Shakespeare's England: London From Above: The London Eye

“British Airways London Eye is a must do for any visitor to London and gives spectacular aerial views of many of London's most famous sights, looking down on Buckingham Palace, St. Paul's Cathedral, Westminster Abbey and Trafalgar Square. Standing on the banks of The River Thames, the structure is an inspiring feat of engineering and design which instils a quiet pride and passion in Londoners, and awe and amazement in all visitors.”
- Jen Brown, British Airways London Eye

Objective: This lesson is designed to make students aware of historical buildings and landmarks in their own communities and around the world.

Lesson Plan: Begin by brainstorming famous buildings/structures around the world. For each building named be sure students know where it is located. (If images are available they will further enhance this lesson.)

Have students create their own building or structure to become a symbol of their community. Students may imagine and create their structure in any visual artistic medium (e.g. a painting, drawing, clay model, etc.) Complete the project by having students name their design.

Assessment: By the end of this lesson students should be able to identify famous buildings and structures around the world.

Objective: This lesson is designed to make students aware of historical buildings and structures around the world, and the events and people they commemorate.

Lesson Plan: Begin by brainstorming famous buildings/structures around the world. For each building named, make sure students know where it is located. If images are available they will further enhance this lesson. Discuss whether or not the buildings named were constructed to commemorate a person or celebrate an event. Are there specific buildings or structures that they can think of that honor a person, group of people, or event? (E.g. the Vietnam Veterans' Memorial in DC, The Eiffel Tower in France, the Olympic stadium in Athens, etc.)

Have students create their own building or structure to commemorate a person or for a special occasion. Students may imagine and create their structure in any visual artistic medium.

In addition to the visual representation of the building, students should create a one-page proposal of where the building will be located, proposed construction materials, and negative and positive impacts of the project. Have students address issues of getting materials to the site. (For example, the London Eye had to be transported on barges up the River Thames in pieces during low tide and assembled while flat.) What is the construction plan for your structure?