De-a arhitectura in my city is an educational program that puts students’ creativity at work, makes them more alert to what’s happening in their city, and helps them discover the fascinating world of architecture. The city/locality where they live is the reference teaching material. The program has a guide for architects and teachers, including course curriculum, student’s notebook, and visual teaching materials. The curriculum has been conceived on an experimental learning method, having the following structure: I OBSERV + I ANALYZE , I BUILD + I PRESENT.
The first part of the educational approach seeks to acquire information through the pupils’ direct experience: city expeditions, experiment, game and visual presentations, and the second is the practical application of the lessons learned, students working together on a joint project. Each school year will be completed at the optional discipline De-a arhitectura with an exhibition of students’ projects.
Within the program, children will develop their ability to observe, perceive and critically analyze the built environment of their locality. They will be stimulated by creativity and developed spatial sense and visual culture. They will also improve their collaboration, communication and teamwork skills. The program is also a good tool for stimulating civic sense.
In the teaching process, teachers are assisted by a volunteer architect who will coordinate the class project. The architect and the teacher will participate together at the Training Course for tutors from every beginning of the school year.
The optional curriculum “De-a arhitectura – Education for Architecture and Built Environment, Third and Fourth Grades” is approved by the Order of the Minister of National Education in 2014. Download here.
You can find the curriculum on the website of the Institute of Education Sciences of the Ministry of National Education.
AGE: 9-12 years
DURATION AND OPTIONS:
- one school year – 4th grade – optional
- two school years – 3rd grade + 4th grade – optional
- one school year – 5th grade – alternative technological education course
TEACHING METHOD: learning by project
CURRICULUM TYPE: interdisciplinary (arts + sciences)
TEACHED BY: teacher / professor technological education / arts + volunteer architect (resource person)
place: the classroom, in the expedition around the school or in the city
REGISTRATIONS for the assistance provided by the De-a Arhitectura Association during a school year: volunteer architects (March – August) and teachers’ grades (during December – March)
PARTNERS: Ordinul Arhitecţilor din România, Facultatea de Psihologie şi Ştiinţele Educaţiei Universitatea Bucureşti, Uniunea Arhitecţilor din România
The program is free for state schools.
The development and implementation of this educational program is partly funded by the Romanian Order of Architects from the “Timbrul de Arhitectura” Tax Fund.
KNOW THE COURSE:
- Course presentation in romanian, english, german
- Teacher’s guide – De-a arhitectura în orașul meu, ed. 1, 2016
- Student’s book – De-a arhitectura în orașul meu – în:
Română – 1st ed., 2016
To give you an idea of how De-a arhitectura in my city courses take place, you have a series of demonstrative lessons here.