Dr. Judith BriggsJordan DeWilde

Planning a Community!

Why teach about community?

• The ways in which a community is structured greatly affect our lives.

• By encouraging observation of their environment, teachers can gain insight into what the students value in their community.

Urbanism and Art Education in the USA

• Written by June King McFee (1969) in Art Education, Volume 22/Number 6• Incorporating a concern for the environment into education• America values an agrarian society, while it needs to move towards an urban society •Help children with the difficult task of preserving individuality in a society where interdependence is key for survival.• Encourage them to maintain their individuality • Taking responsibility for their community.

Go Beyond Your Community

• While it is important for students to make observations of their own community, encourage discussion of different communities and identify their similarities and differences.

• Rural, Suburban, Urban• Characteristics, experiences,

advantages/disadvantages

Civic, Residential, & Business

• Explain what these buildings are• Brainstorm different examples of each• Ask students, “How do you know?”• Show several examples• Ask students to identify shapes, patterns, colors,

materials• How do these convey meaning?

Tangible Examples

Class Brainstorming

Civic

Residential

Business

Streets/Landforms

Mixed Use• Some combination of

residential, commercial, industrial, office, or institutional spaces.

• Businesses always have customers living nearby, residents always have short distance to business

• Challenges in construction and risky for developers.

The Future of Normal, IL

Needs of the community in 2010

• The “nuclear family” is now only 25% of the American population.

• Extended family• Blended families• LGBT families• Youth moving back in• Grandparents moving in

with child’s family

• Multicultural centers• Places of worship• Homeless shelters• Nursing Homes• Alternative schools• Public housing

Creating Buildings Using the Elements and Principles of

Design• Balance – symmetry• Unity, Rhythm, Variety,

Emphasis, Proportion• Shape, Space, Color• Details!

Labeling/Written Reflections