K-12 Outreach

K-12 architecture & design initiatives  

Student and educator resources  

Educators from different disciplines can use architecture as an  instructional tool. Below you will find reading books, curricula and  activity books that integrate architectural content with K-12 education.  Using concepts from these publications will help educators to  implement K-12 STEAM and Design Education Programs.  

In Student Resources, you will find a list of books related to the topic  of architecture, divided by elementary (K-5) level and secondary  (6-12) level. In Educator Resources, there are publications with  learning activities/curricula, resource guides, and videos ideal for  career day presentations. Finally, a NCARB Resource Guidebook  for K-12 Counselors may help guidance counselors guide students  to consider a career in Architecture.  

AIA Richmond’s K-12 Outreach Committee will use the book K-12  Architecture Education to help teachers and educators develop  Interdisciplinary learning experiences using architecture as a central  theme. For more information, consult the chair of the K-12 Outreach  Committee.  

For:  

– Camp events, programs and workshops  

– Connecting with an architect  

– Out-of-state scholarships, internships and design competitions  – Professional Development  

– School Programs  

Please visit AIA K-12 architecture and design resources at  https://www.aia.org/resource-center/aia-k-12-pathway-initiatives

Student Resources:  

Books: Elementary (K-5)  

• 100 Things to Know about Architecture by Louis O’Brien & Leanne  Daphne (Built environment)  
• A City Through Time by Philip Steele (Built environment, Design,  History)  
• A Handful of Seeds by Monica Hughes (Climate action,  Community)  
• A Home for Every Plant: Wonders of the Botanical World by  Matthew Biggs (Climate action)  
• A World of Your Own by Laura Carlin (Built environment, Design,  Innovation)  
• Ada Twist, Scientist by Andrea Beaty (Design, Innovation,  Women’s History Month)  
• Alphabet Everywhere by Elliott Kaufman (Design)  
• Arches to Zigzags by Michael J. Crosbie & Steven Rosenthal (Built  environment)  
• Beautiful Oops! by Barney Saltzberg (Innovation, Perseverance)  
• Beneath the Streets of Boston: Building America’s First Subway by  Joe McKendry (Built environment, Community, Design, Innovation)  
• Big City Atlas by Maggie Li (Built environment)  
• Boxitects by Kim Smith (Built environment, Design, Innovation) 
• Brick by Brick by Giullano Ferri (Climate action, Community) 
• Brick by Brick by Heidi Woodward Sheffield (Community, Design,  Perseverance, Women’s History Month, Hispanic Heritage Month)  
• Brick: Who Found Herself in Architecture by Joshua David Stein  (Built environment)  
• Build a House by Rhiannon Giddens (Community, Perseverance,  Black History Month)  
• Builder Brothers: Big Plans by Drew & Jonathan Scott (Built  environment, Design)  
• Building Zaha: The Story of Architect Zaha Hadid by Victoria  Tentler-Krylov (Biography, Design, Perseverance, Women’s  History Month)  
• Design Your World by Maria VanDeman (Black History Month,  Design, Women’s History Month)  
• Doll-e 1.0 by Shanda McCloskey (Innovation, Women’s History  Month)  
• Dream Builder: The Story of Architect Philip Freelon by Kelly Lyons  (Biography, Black History Month, Community)  
• Dreaming UP by Christy Hale (Built environment)  
• Empire State Building: When New York Reached for the Skies by  Elizabeth Mann (Built environment, Design, Innovation)  
• Frank Lloyd Wright: Meet the Architect! by Patricia Geis  (Biography, Built environment)  
• Funny Machines for George the Sheep by Géraldine Elschner  (Design, Innovation)  
• Harlem Grown: How One Big Idea Transformed a Neighborhood by Tony Hillery (Black History Month, Climate action, Community,  Innovation) 
• Harold and the Purple Crayon by Crockett Johnson (Community,  Innovation)  
• Here We Are: Notes for Living on Planet Earth by Oliver Jeffers  (Climate action)  
• House Held Up by Trees by Ted Kooser (Climate action) 
• How a House is Built by Gail Gibbons (Built environment, Design) 
• How Cities Work by Feroze & Hancock (Built environment)  
• How Did They Build That? (series) by various authors (Built  environment, Design)  
• How Do Bridges Not Fall Down? A Book about Architecture & Engineering by Jennifer Shand (Built environment, Design)  
• I am I.M. Pei by Brad Meltzer (Asian Heritage Month, Biography)  
• If I Built a House by Chris Van Dusen (Built environment, Design,  Innovation)  
• If I Built a School by Chris Van Dusen (Built environment, Design,  Innovation)  
• Iggy Peck, Architect by Andrea Beaty (Built environment, Design,  Innovation)  
• In the Night Kitchen by Maurice Sendak (Design, Innovation)  
• Interstellar Cinderella by Deborah Underwood (Innovation,  Perseverance)  
• Jeux D’enfance Pop-Up Book by Gérard Lo Monaco (Design,  Innovation) 
• Joe and the Skyscraper: The Empire State Building in New York City by Dietrich Neumann (Built environment)  
• Kid Architect Goes to Moody Nolan Architects by Gary Vance  (Black History Month, Built environment)  
• The Streets are Free by Kurusa (Built environment, Community,  Hispanic Heritage Month)  
• Larry Gets Lost in Philadelphia by John Skewes & Michael Mullin  (Built environment)  
• Last Stop on Market Street by Matt de la Pena (Community,  Hispanic Heritage Month)  
• Listen to the Earth: Caring for our Planet by Carme Lemnscates  (Climate action)  
• Little Dreamers: Visionary Women Around the World by Vashti  Harrison (Asian Heritage Month, Black History Month, Biography,  Hispanic Heritage Month, Women’s History Month)  
• Little Elliot, Big City by Mike Curato (Asian Heritage Month, Built  environment, Community)  
• Little Leaders: Bold Women in Black History by Vashti Harrison  (Biography, Black History Month, Women’s History Month)  
• Little Legends: Exceptional Men in Black History by Vashti  Harrison (Biography, Black History Month)  
• Little People, Big Dreams: Zaha Hadid by Maria Isabel Sanchez  Vergara (Biography, Design, Perseverance, Women’s History  Month)  
• Lonely Planet Kids: How Animals Build by Moira Butterfield  (Animal architecture) 
• Lonely Planet Kids: How Cities Work by Jen Feroze (Built  environment)  
• Look at That Building! by Scot Ritchie (Built environment)  
• Make Way for Ducklings by Robert McCloskey (Built environment,  Community)  
• Maya Lin: Artist-Architect of Light and Lines by Jeanne Walker  Harvey (Asian Heritage Month, Biography, Design, Innovation)  
• Maybe I’ll be an Architect by Tenille Bettenhausen (Built  environment, Career exploration)  
• Maybe I’ll be an Engineer by Tenille Bettenhausen (Built  environment, Career exploration)  
• Miss Rumphius by Barbara Cooney (Community, Women’s History  Month)  
• Moxie, the Dachsund of Fallingwater by Cara Armstrong (Built  environment, Design, Innovation)  
• Need a House? Call Ms. Mouse! by George Mendoza (Built  environment, Community, Design)  
• Not a Box by Antoinette Portis (Design, Innovation) 
• Numbers Everywhere by Elliott Kaufman (Design) 
• Old Enough to Save the Planet by Loll Kirby (Climate action)  
• On This Spot: An Expedition Back Through Time by Susan E.  Goodman (Built environment)  
• Roberto, the Insect Architect by Nina Laden (Community, Design,  Innovation) 
• Rosie Revere, Engineer by Andrea Beaty (Design, Innovation)  • Roxaboxen by Alice McLerran (Community, Design, Innovation)  
• Shapes, Lines, and Light by Katie Yamasaki (Asian Heritage  Month, Biography)  
• Shigeru Ban Builds a Better World by Isadoro Saturno (Biography,  Community, Hispanic Heritage Month, Innovation)  
• Sofia Valdez, Future Prez by Andrea Beaty (Community,  Innovation, Women’s History Month)  
• The Fascinating Engineering Book for Kids by Dr. Jacie Maslyk  (Built environment, Design, Innovation)  
• The Gardener by Sarah Stewart (Climate action, Community)  • The Giant Game of Sculpture by Hervé Tullet (Design, Innovation)  
• The House That She Built by Mollie Elkman (Built environment,  Design, Women’s History Month)  
• The Most Magnificent Thing by Ashley Spires (Innovation,  Perseverance)  
• The Shape of the World: A Portrait of Frank Lloyd Wright by K.L.  Going (Biography, Built environment, Design)  
• The Three Little Pigs: An Architectural Tale by Steven Guarnaccia  (Built environment, Design, Innovation)  
• The World is Not a Rectangle by Jeannette Winter (Biography,  Design, Innovation)  
• The World of Design by Pamela Pease (Built environment, Design,  Innovation) 
• Walking in the City with Jane: A Story of Jane Jacobs by Susan  Hughes (Built environment, Community, Perseverance)  
• We Build Our Homes: Small Stories of Incredible Animal Architects by Laura Knowles (Animal architecture)  
• What Can a Citizen Do? by Dave Eggers (Community, Innovation)  • What Do You Do With an Idea? by Kobi Yamada (Innovation)  • What Is Architecture? by Atianna J. Cordova (Built environment)  
• When Pencil Met Eraser by Karen Kilpatrick & Luis O. Ramos, Jr  (Community, Innovation)  
• When Pencil Met the Markers by Karen Kilpatrick & Luis O.  Ramos, Jr. (Community, Innovation)  
• Where the Trees Grow by Yoon Kang-mi (Asian Heritage Month,  Climate action, Community, Innovation, Women’s History Month)  
• Who Made My Stuff? Miles learns about design by Aisha  Denemore-Bay (Black History Month, Design, Innovation)  
• Who was Frank Lloyd Wright? by Ellen Labrecque & Who HQ  (Biography, Built environment, Design, Innovation)  
• Young Frank, Architect by Frank Viva (Built environment,  Community, Design)  

Activity books:  

• Ada Twist’s Big Project Book for Stellar Scientists by Andrea Beaty  (Activities)  
• Adventures in Architecture for Kids by Vicky Chan (Activities) 
• Architecture Around the World: Designing from A-Z! by Xena  Stryler (Coloring)  
• Architecture for Kids by Mark Moreno (Activities)  
• Awesome Architecture Activities for Kids by Andrea Mulder-Slater,  Jantje Blokhuis-Mulder, & Geoff Slater (Activities)  
• Awesome Construction Activities for Kids by Akyiaa Morrison  (Activities)  
• Bee an Architect Activity & Coloring Book by AIA Iowa (Activities,  Coloring)  
• Build it! An Activity Book on Architecture by Brian Elling (Sticker  Activity)  
• Colour and Create Architecture: Georgie Finds a Home by Nerea  Bermejo Olaizola (Coloring)  
• Colour and Create Architecture 2: Cities of the World by Nerea  Bermejo Olaizola (Coloring)  
• Creative Houses: Coloring Book for Kids by Rachel Mintz  (Coloring)  
• Gutsy Girls Go for Science: Engineers with STEM Projects for Kids by Diane Taylor (Activities)  
• Iggy Peck’s Big Project Book for Amazing Architects by Andrea  Beaty (Activities)  
• Let’s Play Indoors! Fun Crafts for Children by Gestalten Little &  Ryan Evers (Activities)  
• Minecrafter Architect: Amazing Starter Homes by Megan Miller  (Design) 
• Minecrafter Architect: The Builder’s Idea Book by Megan Miller  (Design)  
• Rosie Revere’s Big Project Book for Bold Engineers by Andrea  Beaty (Activities)  
• The House That She Built Coloring & Activity Book by Mollie  Elkman (Activities, Coloring)  
• You be the Architect by Square Root of Squid Publishing  (Activities, Drawing) 

Secondary (6-12)  

• All the Buildings in… (series) by James Gulliver Hancock (Built  environment, Design)  
• Animal Architecture: Photographs of Natural Habitats by Ingo  Arndt (Animal architecture)  
• Architecture: The Definitive Visual Guide (Comprehensive)  
• Barns: A Close-Up Look by Alan Giagnocavo & HABS (Built  environment)  
• Building Toys: An Architect’s Collection by John Rock  (Architectural building toys)  
• Climate Change (DK Eyewitness) by DK & John Woodward  (Climate action)  
• Covered Bridges: A Close-Up Look by Alan Giagnocavo & HABS  (Built environment)  
• Full of Life: Exploring Earth’s Biodiversity by Isabel Thomas  (Climate action) 
• Girls Think of Everything: Stories of Ingenious Inventions by Women by Catherine Thimmesh (Design, Innovation, Women’s  History Month)  
• Hidden Systems: Water, Electricity, the Internet, and the Secrets Behind the Systems We Use Every Day by Dan Nott (Built  Environment, Design, Innovation)  
• How to Think Like Frank Lloyd Wright by Catherine Teegarden  (Built environment, Design, Innovation)  
• How Was That Built? by Roma Agrawal (Built environment,  Design, Innovation)  
• Immigrant Architect: Rafael Guastavino and the American Dream by Berta de Miguel (Biography, Community, Design, Hispanic  Heritage Month, Innovation)  
• Knowledge Encyclopedia: Art & Architecture by Wonder House  Books (Built environment, Design, History)  
• Le Corbusier in His Own Words by Antoine Vigne (Biography, Built  environment, Design)  
• Lighthouses: A Close-Up Look by Alan Giagnocavo & HABS (Built  environment)  
• Seedfolks by Paul Fleischman (Climate action, community)  
• The Architecture Book: Big Ideas Explained by DK (Career  exploration, Comprehensive)  
• The Earth and I by James Lovelock (Climate action)  
• The Future Architect’s Handbook by Barbara Beck (Built  environment, Design)  
• The LEGO Architect by Tom Alphin (Built environment, Design,  Innovation) 
• The LEGO Neighborhood Volumes I & II by Lyles & Lyles (Built  environment, Design, Innovation)  
• Watch This Space: Designing, Defending, and Sharing Public Spaces by Hadley Dyer (Built environment, Community, Design)  
• The World by Design: The Story of a Global Architecture Firm by  A. Eugene Kohn (Biography, Design, Innovation)  
• Who Built That? Modern Houses: An Introduction to Modern Houses and Their Architects by Didier Cornille (Biography, Built  environment, Design)  

Activity books:  

• Archi-Doodle by Steve Bowkett (Drawing)  
• Archi-Doodle City by Steve Bowkett (Drawing)  
• Archi-Doodle Coloring Books by ALICE (Coloring)  
• Architecture Crossword Puzzles by Grab Grab A Pencil Press  (Puzzles)  
• Architecture for Teens by Danielle Wilkins (Activities)  
• Creative Haven Whimsical Houses Coloring Book by Dr. Angela  Porter (Coloring)  
• Famous Buildings of Frank Lloyd Wright by Bruce LaFontaine  (Coloring)  
• How to Draw Architecture by Markus Agerer (Drawing)  
• The Art of Construction: Projects and Principles for Beginning Engineers and Architects by Mario Salvadori (Activities)  
• The LEGO Architecture Idea Book by Finch (Activities, Drawing) 

Educator Resources:  

Learning Activities/Curricula:  

• AIA Climate Action Design Challenge
• AIA “The House That She Built” Building Certificate Program • AIA DC Online Learning for Kids
• AIA Iowa Activity & Coloring Book
• AIA Kansas City Animal Dice Game
• AdEx At-home Activities
• American Planning Association
• Careers Building Communities
• Center for Architecture
• Cranbrook Art Museum
• Create Your Own Paper City
• Design Museum Foundation
• Frank Lloyd Wright Trust
• K-12 Architecture Education. AIA Richmond Chapter will use this  book to develop K-12 programs and staff development  presentations.  
• Kid Architect
• Making Math Visible
• NEXT.cc
• School Zone Institute
• Study Architecture
• USGBC

Resource Guides:  

• AIA Kansas City: Explore Architecture! Resource Guidebook  • AIA Nebraska: What is an Architect?  
• ArchCareersGuide: Free “Careers in Architecture and Beyond”  downloadable book  
• ASLA: Your Path to Landscape Architecture  
• NCARB’s Destination Architect Booklet, Resource Guide, and  Webpage: Find out more about the steps to becoming a licensed  architect.  
• Study Architecture: Explore an Architecture Student’s Journey  Videos:  
• AIA Future Focused Video Series highlighting underrepresented  architects and designers weekly.  
• AIA Connecticut Video Series of 5 Local Projects • AIA Kansas City Explore Architecture
• AIA Connecticut Architecture in Our Community
• ASLA
• I am an Architect: History of Architecture  
• I am an Architect: Discover Architecture  
• School Zone Institute

YouTube Channels:  

• Archimarathon: In this channel, Kevin Hüi (Archimarathon) and  Andrew Maynard (Austin Maynard Architects) make the topic of  architecture more accessible to everyone.  
• LEGO House: Documentary about the building of a life-size LEGO  house  
• NCARB’s Top 8 YouTube Channels for Architects
• Sketching Tutorials: Simple tutorials, tips and tricks for architecture  sketches.  
• Stewart Hicks: Architect based in Chicago who makes videos that  explore and explain the built environment. 
• The B1M: The world’s largest, most subscribed-to video channel  for construction.  
• The Local Project: Explore immersive house tours, delve into  interior design intricacies, and discover ground breaking home  architecture.  
• 30×40 Design Workshop: Videos about architecture, designs of  simple modern homes + an architect who openly shares his  process online.  

Guidebook for Guidance Counselors:  

NCARB: Resource for K-12 Counselors and Educators help guide  students consider a career in Architecture