Core Skills Analysis
History
- Learned about the significance of historic universities like Yale and their role in American educational and cultural history.
- Gained familiarity with architectural styles of historic university buildings, reflecting different periods in U.S. history.
- Understood the importance of institutions such as Sheffield Sterling Strathcona Hall within the broader context of higher education history.
- Recognized Yale's historical contributions to academic development and how such institutions shape societal leadership.
Science
- Explored the environmental effects on stone building materials, considering wear and discoloration of historic walls.
- Observed architectural engineering principles applied in the construction of durable, historic university buildings.
- Considered how natural elements like weathering impact the preservation and maintenance of old structures.
- Understood the scientific aspects of building conservation and material science through real-world examples.
Social Studies
- Understood the social importance of universities as centers of learning and community engagement.
- Reflected on the role of higher education in shaping social identity, aspirations, and cultural values.
- Learned about the geographic and civic significance of university locations within cities (Prospect Street in New Haven).
- Recognized the building as a social space that facilitates interactions among diverse groups such as students and faculty.
Tips
Tips: To further enhance understanding of this visit to Yale University, consider organizing research projects on the history of American universities and their cultural impacts. Encourage creative mapping activities showing Yale's place within New Haven, including historic landmarks. Linking science to the experience, explore architecture through experiments on materials or by studying weathering effects on various stones. Social studies extensions may include discussions on how education shapes society and role-play to explore university campus roles and community life. These hands-on activities make abstract concepts tangible and deepen engagement with place-based education.
Book Recommendations
- Yale: A History by Brooks Mather Kelley: A detailed, accessible history that traces Yale University's origins, growth, and influence on American education and culture.
- The Architecture of Educational Buildings by Caroline Wilson: Explores the design and science behind buildings like those on historic campuses, blending architecture and material science.
- If You Lived at Yale University by James Buckley Jr. and Susan Buckley: A child-friendly guide to university life, explaining academic and social experiences in an engaging way for young readers.
Learning Standards
- CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.5.3 - Explain the relationships or interactions between two or more individuals, events, ideas, or concepts in a historical text or context.
- CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.5.7 - Conduct short research projects that use several sources to build knowledge through investigation on a single topic.
- NGSS 4-ESS2-2 - Analyze and interpret data from maps to describe patterns of Earth’s features.
- CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.5.1 - Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions on grade 5 topics and texts, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly.
Try This Next
- Create a timeline worksheet tracing Yale University's founding and major milestones.
- Design a science experiment testing rock and stone samples to simulate weathering effects on building materials.