Bungalows–the Homes of
Our Neighborhood

Teacher Page

A WebQuest for Middle School Grade Social Studies

Designed by

Joan Kane
Joan@Cathain.com

Introduction | Learners | Standards | Process | Resources | Evaluation | Conclusion | Credits | Student Page

 


Introduction

This lesson was designed for the students at Northwest Middle School in Chicago, Illinois. For many of the Northwest Middle School students, the community in which they now live in is a relatively unfamiliar place. The neighborhood around the school has undergone a radical transformation, changing from a mostly Polish enclave to largely Hispanic neighborhood within the past five years.[1] Northwest students have generally lived in the area for less than 6 years and many have moved to the area in the last two years. For this reason, projects that encourage familiarity with and respect for the community are needed in the curriculum.

In Chicago, the most common type of single-family housing is the Chicago bungalow. In recent years, there has been a concerted effort to celebrate and preserve the Chicago bungalow. The Historic Chicago Bungalow Initiative (http://www.chicagobungalow.org/) is evidence of this renewed interest. The neighborhood surrounding Northwest Middle School is part of the Bungalow Belt in Chicago and this housing style would form a good basis for students to explore and learn more about their community. Most students do not understand the contribution that the bungalow has made to Chicago history and do not have the tools to appreciate this housing style.

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Learners

This lesson was designed to meet the Illinois Learning Standards (ILS) for social studies and the National Educational Technology Standards for Students (NETS-S). Originally designed for 6th grade students, this lesson can also be used in a 7th and 8th grade social studies curriculum.

For successful completion of this lesson, the students should be able to:

§         Cooperate with other students and work well within a team.

§         Responsibly search the Internet and use search engines.

§         Use general productivity software, such as Microsoft PowerPoint, Microsoft Publisher, Macromedia Dreamweaver, to present information to others.

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Curriculum Standards

As a result of this lesson, students will be able to identify the main characteristics of the Chicago bungalow architecture, apply that knowledge to houses in their neighborhood and present this information to others in a convincing way.

Social Studies Standards Addressed

STATE GOAL 5:      Use the language arts to acquire, assess and communicate information.

5.B.             Analyze and evaluate information acquired from various sources.

5.B.3a.        Choose and analyze information sources for individual, academic and functional purposes.

 

5. C.            Apply acquired information, concepts and ideas to communicate in a variety of formats.

5.C.3a.        Plan, compose, edit and revise documents that synthesize new meaning gleaned from multiple sources.

STATE GOAL 18:    Understand social systems, with an emphasis on the United States.

18.A.           Compare characteristics of culture as reflected in language, literature, the arts, traditions and institutions.

18.A.3         Explain how language, literature, the arts, architecture and traditions contribute to the development and transmission of culture.

Technology Standards Addressed

NETS-S 4.              Technology communications tools

                             Students use a variety of media and formats to communicate information and ideas effectively to multiple audiences.

NETS-S 6.              Technology problem-solving and decision-making tools

                             Students use technology resources for solving problems and making informed decisions.

This lesson requires that students use several levels of learning outcomes:

§         Knowledge - defining the characteristics of a Chicago bungalow.

§         Application – writing a checklist of bungalow features.

§         Analysis – comparing the checklist to houses in the neighborhood.

§         Synthesis – designing a presentation, newsletter or Web page to catalog the checklist and checklist results.

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Process

Student Information

Below is the information for the process from the Student WebQuest:

To be a successful intern for the mayor, you will need to follow these steps. Read them over and make sure to ask your teacher if your group has any questions. Enjoy your research!

1.)    First you will be assigned to a team of 3 students.

2.)    Select five houses in your neighborhood that you think are bungalows and take their pictures.

3.)    Assign one of the following roles to each group member:

    • Secretary: takes notes and creates the final presentation.
    • Historian: Explores information about the history of the Chicago bungalow.
    • Architect: Reads about the style elements of the Chicago bungalow.

4.)    Once each of you has selected a role to play, review the information in the Resources section. Use these questions as a guide:

    • How many stories is a Chicago bungalow?
    • What kinds of materials are used in a Chicago bungalow?
    • What roof styles and materials are used?
    • Are porches used?
    • How are the windows laid out?

5.)    Create a checklist that has five style elements of a Chicago bungalow.

6.)    Use your checklist on the five houses you selected earlier and see if these houses are true Chicago bungalows. Write down your findings.

7.)    Create a presentation, newsletter or Web page that summaries what you learned and shows how you used your checklist to determine if a house was a bungalow.

8.)    Present your information to the class.

Lesson Organization

This multidisciplinary lesson can be taught in three 40-minute classes. Times must be allowed between classes for student to is choose their sample houses and analyze them. It is best taught to one class that has experience working collaboratively in groups.

This lesson can be successfully implement by one teacher, either a social studies teacher with technology experience or a technology teacher with social studies knowledge. In many cases, two teachers may be needed, one to provide the technical knowledge and one to provide the social studies expertise.

The students should be divided into groups that balance students’ skill levels within each group. The teacher (s) for this lesson should be comfortable acting as a facilitator for each group.

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Resources Needed

Physical resources need for this lesson include:

  • Software that can be used to present the lesson findings, including Microsoft PowerPoint, Microsoft Word, Microsoft Publisher, Macromedia Dreamweaver, etc.
  • Projection device to show student presentations.
  • A computer lab or classroom computers with Internet access.
  • Disposable cameras.

In addition, a field trip within the neighborhood or in conjunction with the Chicago Architecture Foundation can be planned to coincide with the lesson.

Before the lesson, the teacher(s) should review the material on the Web sites listed as student resources. These Web sites are:

General Information on Bungalows

The Historic Chicago Bungalow Initiative (http://www.chicagobungalow.org/)

American Bungalow Magazine (http://www.ambungalow.com/AmBungalow/home.htm)

Twin Cities Bungalow Club (http://www.bungalowclub.org/)

Pasadena Bungalow Heaven (http://home.earthlink.net/%7Ebhna/)

 

Defining a Chicago Bungalow

The Historic Chicago Bungalow Initiative (http://www.chicagobungalow.org/)

Definition of a bungalow (http://www.encyclopedia.com/html/b1/bungalow.asp)

The Chicago Green Bungalow Project (http://www.houseinprogress.net/)

Field guide to Chicago bungalows (http://tigger.uic.edu/depts/ahaa/imagebase/buildings/Files/Bungalow.html)

American Bungalow Magazine Bungalow Styles (http://www.americanbungalowmagazine.com/AmBungalow/whatStyle.htm)

About resources on Chicago bungalows (http://architecture.about.com/b/a/009095.htm)

 

Family Stories about Bungalows

Stories about Chicago bungalow families (http://www.chicagobungalow.org/month.html)

Bungalow stories (http://www.wttw.com/chicagostories/bungalow.html)

A Chicago bungalow renovation in progress (http://www.houseinprogress.net/)

More bungalow stories (http://www.nationaltrust.org/magazine/archives/arch_story/010303.htm

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Evaluation

The rubric for the project is provided below. It is also provided on the Student WebQuest page.

Rubric for Bungalow Style Checklist

 

Exemplary

4

Accomplished

3

Developing

2

Beginning

1

Score

Amount of

Information

I can create a checklist that has 8 or more style elements of a bungalow.

I can create a checklist that has 5 to 7 style elements of a bungalow

I can create a checklist that has 2 to 4 style elements of a bungalow

I can create a checklist that has less than 2 style elements of a bungalow

 

Quality of

Information

I can identify the most important elements related to the bungalow architectural style.

I can identify the many of the important elements related to the bungalow architectural style.

I can identify the some of the important elements related to the bungalow architectural style.

I cannot identify the important elements related to the bungalow architectural style.

 

Layout of

Checklist

I can design a checklist that is organized in an extremely neat and orderly fashion.

I can design a checklist that is well organized.

I can design a checklist that is somewhat organized.

I cannot design a checklist without peer/teacher assistance and reminders.

 

Spelling and

Grammar

No grammatical, spelling or punctuation errors.

Almost no grammatical, spelling or punctuation errors

A few grammatical spelling, or punctuation errors.

Many grammatical, spelling, or punctuation errors.

 

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Conclusion

In this lesson, students will learn how to identify community resources such as residential architecture, how these resources relate to the city in which they live and how to frame this information in the context of architecture nationally.

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Credits & References

Photo of Chicago Bungalow from The Chicago Green Bungalow Project, a pilot program sponsored by the City of Chicago. Permission for use requested. Retrieved on Nov. 4, 2004 from http://www.chicagobungalow.org/greenbungalow/cb/index.shtml on November 4, 2004.

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Last updated on August 19, 2005. Based on a template from The WebQuest Page

 



[1] More information on changes in the Belmont-Cragin community is available from the Chicago Reporter article “Whites struggle to adjust in newly Latino neighborhood” by Stephanie Williams at http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0JAS/is_5_32/ai_101531207.