Historic time period: 1890–1930
Building Beautiful Buildings
Architects design the buildings we use every day. Their designs solve problems, like how to make a sturdy building, and reflect their ideas about beauty and history.
Julia Morgan Built a Castle is a book about one of America's first women architects, who designed almost 800 buildings during her career. Explore the story by reading together and then try some of these fun activities to learn more about architecture and how buildings are designed.
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You can learn more about trains by reading these books. Click on the book titles below for more information, or visit our complete bibliography.
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Featured Book
Julia Morgan Built a Castle
by Celeste Davidson Mannis
Julia Morgan Built a Castle Copyright Viking Press
Recommended Book
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Read Julia Morgan Built a Castle
Meet Julia Morgan and learn about her path to becoming a famous architect!
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Activities
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Paper Houses
Play and Create
Take the architect's challenge! Try three different ways of representing your home on paper.
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Searching for Symmetry and Scale
Learn from Objects
Take a close look at two drawings of a famous building.
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Shape Up
Use Technology
How many different shapes can you find by looking at a building? Use your computer's paint program to explore.
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House Hunting
Take a Trip
Use a field guide to see the buildings in your neighborhood through the eyes of an architect!
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