Celebrating Our Homes: Digital and At-Home Resources for All Learners

What better place to start learning about the value of community than at home? Through the many educational resources available on our website, learners of any age can continue to engage with the world, learning more about architecture, math, art, and science through the historic buildings that are the fabric of our neighborhoods. To jumpstart students’ creativity, we are challenging all students to share their own artistic interpretation of their home. Using pencils, crayons, markers, charcoal, paint––or whatever materials students may prefer ––students can observe the features of their own home, and then draw their home. Once finished, be sure to share a picture of the final masterpiece on Facebook or Instagram tagging us @renewingcommunities, or #phlf or #pittsburghhistory&landmarksfoundation. Together, we can create a virtual quilt, a digital community!

Creating an artistic interpretation of home can be a great starting point for learning and discussion, because children are familiar with the place where they live. Ask children questions about their house or apartment and encourage them to think, remember details, and express their thoughts through drawing. What shape is their house? Is it attached to another house or does it stand alone? How many windows and doors does it have? Talk about the rooms, spaces, and activities that go on inside and outside. Initial your artwork, and write the name of your neighborhood, if you like. And remember––share the final product with PHLF on social media tagging us @renewingcommunities, or #phlf or #pittsburghhistory&landmarksfoundation.

More of our resources for at-home learners are listed below:

Architecture and Body-building

DRAW your neighborhood as you learn English and Spanish!

STEAM materials: at-home trivia cards, word problems based on Pittsburgh’s historic bridges and buildings, historic Pittsburgh images, timelines, French and Indian War geography, Kennywood simple art activities, and more can be found here.

Architecture Bingo (In Spanish/En espanol!) for the more advanced Spanish student.

Historic Preservation Word Search (In Spanish/En espanol!)

Architecture, the Building Art

Go on a Downtown Dragons VIRTUAL TOUR!

Learn all about MAIN STREETS through fact sheets, fun quizzes, and more.

The more advanced learner can take in Architectural Historian Albert Tannler’s thought-provoking articles on significant architectural topics relevant to anyone living in the Pittsburgh region HERE.

Visit our ONLINE GALLERY of past education programs to see examples of some of these resources and for more inspiration.

Connecting people to the built environment has been our mission for many years; when people know a place, they care more about it and work to see it thrive. While immediate physical connection to our city and neighborhoods is not possible right now, all of us can still connect to the built environment around us through these resources. If you have questions about how to implement these ideas, feel free to contact Sarah Greenwald, PHLF’s co-director of education at sarahg@phlf.org, and share your stories of connection with us on social media!