This week in STEM, the 3/4 class continued learning about Medieval Architecture. They learned about common medieval architectural features, and then had to fill out a “job application” to be a medieval architect, including a drawing of a castle they would propose to build that included these features. When they got their job applications back, there was an additional request- the royal palace committee would love to see a floor plan of their castles! We started exploring the steps that architects take- including, asking a question or identifying the need, then drawing a floor plan. To practice, we examined various floor plans of castles and noted what was interesting about them, and what featuers they noticed were included. We also looked at the new Vermont Day School floor plans to see what other information was included, such as size, and a scale. Then, they practiced drawing a simple floor plan and practiced drawing to scale using KEVA blocks- in their graph paper drawing, five squares were equal to one KEVA block. After practicing with KEVA blocks, they started drawing floor plans of their castle designs, including the rooms that would be included. The architects are off to a great start!
