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Exploring the Built Environment - Your Town/City in the Past

Learning objectives

Students will develop:

awareness of the history of the buildings in their town/city and life in earlier time periods
knowledge and understanding about the preservation of historic buildings.

Process

Arrange for students to visit an historic building in their town/city.
Provide students with information on the history of the building, including:
- who designed the building and the style it is designed in
- who lived or worked in the building
- when the building was started and completed
what materials were used in its construction and where these were sourced from
the current and past uses of the building in relation to the changes in society in the area.
Teachers should research in advance the history of the building or arrange for a knowledgeable presenter to accompany the visit and provide a commentary during the tour of the building.
During the visit, ask students to imagine what the life of a person who lived or worked in the building would have been like. Questions for students include:
- What kind of life do you think this person would have lived?
- How was their life different from yours?
Ask students to design a cover page for a diary of a person who lived or worked in the building, including a drawing of the front of the building, and to write a diary of one day in their life.
As a class, discuss the role of historic buildings in the built environment. Do students feel that it is important to protect examples of historic buildings? How would the loss of the building students have visited affect the community?

Resources needed

You will need the following resources:

writing paper
cardboard for the cover of the diary
art materials such as coloured pencils and felt tip pens.

Additional information

The New Zealand Historic Places Trust undertakes activities relating to the recognition, protection and promotion of New Zealand's historic and cultural heritage. The Trust compiles and maintains the Register of Historic Places, Historic Areas, Wahi Tapu and Wahi Tapu Areas. Teachers may find the Register useful in identifying suitable historic buildings to visit in their area.

Further information can be found on the Trust’s website: www.historic.org.nz or by contacting your local city or district council.

More information

Visit our website: www.mfe.govt.nz/issues/urban/ or contact the Ministry for the Environment’s Urban Group by emailing urban.design@mfe.govt.nz or phoning (04) 439 7400.