Pistes d'exploration

Discuss the fact that there are many different shapes in our environment. Identify and name specific geometric shapes, and make an anchor chart to display them.

Create a scavenger hunt to find examples of the different shapes within the classroom or school. You can draw or photograph the examples you find or use a checklist to cross off shapes as you find them.

Try making buildings from different materials: blocks, recycling containers, straws, etc. Label the shapes you build.

Write shape poems about the buildings you create.

Compare and contrast the blocks and the buildings from the book. Compare one to the other. How are the poems like the blocks and the building?

Explore resource materials and identify vocabulary used to discuss buildings and architecture (materials, shapes, structures, types).

Notice interesting local buildings; take photographs and explain how they are special to you.

Build architecture poems for each of the buildings. Hold an architecture exhibition in your school or other local venue.

In the Tree House, Sky High, First Shapes in Buildings, Look at That Building!: A First Book of Structures, Storybook Homes, Adventure Homes, Towering Homes, Architecture According to Pigeons

Mots-clés

Non-fiction , architecture , buildings , construction , occupations , toys , transformation

Commentaire descriptif

The genius of this book about architecture and the creative process is in the pairing of illustrations of children at play, with examples of renowned architecture. Rhyming language in the style of concrete poetry and playful illustrations will appeal to early readers, while the photography and background material mean that this informative non-fiction text is accessible to readers of any age. A photo of an earthen village in Egypt accompanies and illustration of a girl making mud pies. The round, stacked forms of the Guggenheim Museum in New York are shown alongside an image of a toddler and her stacking rings. The featured architecture is in turns exciting, imaginative and unexpected. The illustrations distill each building’s elements to a child-centric activity. The back material will be appreciated by older readers, offering a summary of each building and its architect. Adults will want to read this section, as it offers a wealth of information. From cover to cover, and for any age, this engaging book makes it clear that the art, craft and forms of architecture have deep roots in child’s play.