Lernort Architektur: Bauhaus Chicago

1
Lernort Architektur Bauhaus Chicago

• Pilot Project of the
• Goethe-Institut Chicago

2
Agenda

• Outline of Project
• What is it? Why? Who? Where?
• Examples of Units
• Ingrid Zeller
• Eva Kuttenberg
• Visions
• Jean Linsner
• Bernd Klewitz
• Additional comments

3
What is it ?
4
What is it?

• Pilot Project by the Goethe-Institute
• Is intended as a model for other projects
  involving German heritage and architecture
• Project involving Lernort
• Materials
• The project involves the production of a variety
  of teaching materials on architecture for
  teachers and by teachers
• Virtual Architektour (architecture walking tour)
• Pictures, information, worksheets, etc.
• Materials for use during field trips
• Videos

5
Why?
6
WHY?

• To integrate natural surroundings in language
  curriculum
• To provide opportunity to explore German heritage
  in US
• German architects (Ludwig Mies van der Rohe
  Helmut Jahn, .)
• Other aspects of German history
• To spark students curiosity
• To find contexts in which to use German naturally
  and authentically
• To have fun!

7
WHO?
8
Who?

• Coordinator of project at Goethe Institut
• Bernd Klewitz
• CAF (Chicago Architecture Foundation)
• Jean Linsner (director)
• Ingeborg Kohler (guide)
• Rolf Achilles (art historian)
• Architects interviewed and filmed
• George Danforth (student of Ludwig Mies van der
  Rohe)
• Dirk Lohan (grandson of Mies)
• Team of instructors
• From high schools and universities
• Northwestern University Bauhaus Site (in
  progress)
• YOU?

9
WHERE?
10
Where?

• Selected locations Architektour
• Chicago buildings
• Chosen by CAF
• Any place
• Suitable for lernortzentriertes Lernen
• Culturally relevant places that are meaningful
  and attractive to the students and encourage
  communication in German

11
Bauhaus in Chicago

• A unit on the integration of architecture and
  culture in Chicago and Berlin

12
Context of Unit

• University
• Northwestern University
• Course Title
• Dimensions in Writing Berlin - Scenes of a
  Century (3rd year Intermediate Grammar and
  Composition)
• 1 quarter (9 weeks)
• 3 times a week for 50 minutes
• 23 students

13
Reichstag in Berlin
14
Goal of Course

• Composition writing
• Develop fluency and proficiency and creativity in
  writing in German
• Review of grammar and vocabulary
• Understanding of different styles and genres of
  texts
• Assignments
• 3-5 essays ( rewrites)
• 3-4 quizzes
• weekly journals / additional homework / grammar
  exercises on Blackboard
• 1 final exam or project

15
Materials

• Reader
• with new texts and personally designed activities
  and grammar exercises, but based on structure and
  approach of book Übergänge by Corl / Jurasek /
  Jurasek and the concept of genre.
• Four units/topics (2-3 weeks each)
• Handbuch zur deutschen Grammatik by Larry Wells
• Blackboard grammar exercises

16
4 Topics Topic 1

• Berlin Portraits of People
• Film Lola Rennt
• Text Portrait Franka Potente
• Also Collage of short texts
• Grammar word order, cases, der/ein words
• Writing assignment
• Collage and 2-page biography of famous personality

17
4 Topics Topic 2

• Berlin Portraits of Places
• Texts Poems on Potsdamer Platz (Erich Kästner /
  Sarah Kirsch)
• Artikel on Berlin Mitte from Deutschland
  Nachrichten
• Video excerpts from Himmel über Berlin Turbo
• Grammar adjective endings, adjectival nouns,
  participles
• Writing assignment
• photograph and 2-page description of place

18
4 Topics Topic 3

• Berlin Third Reich Narratives
• Film Comedian Harmonists
• Texts excerpts from Damals war es Friedrich and
  das Tagebuch der Anne Frank
• Grammar present and past tenses
• Writing assignment
• 2-page story about an event in your life or
  something related to Third Reich

19
4 Topics Topic 4

• Berlin and Chicago Reports
• Culture and architecture in the metropolis
• Texts articles on Bauhaus on web
• Field trip
• Grammar passive voice
• Writing assignment / final project
• 2-page article with photographs on a given topic
  related to architecture in Berlin or Chicago
• Interactive exercise to be prepared in teams

20
Architecture Unit

• Introduction 1
• Personal questions on living
• With partner
• Then discuss some points in class (advantages of
  living in a high rise etc.)
• Picture of favorite building
• Bring in and discuss in groups of four
• nominate particularly good one to be shared with
  class

21
Architecture Unit

• Introduction 2
• Vocabulary brainstorming and association with
  city/country living
• in groups
• share with class
• How and why do big cities develop?
• How and why does architecture change?

22
Architecture Unit

• Introduction 3
• Pictures of buildings from architectural styles
• working in groups to answer questions about them
• Share with class
• Worksheets on pictures of Weimar, Dessau, Berlin

23
Bauhaus Texts 1

• Discuss answers to questions on texts on web,
  including
• History of Bauhaus
• Individual choice of biography - mini-oral
  reports
• Additional questions on transparency for students
  to be answered by other student groups

24
Bauhaus Texts 2

• Draw strip of paper with two topics
• one large one on historical topic (many students
  have same) one specific (individual) one on a
  workshop / biography
• Research and work in groups to present results
• Any additional information
• Slides, pictures
• Discussion questions
• Lernspirale

25
Grammar Passive Voice

• Introduction of passive voice
• Examples from Bauhaus texts
• Explanation
• Practice
• Various exercises
• A/B handouts von wem wurde gebaut?
• Chicago history matching
• Chicago trivia

26
Bauhaus Chicago

• History of Chicago
• Matching dates
• Introduction to Chicago and Chicago architects
• Mies van der Rohe - Lückentext
• Explanation of vocabulary not yet covered
• Skyscraper inventions columns on vocabulary
  list
• Discuss questions for tour guide

27
Field Trip
Santa Fe Building Staircase
28
Field Trip

• Architecture Tour (skyscraper) in German with
  Ingeborg Kohler (CAF) and lunch at Berghoff
  Restaurant (10 a.m. - 4 p.m.)
• Students have questions prepared (Ingeborg had
  them ask 2 per station)
• Make notes on buildings (portrait of each with
  specific information)
• Take pictures if possible
• Answer questions on art work (handout)
• Additional work sheets

29
Ingeborg Kohler and students
In Thompson Center
In Santa Fe Building
30
After Field Trip

• Discuss reactions - extremely positive!
• Collect information together on samples of
  buildings
• Reconstruct portrait of building with information
  - who has it? exchange of information based on
  note cards (portraits)
• Go over one from each style (international,
  Chicago, postmodern)
• Continue as game (A/B)
• Von wem wurde gebaut .? Etc.

31
Activities by Students

• Student produce interactive exercises in groups
  for class
• Powerpoint (Monadnock Federal Center Mies
  Quiz Altes Museum)
• Baked Strudel
• Matching games
• Puzzles
• Sketches
• Interactive timeline
• Rest of class rates them (peer assessment)

32
Helmut Jahn Interactive Timeline
33
Articles by Students

• Texts
• Biographies
• Texts on buildings in Chicago
• Texts on buildings in Berlin
• Guidelines
• If possible, include own
• collages photos videos
• Include interviews with people in or around the
  building
• Grammar include passive structures

34
Reactions from students

• The architecture tour was excellent!
• The field trip was one of the most enjoyable
  parts of the class!
• In four years here I have never gone on a field
  trip - this was great and so much fun!
• I didnt really know Chicago - those buildings
  and all the thought that went into creating them
  are amazing!
• The trip opened up a new world for me!

35
Planning concerns

• Apply for grants available at your school
• Plan well ahead of time
• Arrange for transportation
• Make reservations
• Prepare students with questions adequately
• Keep available time frame in mind and plan
  accordingly

36
Benefits

• Great way to get the students out of the
  classroom brings material to life!
• Explore interesting German heritage in their area
• Understand structure of society better or some
  aspects of it that they wouldnt otherwise be
  discussing
• Provide bonding experience through the field trip
• Students speak German and love it!