Learn About Architecture In Your Very Own City or Town!

Want to talk like an architect? It’s easy – all you need to know is a little architectural vocabulary.

Ages: 7 and up

Materials: Architectural Flash Cards, paper, pencils, and crayons or markers

1. Print out the Architectural Flash Cards .

2. Study the cards, thinking of examples of these architectural elements that you see every day.

3. “Act” the architectural elements out. For example, to be a column, stand straight and tall, perhaps with your hands on your head to suggest the capital on top of the column. To be an arch, join hands with a partner, and form an arch with your arms, as if you were playing “London Bridge is Falling Down;” to be a pediment, make your and your partner’s arms form a point, instead of an arch. Be creative! This will help you to learn the architectural elements illustrated on the flash cards more quickly. Try to memorize them.

4. Visit the Glossary of Architectural Terms, and study the elements. There are many elements, but don’t worry about memorizing them, too, though. Just familiarize yourself with them.

5. Now, take the flash cards with you on a walk in an interesting neighborhood. The neighborhood can be in a downtown area, in a residential area, or just around your school. See how many of the architectural elements you can find on your walk, and how many you can remember.

6. After your walk, draw what architectural elements you can remember from your walk.

7. Continue to repeat steps 5 and 6 whenever you are in an area with interesting buildings. Before you know it, you will be talking like an architect.