Procedures

• SET UP

  This lesson offers several options for you to use with your students whether you are teaching in class, using a hybrid model, or engaging through distance learning. It can be completed in steps as a class or students can move at their own pace and complete the activities independently.

  You can post links to the videos in the lesson along with the related handout and engage in discussion to share responses on a discussion board or learning management system.

  You can also save and share the following Google resource for students to use with this lesson.

  Handout: Graphic Organizer (Google Doc).

  In Google, choose "File" then "Make a Copy" to get your own copy. You can make any needed adjustments in the instructions such as which activities students need to complete, when it is due, etc. and then make it available to them via Google.

• WARM UP

  Pose the following brainstorming questions to your students, directing them to record their responses in their graphic organizer, share with a partner, and then with the class if they choose.

  • What does architecture tell us about a historical era?
  • Which types of architectural styles are your favorite or least favorite? Why?

• INTRODUCTION

  Play the following introductory video clip of author Phillip Dodd providing opening remarks for his lecture on American Beaux-Arts Architecture associated with the opulence of the Gilded Age (1877-1920) and the stories of those who commissioned, designed, and built them. Direct your students to answer the related question on their graphic organizer and share their findings with a partner, small group, or the class when finished. Teacher Note: please preview the external YouTube link included in the question below before sharing with your students.

  Clip #1: The Petit Chateau and the Vanderbilts (1:52).

  • For whom was the Petit Chateau built, and in what “style” was it constructed?
  • What did this building “transform?”
  • According to Phillip Dodd, how has the building influenced a contemporary TV series?
  • View this trailer (YouTube) for the HBO series, The Gilded Age. Describe the architectural features you see in the clip.

• VOCABULARY

  Direct your students to their graphic organizers to view and define the vocabulary terms that will appear in the lesson in the chart in their graphic organizer handout. The vocabulary words are also listed to the right on this webpage.

  We recommend having your students complete the activity in a jigsaw format to save time. Or, depending on time and resources, you may consider having your students engage in a Frayer's Model activity, where each student is responsible for completing one or two items. Students can then post their models around the room for reference throughout the lesson.

  Note: this is not an all-encompassing list of terms included in each video. We recommend you preview the video clips to determine any necessary additions/subtractions to this list for your specific students.

• EXPLORATION

  Direct students to the exploration section of their graphic organizers. Instruct your students to view the following four video clips that describe different examples of American Beaux-Arts Architecture from New York City and the Gilded Age. Direct your students to answer the related questions on their graphic organizer and share their findings with a partner, small group, or the class when finished.

• Clip #2: The Met and Richard Morris Hunt (10:04).

  • What was Richard Morris Hunt considered the “dean of,” and what did he learn about during his studies in Paris?
  • Based on the clip, what is American Beaux-Arts architecture? List the examples of this style that were designed by Hunt.
  • According to Phillip Dodd, which portion of the Metropolitan Museum of Art (Met) did Hunt design?
  • How is the Met a “living, breathing” architectural history of America? Explain.
  • What did the Met’s Grand Hall “transform?” How and why?
  • Summarize the story of the exterior sculptures of the Met, as told by Dodd.
  • What was “built” for Hunt when he passed away? Explain its significance.

• Clip #3: Grand Central Terminal and Whitney Warren (8:19).

  • What was the “center of the economy” during the Gilded Age?
  • Based on the clip, what did the Vanderbilt family control by 1890?
  • According to Phillip Dodd, what was built in 1871 and how did it change in 1898?
  • Why is the eagle sculpture shown in the clip significant? Explain.
  • Describe the “collaboration” in the design of Grand Central Terminal.
  • Summarize the significance and history of the ceiling, as described by Dodd. What do the building’s various sculptures depict, and what type of stone was used throughout?
  • The “demolition” of what led to the creation of the New York Landmarks Preservation Commission?

• Clip #4: The University Club and Charles Follen McKim (7:45).

  • Which firm designed Penn Station, and how was it not a “firm of equals?”
  • Which person became New York City’s “leading architect” after the death of Richard Morris Hunt?
  • What was the University Club “designed to resemble? Summarize the design process.
  • What is “fascinating” about the University Club? Explain its purpose.
  • Describe what you see in the University Club Dining Room, as shown in the clip.
  • Which is the “finest room in New York City?” Summarize its features.
  • According to Phillip Dodd, who was impressed by the work in the University Club? What was the architect then asked to do?

• Clip #5: The Frick Mansion and the “Dream Team” (13:11).

  • Based on the clip, who was Jay Gould and how was he viewed by his contemporaries? Why?
  • Summarize Henry Clay Frick’s business background. What did Frick “rent” upon moving to New York City? Describe the building.
  • According to Phillip Dodd, what happened when Frick took a carriage ride through Central Park?
  • Who comprised Frick’s “dream team,” and what were their roles in building the Frick Mansion?
  • How and why has the Frick Mansion changed over time, according to Dodd?
  • What was “interesting” about the Frick Mansion, and what was incorporated into the building’s design?
  • Describe what you see in the rooms shown in the clip. What was the purpose of each room?

• REFLECTION

  After your students finish sharing their findings from the last section, direct them to the reflection section of their graphic organizers. Instruct your students to view the following final video clip in which author Phillip Dodd provides closing remarks after his lecture on American Beaux-Arts Architecture associated with the opulence of the Gilded Age (1877-1920) and the stories of those who commissioned, designed, and built them. Direct your students to answer the related questions and share their findings with a partner, small group, or the class when finished.

  Clip #6: A Serendipitous Ending (2:20).

  • Who died just a “few months apart,” and what was the status of their relationship?
  • How were the stories of Henry Clay Frick and J. P. Morgan “linked together?”
  • Describe how the stories are “serendipitous.”

• CLOSURE

  After your students are finished with the lesson, direct them to complete the final culminating writing prompt and have students share their responses, comparing their perspectives with their classmates' perspectives: Having now learned about a few examples of New York City’s Gilded Age architecture, summarize what these examples explain about the era. Be sure to include evidence from the video clips in the lesson to support your argument.