Monologue: Rethinking How We Build Schools

Lesson Content

• Lesson Plan Template:

  CTE Lesson Plan

• CTE Course Info and Benchmark Notes

  
  

  Career Cluster: Architecture & Construction

  Course Number & Title: 8104630, Construction Project Management.
  CIP Number: 0652200200
  Course Type: High School – Career Preparatory
  Program Name: Building Construction Management
  

• Unit Outline

  
  

  This lesson is designed to be used with case Study, “Monologue: Rethinking How We Build Schools.” See CPALMS Resource ID#220339.

• Career Connection

  
  

  Students will use the case study and further explore sustainability, ecological harmony, and the use of local materials, developing a future-ready mindset toward construction and land use, which is part of environmental awareness.

  Using critical thinking skills, students examine complex environmental, cultural, and technical challenges in school design and construction.

• Learning Objectives

  
  

  Students will be able to:

  • Conduct research and synthesize information to create a refined version of the guiding question.
  • Identify ways in which the geographical and cultural contexts impact a building project.

• Prior Knowledge

  
  

  Students should be able to:

  • Understand that planning construction projects vary depending on geographical region, culture, and permitting laws.
  • Collaborate respectfully in small groups to research, solve problems and share responsibilities.

• Guiding Questions

  
  

  Why is it important to consider the local environment and culture before beginning a construction project?

• Procedure

  
  

  1. The teacher will begin the lesson by distributing the attached research planning sheet and give students time to reflect individually on first two questions. Then the teacher will open the floor to discuss the same questions as a whole group.

  • What does it mean for a building to ‘belong’ to its surroundings?
  • Can some buildings be functional but still feel out of place?

  2. Introduce the case study: “Monologue: Rethinking How We Build Schools”, CPALMS Resource ID # 220339.

  • Allow students time to read and discuss the case study.
  • Students will use this text as a starting point to conduct their own research into sustainable and culturally sensitive building practices. Emphasize the real-world nature of the story and its connection to global challenges.
    
    

  3. The teacher will divide students into teams of 3–4. Try to create diversity of perspectives and skills in each group (strong researchers, tech-savvy students, creative designers). Or another option is, teacher can divide the class into two or four groups and asign different geographical locations. For example, Asia, Africa, Europe and Australia, or country specific, Kenya, Nepal, Norway and USA would be geographical regions the teacher could assign to a group.
  
  4. The teacher will pose the guiding question to students, "Why is it important to consider the local environment and culture before beginning a construction project?"

  5. Allow students time to brainstorm in assigned teams to create a refined research question that narrows their focus while remaining aligned with the original case study idea.

  • Distribute the "Research Log" attachment and tell students to use it to record the details of their research.

  6. The teacher can use the following examples if a group needs assistance with designing a research question:

  • How does building material choice affect the environmental footprint of a project?
  • How can architecture reflect and preserve cultural identity?
  • What are the long-term benefits of aligning construction with local geography?

  7. Have each group submit their refined question for feedback before moving on with the project.

  8. Make sure the student groups find at least three credible, valid sources that support their refined question and record them on their attachment worksheet.

  Source types may include:

  • Engineering or architecture publications
  • Case studies on sustainable building
  • Environmental or nonprofit organization websites
  • Peer-reviewed journal articles (teachers may pre-select a few for accessibility)

  9. The teacher will wrap up the lesson with a whole-class reflection question:
  
  

  How did the research help students understand the diverse needs that arise in different contexts, such as geography, culture, and community?

• Teacher Notes

  
  

  The teacher can offer research topics to groups that are having difficulties with their research. Remind students that information should be related to the topic.