A Tree House of My Own: I Decided to Present an Exciting and Fun Architectural Challenge to My Fourth and Fifth Graders. I Asked the Students to Create a Tree House That Reflected Their Own Interests and Personalities, a Tree House of Their Own

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The world of architecture offers so many exciting opportunties for humans to create dwellings that interact with the environment. From first grade through fifth, students in our community study how people live around the world. Students enjoy learning about different dwellings and how they are constructed.

I decided to present an exciting and fun architectural challenge to my fourth and fifth graders. I asked the students to create a tree house that reflected their own interests and personalities--a tree house of their own. I knew that this could be a lesson in which students could incorporate the familiar elements of art and principles of design. Students could let their imaginations flow and incorporate their ideas into the world around them.

Tree Houses in History, Art, and Literature

Throughout history, people have been fascinated with tree houses. The Romans made tree seats. During the Italian Renaissance, the Medicis built an extravagant tree house that housed fountains, a marble …