Question: Reading Essay
Outcomes: 1. Follow and construct logical and coherent historical arguments.
2. Explain concepts such as cause and effect, change over time, context, and contingency.
3. Analyze the work of modern architects and their contributions to the history of architecture.
4. Reference concepts and historical styles learned in class.
Task: All students are required to read the book From Bauhaus to Our House and write a critical essay (minimum 3 pages) on the content of the book. The focus of the essay should be on a critical analysis of the author's view of the development of modern architecture, the roles played by its espousing architects, and present convincing arguments for or against the author's position The essay should not simply summarize the book; rather, it should present a cohesive argument (while the students must form their own argument, they should avoid using first-person within the essay). Students should synthesize material learned in class with that expressed in the book. Analyze the author's take on the cultural context in which modern architecture was formed, the events/circumstances that led to the movement, how the movement developed over time, and its effect on American architecture and culture. This essay must be prepared in MLA style.
Wolfe, Tom. From Bauhaus to Our House. Picador, 2009