Frank Lloyd Wright and the Prairie School in the Midwest Workshop
Lesson Plan Summary: My Life by Design
By Mary Mathey August NEH workshop
6th
My Life by Design
Grade Visual Art lesson
Architecture is the triumph of Human Imagination over materials, methods, and men,
to put man into possession of his own Earth. It is at least the geometric pattern of
things, of life, of the human and social world. It is at best that magic framework of
reality that we sometimes touch upon when we use the word `order.'
Frank Lloyd Wright, 1930, 1937
Goal: Students will experience the design/artistic process through a series of design
challenges and skill building exercises that will teach them drawing techniques. By
introducing students to Frank Lloyd Wright’s architecture, students will learn how
an architect makes design decisions based on needs. Students will use this
inspiration to create a design based on a need in their own life. Through this lesson,
students will be listening to the book, “The Wright 3” by Blue Balliett
http://www.scholastic.com/blueballiett/wright3.htm. Students will listen to the
book on audiotape while they are doing the skill building activities and discuss the
readings during the introduction to each activity.
Artistic/Design Process:
a. Problem- or question to solve Phase
b. Exploration- Experimentation, Decisions, Dialogue
c. Reflection- Sharing
d.
Repeat
Big Question
How does design impact my life?
Part 1:
Assess student knowledge of architecture by showing them a series of famous
buildings from around the world. Discuss where these building are located and
what makes them iconic.
Design Challenge 1a: Draw the Willis Tower from memory.
This challenge will assess the students drawing skills and their understanding of
three dimensions. We will use these drawings to illustrate student growth at the end
of this unit.
Reflection: Students will reflect on their drawings and look at the shapes used to
create buildings.
Part 2:
As students work through a challenge, they’ll see that the steps of the design
process encourage them to think creatively to solve a problem.
Discussion
Where do architects get their ideas and inspiration?
How does nature inspire architecture?
Skill: Drawing from observation. Using objects from nature, students will learn how
to look at objects and draw them using contour lines.
Design Challenge 2: Design Challenge 1b: The Marshmallow Challenge
http://www.ted.com/talks/tom_wujec_build_a_tower.html
Part 3:
Introduce students to Frank Lloyd Wright. Show students examples of the Robie
house and similar prairie style buildings.
Compare the Prairie Style architect to Victorian architecture, specifically the Clayson
House (Victorian house in Palatine that students visit on a field trip in 3rd grade)
using a Venn diagram. Students will be able to identify characteristics of Victorian
architecture and prairie style architecture.
Skill: 3-D drawing and shading. Using Frobel Blocks or wood blocks students will
draw shapes using shading and perspective to show three dimensions. Students will
practice using their ruler skills to draw their shapes.
Design Challenge 3:
Draw a house in the prairie style using 3-D squares and rectangles.
Part 4:
Wright’s design is in the Prairie style that reflects the Midwestern landscape.
Students will look at the art glass windows created by Wright and find images in the
designs that were inspired by nature. Students will notice how Wright abstracted
images to create geometric patterns.
Skill: Transform an ordinary object into an art glass window design.
Design Challenge 4:
Sketch a design for a house that reflects the landscape in your area and explain how
it does. Try and create this design online using the FLW Design Studio program.
http://www.architectstudio3d.org/AS3d/home.html
What would you name this style?
Why?
Part 5:
Art and Life
How is our life different now that it was when Frank Lloyd Wright lived? How is
technology different now?
What objects in our day-to-day life are inspired by technology?
Skill:
Shape transformation. Students will each be given a piece of clay in the shape of a
Frobel square. Students will manipulate their piece of clay into different shapes.
Design Challenge 5:
Design a device to hold an iPad. Students in my school all have a school iPad. The
will create a series of sketches and then decide on a material that will best fit their
design. The will test their design using a proto type and then create their design
using clay, wood or other materials.
Assessment:
Final reflection. Students will reflect on their own work by writing an artist
statement. They will answer the question: “How does design impact my life?” They
will be assessed on: the success of their project, creativity, craftsmanship and their
artist statement.
Art materials, skills & techniques
Drawing
Building
Sculpting
Constructing media
Architecture
Design
Digital Arts
Shared Vocabulary between Common Core and the Arts
Convey
Elaborate
Interpret
Perceive
Point of View
Scale
Measure
Compose
Symbol
Expression
Grid
Collection
Symmetry
National Visual Arts Standards:
4. Content Standard: Understanding the visual arts in relation to history and
cultures
Achievement Standard:
Students
e. know and compare the characteristics of artworks in various eras and cultures
f. describe and place a variety of art objects in historical and cultural contexts
g. analyze, describe, and demonstrate how factors of time and place (such as
climate, resources, ideas, and technology) influence visual characteristics
that give meaning and value to a work of art
5. Content Standard: Reflecting upon and *assessing the characteristics and merits
of their work and the work of others
Achievement Standard:
Students
h. compare multiple purposes for creating works of art
i. analyze contemporary and historic meanings in specific artworks through
cultural and aesthetic inquiry
j. describe and compare a variety of individual responses to their own artworks
and to artworks from various eras and cultures
2. Content Standard: Using knowledge of *structures and functions
Achievement Standard:
Students
k. generalize about the effects of visual structures and functions and reflect upon
these effects in their own work
l. employ organizational structures and analyze what makes them effective or not
effective in the communication of ideas
m.
select and use the qualities of structures and functions of art to improve
communication of their ideas