As kids entered, had assorted coloring sheets of his buildings and windows from the internet as well as pages photocopied from Frank Lloyd Wright for Kids: His Life & Work along with books on architecture and Frank Lloyd Wright to browse (including some adult “coffee table” books to look at pictures).
Opened by asking if anyone knew what architect/architecture was? Said we’d be reading a book about an architect who some consider America’s best. Man who loved shapes…had kids look for shapes on the cover of The Shape of the World (one kid even pointed out the rhombus = diamond!), notice what was on the end-papers – items from nature…
Read the book aloud then showed pictures of some of his famous buildings: Falling Water, The Johnson Wax building interior with the “lilypads”, Guggenheim – asked kids to respond with what shapes they saw. Showed pictures of a few things he dreamed up but never built – future city with helicopters, mile high skyscraper. Then shared another book of imaginitive architecture If I Built A House by Chris Van Dusen
Booktalked Dreaming Up by Christy Hale (poems & children's versions of iconic buildings), The Wright 3 mystery, Frank Lloyd Wright for Kids: His Life & Work.
“Design It” - encouraged kids to create their own Wright-inspired designs or imagine a future city
- tables with coloring sheets, paper and cardboard, grid paper, pencils, crayons, colored pencils, markers, rulers, scissors
- on the floor -- magnetiles, foam shapes, straws & connectors, Toobers & Zots.