ARCHITECTURE AT THE ELMS TOUR TEACHER RESOURCE GUIDE GRADES 5-8 TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction to Architecture at The Elms Tour ................................................................................... 3 Background Information for Teachers ............................................................................................. 4 Rhode Island Learning Standards Addressed During the Architecture at The Elms Tour ........... 5 Lesson Plan: Symmetry ....................................................................................................................... 8 Lesson Plan: Architectural Elements .............................................................................................. 14 Lesson Plan: The Importance of Views ......................................................................................... 22 Lesson Plan: Dream House .............................................................................................................. 26 Supplementary Information: The Elms: A Study of the House ................................................................................................ 29 Vocabulary List .............................................................................................................................. 45 Biographical Notes for Further Reference ................................................................................ 46 Note: The following material is intended for use in the classroom. Permission is granted by the Preservation Society of Newport County to download and copy this material for use in the classroom only. ©2011 The Preservation Society of Newport County, 424 Bellevue Avenue, Newport, RI 02840 2 http://www.NewportMansions.org Architecture at The Elms Tour Introduction to Architecture at The Elms Tour Main Idea: The Architecture at The Elms Tour enables students to appreciate architectural elements, principles, and techniques. Individual creativity and imagination of students is cultivated through lesson plans and a tour focused on incorporating architectural and mathematical concepts. Objectives: Students will: Learn vocabulary of the tour and use it appropriately. Gain a basic understanding of architecture and the necessary mathematical concepts. Create art projects that reflect an understanding of math and architecture. Teachers will: (At school) Prepare students for their visit to The Elms by having them complete one or more pre-visit activities. (At The Elms) Assist tour guide by encouraging student participation helping them to make connections to the classroom, and reinforcing appropriate behavior. (At school) Reinforce the student’s experience at The Elms by having them complete one or more post-visit activities. Tour Guides will: Encourage students to look carefully at The Elms, discuss what they see, and make personal connections. Reinforce vocabulary associated with the lesson/tour. Visually introduce the themes of symbols, communication and preservation to students. ©2011 The Preservation Society of Newport County, 424 Bellevue Avenue, Newport, RI 02840 3 http://www.NewportMansions.org Architecture at The Elms Tour Background Information for Teachers The Elms 367 Bellevue Ave., Newport, RI 02840 The Elms was the summer residence of Mr. and Mrs. Edward Julius Berwind of Philadelphia and New York. Mr. Berwind made his fortune in the Pennsylvania coal industry. In 1898, the Berwinds engaged Philadelphia architect Horace Trumbauer to design a house modeled after the mid-18th century French chateau d’Asnieres (c.1750) outside Paris. Construction of The Elms was completed in 1901 at a cost reported at approximately $1.4 million. The interiors and furnishings were designed by Allard and Sons of Paris and were the setting for the Berwinds’ collection of Renaissance ceramics, 18th century French and Venetian paintings, and Oriental jades. The elaborate Classical Revival gardens on the grounds were developed between 1907 and 1914. They include terraces displaying marble and bronze sculpture, a park of fine specimen trees and a lavish lower garden featuring marble pavilions, fountains, a sunken garden and carriage house and garage. The gardens were restored in 2001. Mrs. Berwind died in 1922, and Mr. Berwind invited his sister, Julia, to become his hostess at his New York and Newport houses. Mr. Berwind died in 1936 and Miss Julia continued to summer at The Elms until her death in 1961, at which time the house and most of its contents were sold at public auction. The Preservation Society of Newport County purchased The Elms in 1962 and opened the house to the public. In 1996, The Elms was designated a National Historic Landmark. Mr. Berwind and his Family ©2011 The Preservation Society of Newport County, 424 Bellevue Avenue, Newport, RI 02840 4 http://www.NewportMansions.org Architecture at The Elms Tour The Gilded Age The Gilded Age refers to the period between the end of the Civil War in 1865 and the beginning of World War I in 1914. During these years, rapid industrial growth, immigration, and technological innovation transformed society. While an era of great progress in the arts, sciences and industry, the Gilded Age was also a time of social and economic inequity. The production of iron and steel rose dramatically; the abundance of resources, such as lumber, gold and silver, in the western part of the country intensified the need for improved transportation. Railroad development boomed as trains moved goods from the resource-rich west to the east. Steel and oil were in great demand. All this industry produced enormous wealth for a number of businessmen like John D. Rockefeller (in oil), Edward Berwind (in coal), and Andrew Carnegie (in steel). The “Gilded Age” was coined by Mark Twain and Charles Dudley Warner in their 1873 book “The Gilded Age.” Gilding is the art or process of applying gold leaf, or a paint containing or simulating gold, to a surface. During the Gilded Age, homeowners would use gilding throughout their homes in order to show their wealth. ©2011 The Preservation Society of Newport County, 424 Bellevue Avenue, Newport, RI 02840 5 http://www.NewportMansions.org Architecture at The Elms Tour Rhode Island Learning Standards Addressed During the Architecture at The Elms Tour Arts Students will observe and experience objects and ideas through a multitude of senses and form a sophisticated, informed response. (RI Standard 2) Students will demonstrate a connection to their personal lives through artistic expression. (RI Standard 3) Students will demonstrate an understanding of how the arts influence society, and how society influences the arts. (RI Standard 3) Students will apply process and knowledge from and to other content areas and across the arts. (RI Standard 5) Math Students will demonstrate conceptual understanding of similarity by describing the proportional effect on the linear dimensions of triangles and rectangles when scaling up or down while preserving angle measures, or by solving related problems (including applying scales on maps). Describes effects using models or explanations. (RI Standard 5 G+M) Students will measure and use units of measures appropriately and consistently, and makes conversions within systems when solving problems across the content strands. (RI Standard 7 G+M) English Language Arts Students will apply information gathered from print and non-print media to achieve educational purposes. (RI Standard 1) Students will develop the confidence and skills to communicate their ideas. (RI Standard 4) Students will demonstrate an understanding of universal themes across content areas and how they relate to historical and cultural context. (RI Standard 7) Students will identify and explore school, community, and workplace resources and their issues. (RI Standard 8) ©2011 The Preservation Society of Newport County, 424 Bellevue Avenue, Newport, RI 02840 6 http://www.NewportMansions.org Architecture at The Elms Tour History Students act as historians, using a variety of tools (e.g., artifacts and primary and secondary sources) by using sources to support the stories of history (How do we know what we know?). (RI Historical Perspective 1 (5-6) -1) Students connect the past with the present by: a. Identifying sequential events, people, and societies that have shaped RI today. b. Identifying and describing how national and world events have impacted RI and how RI has impacted world events. (RI HP 2 (5-6) -1) Students chronicle events and conditions by placing key events and people of a particular historical era in chronological sequence. (RI HP 2 (5-6) -2) ©2011 The Preservation Society of Newport County, 424 Bellevue Avenue, Newport, RI 02840 7 http://www.NewportMansions.org Architecture at The Elms Tour Lesson Plan: Symmetry Lesson Goal: Students will understand the concept of symmetry. Lesson Objective: By understanding symmetry, students will gain a greater appreciation for the design of The Elms. How does this activity relate to The Elms? Geometry is a valuable tool, used by architects to assist with organizing the plan of a house and determining the size and proportions of its rooms. The Elms is modeled after an 18th century French chateau, and the ideas of symmetry and proportion are very important to the design of the house. Every effort was made to make each room symmetrical. Materials: Mirrors, polygon worksheet, Symmetrical or Not worksheet, and Examples of Symmetry in Architecture pictures. Activity: 1. Explain the concept of symmetry: A figure is symmetrical