Architectural Sketching Teacher Resources

Students apply computer-assisted design programs to develop sketches and technical drawings for a three-bedroom house. Working together, they develop strategies for presenting their designs, investigate building codes, and hone skills...

Students investigate the broad range of jobs that can be found in the world of design. Students explore sound design, language architecture, etc. Students design a resource book and post it on a website for others to share.

While architects and engineers don't often build with plastic straws and foam board, the same principles still apply. Challenging both the creativity and critical thinking of learners, this engaging design project is perfect...

Do domed structures have advantages over their less-than-spherical counterparts? Junior architects explore the pros and cons of domes through a design challenge. Teams work together to plan, sketch, build, and test domes created from an...

Green roofs aren't just eco-friendly — they are literally green with trees. Groups learn about the concept of green roofs in order to be able to design one. The groups design a 5,000-square-foot green roof for a fictional apartment row...

Students develop a creative building design. In this technology lesson, students create a model of their building using a computer software. They present their final product in class.

Young citizens construct an understanding of urban planning in this cross-curricular unit. Covering every aspect of city development from the political, economic, and social influences to sustainable building practices, this...

Students design recreational equipment for a community. In this architecture lesson, students work in pairs to design the equipment. Students select materials and begin designing. Students assess themselves with a pre-made rubric.

As a part of an architecture unit, 10th graders research and draw a building's exterior. They view images of buildings Frank Lloyd Wright has designed, attend lecture, conduct research on architectural design, and then draw an exterior...

Explore the work of Charles and Ray Eames and design philosophy for three Eames' objects. Students complete image based discussion, create sketches of forms that interest them, and create their own images for a house of cards game....

Seventh graders design possible dream house layouts. In this architecture lesson, 7th graders use sketch paper and a ruler to develop several rough sketches of a dream house. Students discuss how to use a scale for the floor plan.

Explore American Federal design as it pertains to furniture, architecture, and influences on modern style. By the end of this lesson, learners should be able to recognize Federal design, its place in history, and how it has influenced...

Learners explore the relationship between nature and architecture. In this cross curriculum history, culture, and architecture lesson, students observe and discuss structures visible in nature. Learners view websites in which Native...

Middle schoolers will explore frieze patterns. A frieze pattern is a mathematical concept to classify designs on two-dimensional surfaces, which are repetitive in one direction, based on the symmetries in the pattern. They will explore...

Students analyze the architecture of Louis I. Kahn. In this architecture analysis lesson, students analyze how a design is conceptualized and compare examples. Students complete image based discussion and two related projects.    

High schoolers visit the Newport Mansions. In this Gilded Age lesson, students explore the architecture and design of The Breakers, The Elms, and Marble House. High schoolers create visual presentations that show the artistic features of...

Students complete independent studies about famous architects or buildings. In this architecture lesson plan, students discuss what they know about the subject with their teacher. Students then select European architects and/or...

Students explore the basics of house design and compare examples of architecture from different times and places. The influence of site, materials, function, form and style are probed as their own floor plans are created.

Students construct a reliquary using foam board, researching basic Greek and Roman architecture and basic construction methods. They record their research and information in an architectural journal.

Students examine architectural designs and styles found in their state and/or community and create scrapbooks that identify those specific traits. This middle-level art lesson can be adapted to work in a social studies classroom.

Students apply abstract concepts, such as stress, fulcrums, the law of gravity, and the strength of different geometric shapes. Groups of student contractors operate simulated architectural firms to create strong, economical bridges.

Due to vandalism, war, and urban decay, many of the world's great monuments have fallen to ruin. Here is an interesting lesson that increases understanding of the dichotomy between what are intended as lasting tributes, and their...

Make young mathematicians' dreams a reality with this fun drawing project. Given the task of designing their dream home, students create drawings and physical models that demonstrate their understanding of proportion and scale.

Using the Twist™ application, elementary schoolers design their dream room. They follow the prescribed steps to calculate width, length, perimeter, and surface area in order to create a 2-dimensional representation of their dream room...