Midland Public Schools Fourth Grade Educational Program
The Chemist and the Architect is a collaborative program with the Midland
County Historical Society. Over 600 fourth grade students a year learn about
Alden B. Dow, Architect and Entrepreneur. The tour lasting a total of only
one and a half hours, allows these fourth graders to explore the work of
Alden B. Dow. They learn about entrepreneurs, how resources can be used in
unique ways and how the Dows affected the economics of the Midland.
The tour will consist of an:
Introduction
Architecture
Educational Tour & Exploring
Designing a House
The students
arrive by school bus with at least two teachers and two or more
parents. They have received a pre-tour vocabulary list that the
teacher has reviewed with them. The first two sections of the
program are done in one large group. We divide the students into
two groups for the scavenger hunt/tour portion and then they
work in groups of 4 or 5 to design the houses. Their time is
split into three one-half hour blocks.
Introduction
(history/biography)
The educational program begins in the reception area of the studio.
Who can tell us something about Alden Dow?
- Son of Herbert H. and Grace Dow, The Dow Chemical Company founder, Library
named after Mother
- Grew up in Midland/ hobbies/Midland Schools/returned to Midland/raised his
family here
- Architect/designed buildings/community involvement/foundations
- You might have visited/go to school/live in one of his houses/parents work
in building
- Designed over 100+ buildings in Midland - influence on how we think about
buildings/space
- Designed buildings in other places (IN, TX, AZ, NC, PA, OH)
- Famous for being an architect (important to relate Alden's life to
students')
What is an Architect or what does an architect do?
An architect is a person who designs buildings.
We will tell you something else about this famous man:
He loved to play. He loved to play with puzzles, games, mechanical toys, and
trains. He loved to play with colors, shapes, and different types of
materials. He also liked to share. If he were still living he would be
talking with you today. He loved to share his ideas with other people and he
also loved to listen to your ideas.
Have you ever talked about "entrepreneurs" in your social studies class?
What is an entrepreneur?
A person who assumes or takes risks in starting a new business.
Who are some entrepreneurs of today's world?
Computer people - Bill Gates, people who designed the World Wide Web (WWW),
and Ben & Jerry's Ice
Cream.
By looking around this building, tell
us how Alden B. Dow was an entrepreneur? What kind of risks might Mr. Dow
have taken in his architectural career?
Look around you - is this a usual looking office? Might his ideas about
color and shapes and materials been a little risky or maybe a little weird?
What about levels? What about having a pond surrounding the structure? Mr.
Dow was a real innovator, wasn't he?
How is an architect a business person?
Meets the needs of people - fulfilling what we need and what we want.
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Architecture
(practice/process/vocabulary)
At this point we move the students to the second drafting room. Our
discussion centers around history of the city, use of materials, types of
structures, and economics of the area in the 1930s.
What is architecture?
Designing and constructing.
Why is architecture different in different times in history?
Technology, Materials, Tools, Climate, and Resources (Human, Capital and
Natural).
Why do you need architects?
They understand how a building needs to be designed/how much weight a
certain foundation can hold, meets the needs of individuals using the
structure/can determine what shape of structure best fits the shape,
contour, and/or design of the land/ plumbing, heating/cooling-technical
aspects.
Why might Midland have been a good place to begin an architectural business
in the 1930's?
The Dow Chemical Company was the largest business in the city. It was
growing larger and larger in the 1930's. For many years the United States
purchased many of their chemicals from other countries like Germany. Now
with many American chemical companies growing it was less expensive to buy
the chemicals here in the United States. So The Dow Chemical Company was
expanding and they were hiring new employees to come to Midland to work.
Business grows/town grows/need for housing/new business-new people.
Mr. Dow had strong ideas about what buildings should be--not only how they
looked, but how they worked-- and how they influenced the people who lived
and worked in them. He was particularly interested in Creativity. He
believed that a well-designed space can help a person be more creative and
more productive. Can a building make you feel better, or have an affect on
your mood? Can you give me an example of how a building (environment) might
affect you, for better or worse?
Positive or negative: no windows, plenty of space, creative colors,
integration with natural elements (outdoors), levels, etc. Does this
building make you want to see more-- to find out what else he designed?
What are some different types of buildings?
(panels) Educational, residential, religious, commercial, civic.
How does an architect begin (talking, interview)? What does it mean to
design a house/building? How does an architect communicate to his client
what they're planning/thinking?
- identify function/purpose/building type
- ideas, dreams, journal, notes
- discussion with client (Why aren't all houses the same?)
- Client's needs
- Client's wants (how do wants and needs differ and what are the basic needs
that someone could live with in a home.)
- Interview
- diagrams, sketches, plans, elevations, models, (idea of 1st/2nd drafts;
edits) (symbols-- the "language" of drawings)
When Mr. Dow was designing a building the first element he would consider
was the location of the building. What was the elevation: flat, rolling
hills, sloping, heavy with plantings, trees? He designed a style of
architecture called organic architecture. What do we think organic
architecture is? We know what architecture is, don't we. So what is
"Organic
Architecture"?
Blending the design of a building with nature. How can you blend buildings
with nature?
These are things that Mr. Dow thought important and essential when designing
a structure.
Balance, Shape, Color, Cube, Pattern, Texture, Proportion/Scale,
Synthetic/Organic, Function/Decorative (can it be both?), Materials: wood,
stone, concrete, glass, plastic, brick, plaster, Properties of Materials:
strength, flexible, rigid, transparent, lightweight, reflective. Are all
materials appropriate for all functions? Wooden windows?
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Tour and Exploring
After the students have had time to look at the photos and drawings that are
on display in this area, we divide them into two groups.
Having talked about the elements that were important to Alden Dow, we do an
educational tour of the building to let the students see the concepts,
philosophies, products and creativity in use. In five areas, we discuss the
space and then let the students write or draw about the topics or ideas on
the worksheet shown below. We share what we have either written or drawn
with the rest of the class. Most, if not all, of the children are anxious to
share what they have put down. After touring the Submarine room, First
Drafting room, Mr. Dow's Office, the Archives, Game room, Living room,
Dining room, and the Porch, the students are asked to tell what was their
favorite space and why.
IN SEARCH OF ALDEN B. DOW, ARCHITECT
TOUR AND EXPLORING WORKSHEET
YOUR JOB: Draw or describe what you discover about Alden Dow and his
architecture.
YOUR TERRITORY: Submarine Room, Mr. Dow's Office, Play Room, Game Room,
Living Room and Dining Room, Screened Porch.
|
1. Look inside and outside. How is nature a part of the design in this
space? |
2. Look up, look down, look all around. Find a high (vertical) space. Find a
low (horizontal) space. |
|
3. What do you see that suggests Mr. Dow was playful and full of fun? |
4. What are the colors, shapes and materials you see? Where do you see these
colors and shapes? |
|
5. Does this space have one use or many uses? Tell some of the ways Mr. Dow
used this space. |
6. Choose your favorite room. Why do you like it? |
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-
Design a House
During the last part of the day of the educational tour, the students are
divided into groups of four or five and design a house as a team.
Each group receives a magnetic board and a clipboard. Drawn on the magnetic
board is a footprint of a house (an actual Alden Dow design). Also on the
board are magnetic strips representing walls, windows, doors and room
labels. A scenario for the potential homeowner is attached explaining the
family's ages, their wants and needs and their likes and dislikes.
The students need to first consider what the needs of the family are and
then incorporate the things the family would like to have. Some of the floor
plans are for one-story houses and some are for two-story houses. After
reading the information sheet about the family, they start designing.
The students then have a few minutes to explain their design to the rest of
the class. They take great pride in this and are quite articulate in their
description.
School Tour Comments
- How do you feel in the reception area?
- awkward
- anxious (to see the rest)
- comfortable
- peaceful
- short
- tall
- worried (about the ceiling)
- This space is like a Picasso painting. (Mr. Dow's office)
- The windows are stretching out.
- This is the best field trip I have ever been on! (overheard-to a classmate)
- I'm walking as slowly as I can so I don't have to leave. (on the way out)
- This is a house that was made for kids.
Post-Trip Activity Suggestions
- Pretend you are Alden B. Dow. Write a letter to your father Herbert
Dow, and tell him you want to be an architect instead of a chemist.
- Write a letter from Herbert Dow to Alden Dow in reply.
- Write a journal entry about the educational tour.
- Write a journal as if you were Herbert Dow on the day he arrived in Midland.
- Write a report on Alden Dow or Herbert Dow.
- Brainstorm new products inventors might make someday.
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