Sagrada Familía- Classroom Connection 

Happy Friday! Before we jump into another weekend I thought I’d share a fun travel teachable moment from this week in my classroom.

I could not have asked for a better connection to my recent trip to Spain. This past weekend in the Sunday Boston Globe, there was an article in the travel section about La Sagrada Familía. Thanks to my mum and dad (who still reads a print paper these days?!) I was made aware of this perfect connection to my recent trip to Spain. Thanks mum!

Big color pictures of the famous basilica and a short article filled an entire page. I brought in the article to share with students and we had a great discussion about the basilica, Gaudi, and some of his innovative designs. Through the pictures in the newspaper and my own photographs of Sagrada Familia we were able to make observations about his design and draw comparisons to nature.

 

This discussion will be a great jumping off point when we start discussing our next STEAM activity. Gaudi set a wonderful example of creative thinking, innovation, and using trial and error to improve his designs. Most importantly his power of observation of the world around him allowed him to push the envelope in design, just like we ask students to when they are working. His designs were considered odd, weird and even crazy in the 1800s, but that never stopped him. He was truly a 21st century man living in the 19th century!

Gaudi’s persistence and ignoring his naysayers was another great teaching point. We talked about how he never gave up on his dreams and did what he believed was right. Thank goodness he did, because today we revere him for his forward thinking and marvel at what he was able to accomplish with the limited technology of his time. It was great fro students to talk about someone who was different from those around him, but how he never let him stop believing in his dreams.

If you are a teacher, have you had a teachable moment like this in your classroom centered around travel? I feel that it is one of the best ways to share travel experiences, relate them to student lives, and get them excited to see the world!
TravelTeachLove,

Katy