Pistes d'exploration

If you could visit any structure in the world, which would it be and why? Describe the structure to a peer prior to showing them a picture of it.

If you could visit one country, which would it be? Research famous structures located in that country. What famous structures are found in Canada?

Read more about homing pigeons. How did they contribute to society in ancient times? If you were to send a note via pigeon to a friend or family member across town, what would it say?

Discuss the view of the world that pigeons have but that people don’t. Would you like to fly like a bird? Why or why not? Observe your school while lying on the ground. How does it look different?

Discuss the view of the world that pigeons have but that people don’t. Would you like to fly like a bird? Why or why not? Observe your school while lying on the ground. How does it look different? Try looking at your house in the same way.

Choose a landmark from the book and describe what the pigeon saw.

On a world map, locate the cities and countries where the featured landmarks are located. 

Design and write a postcard to a classmate from one of the places the pigeon visited. 

Map your school from a pigeon’s point of view. Compare yours with a friend’s.

Explore the book prior to reading and identify how it is organized. Notice and discuss the text features.

How does reading the pigeon’s personal story (fiction) affect your learning about the various architectural structures (non-fiction)? Write a journal entry.

From the pigeon’s point of view, the bridge is the sum of the human’s ingenuity. Select a renowned bridge (big, small, great or ill-fated). Prepare a multimedia presentation for your peers.

Dreaming Up: A Celebration of Building, First Shapes in Buildings, Look at That Building!: A First Book of Structures, Look up!: Bird-Watching in Your Own Backyard, Earth-Friendly Buildings, Bridges and More

Mots-clés

Non-fiction , architecture , birds , buildings , city life , cultures , perspectives , travel

Commentaire descriptif

Architecture through the ages is addressed through detailed illustrations that are dotted with mini-captions. Supporting these is fairly lengthy commentary, from an architecture fan that happens to be a pigeon. Structures as varied as the Eiffel Tower, the Great Wall of China and the Brooklyn Bridge are examined. Students may find themselves comparing the hodgepodge beauty of Venice with the orderliness of Brasilia. Conversational language combines fact and critique (“the whole house is made of straight lines, something almost never seen in nature”), encouraging readers’ understanding of architecture as a functional art form. Sophisticated illustrations use collage cut-out effects that clarify structural elements with artistic flair. One spread shows the Coliseum ruins with a visualization of the original amphitheatre, against the backdrop of a crowd, gladiators and wild animals. A detailed rendition of the Sydney Opera House floats before a simplified cityscape. Back material offers thumbnails of every spread, with brief biographies of the architects involved. This is a thorough and engaging approach to architectural ideas and their results.