​How to Interview a Historic Building
Andrea Warren
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Author Andrea Warren gives us an exemplary example of how to share information in a way that would NEVER be referred to as dry or clinical.  This is a great minute to have students analyze so they can see exactly what she has done.  After dissecting the form, students can try it out for themselves!

English/Language Arts
Explore the format

• Do a close reading of the text - what is the author’s advice for how to interview a "wary" subject?
• Explore the interview format - use this as an anticipatory set.  Have students emulate the format with their own favorite building to interview

​​Explore literary devices 

• Have students identify specific examples of personification, metaphor and awesome word choice

Social Studies
Explore history -

• St. Paul’s has a rich history that begins in 604 and continues to the present day.  Wren’s cathedral is actually the 4th incarnation on the site.  Have students develop a timeline that coincides with historical events.  The St. Paul’s website has a wealth of information to explore.

Explore further -

• Author Warren mentions several people buried in the Crypt and also at nearby Westminster Abbey.  Have students find out the names of some people buried here and construct brief biographies of the cast of characters
  

Explore the American Chapel 

• Where else are American soldiers buried abroad? 

Explore the British cathedral system.

• How do cathedrals affect a culture beyond the religious aspects?

STEM

• Explore Science Professions through a closer look at Christopher Wren.  He is remembered as an architect, a mathematician and an astronomer.  Do these three occupations go together?  Why?
• Explore structure - take a closer look at the structure of the dome.  How do you support that kind of ceiling?  Where else do we see this shape in buildings?

Art
Explore the collections of the cathedral 

• St. Paul’s is both a work of art itself and a container for changing collections including mosaics, sculpture, performance art and more.  Have students check out the collections section of their site to explore the myriad of artistic expressions within St. Paul’s.  

Explore buildings as art closer to home!

Research Skills
Practice Note taking 

• Author Warren uses this format as a way to share information without boring her audience to sleep.  Have students practice note-taking by teasing out the facts she has shared about St. Paul’s cathedral.  Who can assemble the most facts?  Is this more interesting as a list of facts, or the way the author wrote it?

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​© Karen Sterling, 2017 - May be used for educational purposes without written permission