Introduction
Welcome to this WebQuest. It was created for 7th to 9th grade students in Switzerland.
Throughout our lifes, we've learnt, that not all houses look the same. Depending on the region, the climate, the society and/or the status of the owner, houses look differently everywhere you go. The year or century when they were built has, as well, a huge impact on the composition and appearance of a house.
Now we will have a look at some European homes.
A few centuries ago, the rich and noble people lived in houses like this:
Nowadays in western europe we are more used to live in houses like the one below:
One or two decades ago they started building houses, that look like cubes put together and the roofs seem to be missing.
Look at the examples below:
But there are houses, that look pretty different from what we expect a house to look like. In the 1960's, for example, Dr. Dante Bini invented the "Binishells". These are houses which are built differently from what we know and they look like they were a part of nature. Some would say the look like the hobbit's house in "Lord of the Rings".
Task
You can either work alone or with a partner.
Alone:
You are an architect and you have a new client. He is a successful business manager of a big company and wants to build a new home for him and his family. Money is not an issue, which means that you can let your whole creativity out.
BUT: he is a very ecological man and wants his house to be as green as possible.
In pairs:
You are architects working in a team and you have a new client. He is the owner of a successful hotel chain. Now he wants to build a new hotel with a new concept: the hotel should be very ecological.
He asked you and other architects to create some plans and ideas. Show him that you are the best and most imaginative architects and that he wants you to work for him.
Money is not an issue, which means that you can let your whole creativity out.
BUT: he is a very ecological man and wants the hotel to be as green as possible.
Process
Alone:
- You plan an ecological house where four to five people can live in. This you can either do on paper or here. (You need to sign up first) Try to be as ecological as possible.
- In addition to the architects plan you write an explanation with all your green ideas. Explain in whole sentences what makes the house green and what's special about it.
- You will present the house to your client, so you need a presentation which shows your planned house from its best side.
In pairs:
- You plan an ecological hotel. This you can either do on paper or here. (You need to sign up first) Try to be as ecological as possible.
- In addition to the architects plan you write an explanation with all your green ideas. Explain in whole sentences what makes the house green and what's special about it.
- You will present the hotel to your client, so you need a presentation which shows your planned hotel from its best side. Show your client that you are the best and most imaginative architects and that he wants you to work for him.
If you need some help with finding ideas, check the list below:
Evaluation
| Beginner | Advanced | Expert | |
| Research | The student only just manages to collect the information needed. | The student collects most of the information needed. | The student collects all the necessary information. |
| Research time | The student surfs the internet without setting search parameters. | The student needs the help provided by the teacher to narrow down the search criteria. | The student finds the information on the internet without help and does so quickly. |
| Technical objectives | The student needed the teacher's technical support to fulfil the tasks. | The student was able to fulfil the tasks with the help provided by the WebQuest | The student fulfiled the tasks without any technical difficulties. |
| Content | Content is largely missing or incorrect. | Content is provided but only partly correct. | Content is provided and fully correct. |
| Texts and recordings | It is difficult to understand the texts and recordings. | The texts and recordings are short but correct. | The texts and recordings are well written / spoken and informative. |
| Final product | The overall impression of the final product is substandard. | The overall impression of the final product fulfils the expectations. | The overall impression of the final product exceeds the expectations. |
Conclusion
Living green is an universal issue. Everyone must think about how he treats our world. How badly do people destroy the nature? And what do they do to save it?
We always think that nobody cares about the future of our planet, but this is not true. The purpose of this WebQuest is to show that there are lots of people who think about this topic and try to do a change in our living. Try to go green.