4th grade Learns the Basics of Longhouse and Wigwam Construction from a Professional Engineer

As part of our study about Philadelphia and the Lenape, the fourth grade class will attempt to build a small longhouse in the next few weeks outside of their classrooms. We were fortunate this week to have Brian Fitzhenry, a parent and professional engineer, who is Project Manager in Architecture for the HNTB Corporation to come and share his wealth of knowledge with the students. He visited this class the previous year and presented a lesson about bridge building. Brian started his lesson reviewing what he had taught and the students clearly had retained quite a bit. Brian spoke about the different components that are used when building different types of architecture and the reasons for their usage. He discussed with them the forces of nature at hand and what one needs to think about to combat the elements. He was able to engage the students relating how all these components apply to building a wigwam or longhouse.

The students did an exceptional job answering Brian’s questions and the interactive lesson laid the groundwork for our next phase. The students will make sketches and draw up plans and instructions on how to go about building their designs. They will learn how to lash two branches or sticks together and how to make clove hitches and square knots before the actual building takes place.