Pistes d'exploration

Try out one of the activities listed in the yellow text boxes. Demonstrate it for your classmates and explain the relevant engineering principle.

Discuss the structures and features of a scrapbook. As you read, notice how these elements engage you and enhance your reading.

Use a teacher-selected online mapping site to explore the locations in three dimensions.

Prepare and share three arguments promoting earth-friendly structures.

Create a design for your own earth-friendly structure. Incorporate concepts and ideas you learned through reading. Explain what makes your structure environmentally beneficial.

Take a picture walk. Find the location of the buildings on a map. Identify which structures are Canadian.

With a partner, use a mind map to define key words of one type of construction.

In small groups, try out some of the “Check this out” features. Discuss your results with other groups.

Take photos of structures (buildings, bridges, tunnels, etc.) in your community. Describe one in the style of the book. Highlight how this construction is earth-friendly (or not).

Using prior knowledge as well as new learnings, prepare a media presentation on how your school (or home) could be more earth-friendly.

Architecture According to Pigeons

Mots-clés

Non-fiction , architecture , buildings , city life , design , engineering , environment , protecting the environment

Commentaire descriptif

Accessible and fun, this eco-journal of an aspiring “green” engineer is filled with examples of cutting-edge earth-friendly architecture. Imagine a dome home that can withstand hurricanes, a bridge made of recycled plastic or a hotel made of snow. Follow Corry and her brother Riley as they accompany their engineer parents from New York City to Taipei and beyond, exploring the design and construction of environmentally responsible structures. Written from a fictional girl’s point of view and laid out as a scrapbook created from brochures and postcards collected on her travels, the book explains, in plain, straightforward language, the physics behind good eco-design. It features interesting facts, letters, jokes, commentary, journal entries, informative sidebars and hands-on activities to try. Photographs, diagrams, colourful cartoon-like illustrations, and a lively eye-catching cover provide visual appeal. Content is organized into several sections covering a wide variety of topics from skyscrapers and subway tunnels to locks and levees. This immersive offering, of particular interest to budding green engineers and designers, includes a glossary and index.