Lesson Guide:
The Diversity of Architecture: How Healty is my Neighborhood?

"On our walk we saw some factories and talked about why they were near the railroad tracks. They were there so the trains could pick up the stuff. Also the factories were near the river so things could come in by boat." --Sjoma Fadeef, 4th grader Greenfield Elementary School

Area Walks and Observations
Moving beyond the classroom and nearby area, students took longer community walks in which they observed the patterns that created their region of the city. Where were the tall buildings? Where are the trees? Where do people congregate most? Why? What sorts of landmarks are in the area? Why did the neighborhood develop the way it did? How have things changed over the years? They looked at some maps of other cities from the Rosenbach collections and compared them to our own city. By now, many students could look at, "read," and compare maps. They could discuss questions like what makes a community interesting? What makes it healthy?

Some groups went on a walking tour led by graduate students from the University of Pennsylvania. Other walking tours were led by Rosenbach educators. All along the way, students were encouraged to look up, to look for patterns and to become better observers. Along the way, there were some opportunities to draw or take notes so students went armed with their journals and a pencil. Later, in the classroom, and on street drawing days, they recorded some of the sights in more detail. And in addition to seeing patterns, students were asked the question "What makes this neighborhood valuable to you?"

Some classes also went on tours focusing on Philadelphia's infrastructure - gas, electricity, and sewers. They even traced the sound of water in the storm drains several blocks to where it dumps into the Schuylkill River. Students were asked to draw and write about their observations.

Lesson Guide:
What's Down Below the Street? City Infrastructure

Artists on the Street: Buildings, Trees, Manholes and Cemeteries:
Along with looking at the neighborhood and starting to see patterns, students were encouraged to notice details more closely -- to observe the elements that make up those patterns. This involved a number of walks for intensive drawing, photography, and printmaking. One group spent time on Delancey Street, where the Rosenbach Museum is located, drawing architectural details from the large houses (after learning a bit about their histories). Groups on their walks in Germantown focused on natural elements -- trees and plants -- along with important historic buildings. After learning about the water system, one group studied manhole covers, their stories and their unusual patterns. They learned how to "pull a print," using the manhole cover as the "stamp" to create delightful colored designs that decorated the classroom walls. Other groups canvassed churchyard cemeteries in the area, looking at gravestone ornamentation and photographing stones that made statements through their shapes and words. Through all of these projects, students celebrated the artistry of the city by focusing on the beautiful details.