Lesson 7: Buildings in Time

Students discover older buildings in their community and their functions.

(Adapted from Hometown History)

Subjects: Social Studies, Language Arts, Art

Grade Levels: 2-5

Time Frame: 2-3 class periods

Materials Needed:

Buildings in Time worksheet

Learning Objectives: Students will:

Learn about how people lived long ago
Discover older buildings in their community
Foster a better understanding of local history

Procedure:

1. Have students choose an old building in their community to discover. It can be a building that has been designated as a historical landmark.

2. If possible, visit the building. Walk inside and look at different rooms carefully. Have students imagine what it was like to live there. Find out when it was built.

3. Take photographs or draw sketches of the building. Include a picture of the whole building and one or two of the details, like the front door or interesting windows.

4. The building may have a certain architectural style like Victorian, Federal, Spanish Colonial, Beaux Arts, Chicago Commercial, etc. Find out what its style name is.

An architectural style is determined by when the building was constructed and what sort of design or building materials were used.

5. Have students find the following on their building:

Who lived or worked there?
What kind of life do you think they lived?
What was very different about their lives compared to yours?
Would you like to have lived during that time? Why or why not?

6. Arrange the information you have gathered on a poster board. Print the name of your building at the top. Glue on your photographs, drawings, and any illustrations you have. Write the information you have learned on pieces of paper and attach these also. Include the construction date of the building and the style of architecture.

Buildings In Time

Photograph or Drawing

My Exploration of ____________________________

Your Name: __________________________________

School: ________________________________

Month and Year: _______________________

References

Built Environment

Lesson 7: Buildings in Time

Students discover older buildings in their community and their functions.

Worksheet for Mapping a Building
(not available at this time)
http://academy.pointofview.cc/modules/

City of Edmonton Archives

Over 250,000 historical photographs, dating from the 1880's, more than 100,000 slides currently housed are of a more contemporary nature. Much of the collection consist of negatives, slides, moving images and prints. An extensive collection of aerial photographs of the city dating from 1924 to 1988

Books

Edmonton's lost heritage / prepared by the Heritage Sites Selection Committee of the Edmonton Historical Board. Published: 1982

Edmonton : the life of a city / Bob Hesketh and Frances Swyripa, editors.
Published: c1995. Articles: What Kind of a City is Edmonton? Edmontonians and the Legislature

Edmonton, gateway to the North : an illustrated history / by John F. Gilpin ; picture research by John E. McIsaac ; "Partners in progress" by Stanley Arthur Williams. Published: c1984.

A Guide to Researching Building History Brochure
http://www.calgary.ca

Glenbow Archives Photographs
http://ww2.glenbow.org/search/archivesPhotosSearch.aspx

Alberta WorldWeb Travel Guide: Photo Gallery
http://www.discoveralberta.com/PhotoGallery

Bob Kenyon's Old Edmonton Buildings Page
http://www.angelfire.com/ab4/bobk/oldeb.htm

[Top]

Lesson 1: Choosing Your Special Place

Lesson 2: Your Special Place Has a History

Lesson 3: What are Landmarks?

Lesson 4: Local Buildings and Landmarks

Lesson 5: Documenting Landmarks

Lesson 6: Creating a Local Historical Resources Inventory

Lesson 7: Buildings in Time