Enhancing the value of a monument
Project: Enhancing the value of a monument
PROF. LOREDANA D’IPPOLITO
I.I.S. Vincenzo Ragusa E Otama Kiyohara, Palermo – Italy
| Introduction | This project will develop students technical skills and teach them more about the city they live in. The students will study (undervalued) monuments in the city and make artefacts that help to increase the value and appreciation of the monument by replicating their shapes or use it as inspiration to develop different kinds of materials that can increase its appreciation.
It is important for students to “know” the city in which they live and its artistic, architectural and cultural heritage. Furthermore, it is a great challenge to discover how to value areas whose beauty is not recognized. The students will follow the phases of the design circle: they will explore their city and, in pairs, they will develop their ideas from a stream of personal suggestions, from interviews with tourists and inhabitants and from observation of the sites. The physical product of their work will be 2D graphics (a tower shaped brochure for example), 3D Cad models, jewellery and gadgets, authentic expression of an undervalued site and the rewarding result of interactive design and fruitful teamwork. The methods used will be industrial, artisan, digital, or mixed.
Theme: “knowing” one’s own city and its artistic, architectural and cultural heritage Age of students: 20 students of 15-16 Aim: discover how the value of a monument can be enhanced through objects that represent the monument.
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| Pre-knowledge | Use of laser cutter and traditional tools in the manufacture of wooden objects and jewels.
Basic knowledge of art history. |
| Learning goals
● Social skills (21st century skills) ● Knowledge (theoretical knowledge) ● practical skills |
· GOAL 1 Access information efficiently (time) and effectively (sources)
· GOAL 2 Evaluate information critically and competently GOAL 3 Develop critical thinking through problem solving and peer collaboration GOAL 4 Create a methodology to develop active citizenship GOAL 5 Increase the knowledge of one’s own city and its artistic, architectural and cultural heritage GOAL 6 Create a methodology to Increase the knowledge of one’s own city and its artistic, architectural and cultural heritage GOAL 7 Create a methodology to enhance minor monuments. GOAL 8 Create a tourist route to present a minor monument, a brochure and souvenirs GOAL 9 Know the essential lines of design and rendering software and 3D printing through tutoring from expert students attending specific section of the school GOAL 10 Create wood and metal objects and jewels, design a brochure, design a tourist route GOAL 11 Gain expository and argumentative skills, enhance technical language |
| Time | 30 hours, 12 lessons |
| Assessment | Class presentation
Oral interview Written reports Designs produced Products of fabrication Observation of the team work and of the individual work Surveys |
| Resources and materials | Photos of some monuments and their descriptions
Wood lab, jewlery lab and computer lab Internet Rhinoceros software, CAD software, 3D printer Google drive platform 2030 agenda of UN goals Wood, cardboard, paper, various metals, varnish, jewelry tools, traditional tools. |
Lesson 1
| Introduction
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Showing pictures of minor monuments in Palermo |
| Time | 2 hours |
| Phase of the DBL model | Design brief |
| Lesson goals/design output | Exploring Palermo through pictures and arousing the students’ interest in their city. |
| Activity | Warm up
Group work Watching pictures of minor monuments in Palermo, reading descriptions of the monuments put in scrambled order on the wall, the students match each description with each picture. Students imagine how to enhance the value of each monument: analysis and discussion in group work
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| Materials | Pictures, descriptions of the monuments |
| Learning goals
● Social skills ● Knowledge (theoretical knowledge) ● practical skills |
· -Evaluate information critically and competently
– Increase the knowledge of one’s own city and its artistic, architectural and cultural heritage -develop critical thinking through problem solving and peer collaboration
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| Extra | ——– |
| Expert tips | ——– |
Lesson 2
| Introduction | Choosing the monument to be enhanced |
| Time | 2 hours |
| Phase of the DBL model | Field Study |
| Lesson goals/design output | Find out the monument which arouses the interest of the students: “The Tower of St Nicolò all’Albergheria” |
| Activity | In group-work the students are given concrete examples of good practices on the net; the students analyze videos, visit sites, read documents, pointing out key words.
They analyse the different minor monuments in Palermo, they consider the various solutions to enhance them and the pros and cons of each one. |
| Materials | Internet, google drive platform |
| Learning goals
● Social skills ● Knowledge (theoretical knowledge) ● practical skills |
· -Access information efficiently (time) and effectively (sources)
-Evaluate information critically and competently -Develop critical thinking through problem solving and peer collaboration -Create a methodology to enhance minor monuments.
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| Extra | ——— |
| Expert tips | ———- |
Lesson3
| Introduction | In this phase the students visit the chosen monument. The classes visiting the site are two: the class which will develop the project and which study design of the wood and metal at their school; and the class which study architecture and design, which will tutor them with laser scanner and computer design. |
| Time | 4 hours |
| DBL phase model | Field Study |
| Lesson Goals / results Design
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Visiting the site and arousing ideas
Putting ideas together Reaching agreements |
| Activity | The class visit the Tower and listen to the presentation of the monument from the tourist guides of the site. The tutoring students show how to scan the monument using laser scanner.
The students meet in group work to develop ideas on how to enhance the Tower. Confrontation of ideas among groups. |
| Materials | Paper, pens, colours, etc. |
| Learning goals
● Social skills ● Knowledge (theoretical knowledge) ● practical skills |
Develop critical thinking through problem solving and peer collaboration
– Increase the knowledge of one’s own city and its artistic, architectural and cultural heritage -Create a methodology to enhance minor monuments. |
| Extra | ——– |
| Expert Advice | ——– |
Lesson 4
| Introduction | Choosing the right questions |
| Time | 2 hours |
| DBL phase model | Field study |
| Lesson Goals / results Design | Putting ideas together
Reaching agreements on how to interviw people |
| Activity | Group work
-Students decide to interview people living in the area of the Tower and tourists -Students decide which questions to ask people living in the area of the Tower and tourists (both in Italian and English) |
| Materials | Paper, pens, pencils, computers |
| Learning goals
● Social skills ● Knowledge (theoretical knowledge) ● practical skills |
· -Access information efficiently (time) and effectively (sources)
-Evaluate information critically and competently -Develop critical thinking through problem solving and peer collaboration -Increase the knowledge of one’s own city and its artistic, architectural and cultural heritage -Create a methodology to increase the knowledge of one’s own city and its artistic, architectural and cultural heritage. -Create a methodology to enhance minor monuments. |
| Extra | ——— |
| Expert Advice | ——— |
Lesson5
| Introduction | Interview people |
| Time | 3 Hours |
| DBL phase model | Field Study |
| Lesson Goals / results Design | Plan starting from the analysis of needs |
| Activity | Group work
The students interview people living in the area of the Tower to understant critical points and strengths of the site and searching for stories and legends about the monument; they interview tourists to monitor critical points and strengths of tourism management in Palermo. |
| Materials | Smartphones, paper, pencils, pens |
| Learning goals
● Social skills ● Knowledge (theoretical knowledge) ● practical skills |
-Access information efficiently (time) and effectively (sources)
· -Evaluate information critically and competently -Develop critical thinking through problem solving and peer collaboration -Increase the knowledge of one’s own city and its artistic, architectural and cultural heritage -Create a methodology to enhance minor monuments. |
| Extra | ——– |
| Expert Advice | ——– |
Lesson 6
| Introduction | Choose what to do to enhance the Tower |
| Time | 4 Hours |
| DBL phase model | Ideation |
| Lesson Goals / results Design | Put ideas together
Reach agreements Division of roles |
| Activity | -The students present the results of the interviews to the class
-On the basis of the results of the interviews each of the students create their own projects and specific designs to enhance the tower -Share and reflect |
| Materials | Internet, google drive platform |
| Learning goals
● Social skills ● Knowledge (theoretical knowledge) ● practical skills
|
-Evaluate information critically and competently
-Develop critical thinking through problem solving and peer collaboration -Create a methodology to develop active citizenship -Create a tourist route to present a minor monument, a brochure and souvenirs |
| Extra | ——— |
| Expert Advice | ——— |
Lesson 7-8-9-10
| Introduction | Fabricate objects to enhance the Tower |
| Time | 4 lessons: 3 hours, 3 hours, 3hours, 2 hours |
| DBL phase model | Fabrication |
| Lesson Goals / results Design | Verify the validity of ideas through fabrication |
| Activity | On the basis of data gained from interviews and researches students are divided in groups
In order to write the tourist route to present the Tower, in order to fabricate jewelry (3D models and hand-made) and to design the prototype of a tower-shape brochure. |
| Materials | Computer lab, Rhinoceros software, CAD software, 3D printer, google drive for sharing projects, wood lab, jewlery lab, wood, cardboard, paper, various metals, varnish, jewelry tools, traditional tools |
| Learning goals
● Social skills ● Knowledge (theoretical knowledge) ● practical skills
|
-Develop critical thinking through problem solving and peer collaboration
– Create a methodology to develop active citizenship – Know the essential lines of design and rendering software and 3D printing through tutoring from expert students attending specific section of the school – Create wood and metal hand-made jewelry, design a brochure, design a tourist route |
| Extra | ——– |
| Expert Advice | ——– |
Lesson 11
| Introduction | Exhibition and presentation of the projects developed |
| Time | 1 Hour |
| DBL phase model | Argumentation |
| Lesson Goals / results Design | Describe and argumentate choices of one’s own project through the product of fabrication, both CAD digital and material |
| Activity | The students show their products, both digital and material, in front of the class, confrontation and argumentation follow to find out positive and negative elements. |
| Materials | All products, both digital and material |
| Learning goals
● Social skills ● Knowledge (theoretical knowledge) ● practical skills |
-Develop critical thinking through problem solving and peer collaboration
-Create a tourist route to present a minor monument, a brochure and souvenirs – Gain expository and argumentative skills , enhance technical language |
| Extra | ———- |
| Expert Advice | ———– |
Lesson 12
| Introduction | Possible solutions to weak points |
| Time | 1 Hour |
| DBL phase model | Reflection |
| Lesson Goals / results Design | Highlight both positive and critical aspects of the various projects. Exchange of ideas and comparison in order to achieve a general, shared project solution. |
| Activity | Free expression of personal impressions on all the projects developed.
Identification of critical points to be resolved and possible changes to be made. |
| Materials | All products, both digital and material |
| Learning goals
● Social skills ● Knowledge (theoretical knowledge) ● practical skills |
Develop critical thinking through problem solving and peer collaboration
Create a methodology to develop active citizenship Gain expository and argumentative skills, enhance technical language |
| Extra | Upon completion of this teaching unit
students have requested to carry out school-work alternation activities to a cooperative operating in the Tower district, they got it and they carried it out successfully, acting as guides to tourists. The experience will continue again next year with the production of the prototype of the tower-shaped brochure. the creation of a video showing all the phases of the work and the exhibition of objects and jewels. |
| Expert Advice | Students must continually check if they are fulfilling the aim, being conscious that they may need to change along the process. |