Community Arts Partner – The Creative Advantage

Participant Details

Individual Bio or Organizational Statement: SAF works with school and community programs to arrange architecture workshops, tours and field trips that are matched to a range of grade levels and educational goals. Past workshops have covered topics such as Homelessness, Green Building, and Skyscrapers.
Our workshops build student confidence – in communication skills, creativity, the ability to build a structure in just a few hours. Our programs also demystify the world of architecture, encouraging students to view the built environment around them differently. We want our students to imagine designing the structures they want to see in their neighborhood!

Previous School Partnerships: Seattle Public Schools Asa Mercer International Middle School Denny International Middle School Greenwood Elementary School Hamilton International Middle School Jane Addams Middle School Madison Middle School McClure Middle School Thornton Creek Elementary School Washington Middle School Bellevue Public Schools International School Highline Public Schools Big Picture School Kirkland Public Schools Northstar Middle School Private and Independent Schools Explorations Academy French American School of Puget Sound Les Lilas French Bilingual School The Meridian School The Northwest School The Open Window School

Sample Lesson Description: Student / Classroom Residencies: Sample Program: Green Building Grade Level: 5 -8 Length: 90-120 minutes Location: On site or Center for Architecture & Design (Downtown Seattle) Overview: Human actions are currently disrupting the planet’s natural balance. Architects and designers are trying new ways to design with a positive environmental impact. Youth learn modern techniques used in green building and are challenged to develop the building of the future. Big Idea: • Design can contribute to solving environmental issues such as climate change. Outcomes: • Understand the need for changing the way things are built. • Design and model an office building that benefits or relieves its impact on the environment. Standards Supported: Common Core State Standards (CCSS) • ELA: Speaking & Listening: CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.5.1, CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.5.1.b, CCSS.ELALiteracy.SL.6.1, CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.6.1.b, CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.7.1, CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.8.1 • Visual Arts: VA:Cr1.2.5, VA:Cr2.1.5, VA:Cr2.2.5, VA:Re7.1.5, VA:Cr1.1.6, VA:Cr2.1.6, VA:Cr2.3.6, VA:Cr10.6, VA:Cr1.1.7, VA:Cr2.1.7, VA:C2.3.7, VA:Cr2.1.8, VA:C2.3.8 Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) • MS-ETS1-1 Engineering Design 21st Century Skills • Collaboration • Communication • Creativity and innovation For more information on available workshops or tours, please contact: Marina Szende (Marina@seattlearchitecture.org).

Teaching Philosophy + Approach: Our workshops introduce students to architecture, the work of it, the science of it, and the appreciation of it. But that is only a small part of what we hope our workshops do. When working with students, we view the construction of architectural models as an artistic process. Building a 3-dimensional model is more than just a challenge of creativity. Encouraging students to work past these challenges to a finished product they are proud to share through presentation and peer review is a huge part of our work. We also want students to think critically about how the built environment and the architectural design process directly affects them and their community. The design of our neighborhoods and cities informs how we move about them, the construction of our schools reflects what we learn, and the designs and architectural styles of older buildings tell important stories about our past. We hope students look upon their neighborhood, city and world with a deeper appreciation and understanding of their urban landscape.

Curriculum Integration Possibilities: The Seattle Architecture Foundation (SAF) provides engaging STEAM based programs that inspire people to deepen their understanding of design and its impact. Through our educational programs SAF engages youth to explore architecture as a visual record of our collective history, a force that shapes our daily lives, and a blueprint for our future. SAF programs include in-school sessions and workshops, group tours and workshops, and summer programs. Social Studies - History, Civics, and Social Sciences are natural avenues into our work. Our built environment contains the most visible artifacts of our past and clear demonstrations of political and economic forces in our lives. Our City Stories curriculum directly connects youth to these issues, and many of our workshops engage students with issues that Seattle is grappling with today – housing, climate change, and transportation. Science – Physics & Engineering are natural partners with architecture, as they are fundamental to the construction of our built environment as well as architectural models. We also have lesson plans that tie in with biology and ecology, exploring biomimetic architecture and how urban planning and architecture must adapt to and provide solutions to climate change.

Special Skills and Areas of Expertise: Experience with English Language Learners.

Testimonials from Schools: Leilani Nussman Extended Learning Director The Northwest School 206.816.6211 Leilani.Nussman@northwestschool.org *** William King Program Coordinator Denny International Middle School Community Learning Center Seattle Parks and Recreation 206.252.8987 wrking@seattleschools.org *** Liz Abbott Director of Education and Leadership Hamilton International Middle School YMCA 206.252.5831 eachase@seattleschools.org