Architecture

Grade Level: 7th grade

 

Materials:

• Microsoft PowerPoint software

• Stoneware Clay

• Wire End Clay Tool Set

Procedure:

Using the PowerPoint application program and scanned photos of area architecture, the students are introduced to the architecture of the metropolitan Richmond, Va. area. [See image below] You can substitute your own city or one nearby.

 

We look at and discuss quoins, architraves, fan lights, and many other aspects of architecture and their origins. The students design a house of their own showing textures, architectural features and final colors schemes. Patterns are made for each wall, roof, land piece - each not larger than 8" in any direction (otherwise, they will build an exact replica of the White House!). The students use white clay to create a ceramic work to show their new knowledge of architecture.

 

Richmond, Virginia Capital Building

 

This is well worth the effort! The use of multiple roof lines requires a protractor, the history of architecture mirrors the history of immigration and Greek and Roman architecture, the science of molecules exposed to high temperatures, and the muscles developed in Phys. Ed. all meet in the art room! Stay on them for craftsmanship and they will shine!!

 

Resources:

Books

A History of American Architecture - Each of the ten chronological chapters, accompanied by almost 300 photographs, drawings, and maps, begins with a broad survey of the dominant cultural forces and technologies, and then discusses how designers of the day responded with particular architectural forms.

Architecture in the United States - Leading historian Dell Upton's revolutionizing interpretation examines American architecture in relation to five themes: community, nature, technology, money, and art.

 

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Hieroglyphic Cartouches

Submitted by: Andrea Gregovich, art teacher at the Jewish Community Center

Camp Shalom in Tucson, AZ

Grade Level: 6th - 8th grade

 

Procedure:

I net-searched "hieroglyphics" and "cartouche" to find a site with the hieroglyphic alphabet (and also graphic examples of what cartouches look like), which I made copies of and brought to class. I asked them what they knew about Ancient Egypt to introduce the project, and then set them to work on translating their names in hieroglyphics and sculpting the hieroglyphs with clay. We used multi-colored sculpting clay, but any kind of clay will work.

 

Materials:

• Moist Clay
• Canvas Rolls
• Wire End Clay Tool Set

Summary

Students will have handouts of the Egyptian hieroglyphic alphabet. There are several versions and students can choose to translate each English letter with the corresponding hieroglyph or with a phonetic version of the Arabic version.

 

Students will then sculpt each symbol out of clay. Students may use colored Glazes that have color of the Egyptian period of old or simple multi-colored clay. After firing, students may glue each piece on a sheet of plexiglass or other flat object.