Grammar for Writing: Level Orange — Chapter 6

Architraves and Flying Buttresses Thirteenth-century rose window, St. Etienne Cathedral, Loire, France Are your ogives on a slant? Have you got a congé or an ovolo? The world of architecture has a language all its own for the trims, borders, and other features found in and on buildings. Styles of windows, doors, domes, and even roofs go in and out of fashion as quickly as clothes. Develop a museum exhibit illustrating how styles of one particular architectural element evolved over time. Choose one type of element, such as windows, doors, domes, ceilings, roofs, or other architectural features. Research how the element you chose changed in style during four different periods in history. For example, what did windows look like during the time of the Roman emperors? How were they treated in Shakespeare's time? When did flying buttresses first appear, and why were they necessary? Did flying buttresses change over time? In your exhibit, include pictures, models, and descriptive captions for the element you have chosen. Write detailed paragraphs that explore the evolution of one element over four different time periods. Collect pictures that show two or more windows (or roofs, domes, etc.) from each period. In addition, provide a three-paragraph introduction that explains the purpose of the exhibit and lists chronologically the items shown. STEP 1: Initial Search Begin your research with visits to the following websites: About.com's History of Architecture Read about many different periods in the history of architecture by exploring the many links on this site. Tufts University's Perseus Project Search: Art and Archeology, History of Architecture Google Search Search: History of Architecture Search for information on trends and treatments in architecture. Take notes on specific buildings, architects, architectural periods, and general information about architectural design. Use cluster diagrams to organize historical facts, descriptions of various styles, and other useful information. Then narrow your choice to the topic that most interests you. (See Grammar for Writing, Level Orange, page 11.) STEP 2: Focus Your Search The exhibit will display an architectural element from four different time periods. Search the Internet for more information on the element you chose and how it changed over time. Explore other resources, such as books, videos, an encyclopedia, almanac, newspaper and magazine articles, and architectural journals. Look for the element you chose on or in readily seen buildings – for example, castles and churches; thatched-roof cottages, brownstone houses, and contemporary homes; older commercial buildings and contemporary skyscrapers. Because the styles used in these types of buildings have changed frequently over time, their evolution is obvious. In addition, collect background information about architecturally famous buildings, quotes about renowned architects, and illustrations of unusual architectural treatments that would interest exhibit visitors. STEP 3: Define Your Audience Make your information interesting to a general audience. Visitors to the exhibit may not know much about architectural history or terms; develop an exhibit that will inform and fascinate them. Use a serious, informative writing style, and avoid using highly technical terms. However, if some terms are essential, be sure to define them when first used. STEP 4: Create a Chronological Outline Organize your notes into a chronological outline, showing either the development of an architectural feature or the changes in – and reasons behind – how a specific architectural treatment was used over time. For example, buildings had much smaller windows during colonial times, partly because glass was very expensive and partly because it was a poor insulator against the elements. Today, many buildings have entire walls of glass; their cost is low and the insulation factors high. Your outline would place the facts on colonial windows before the facts on contemporary ones. (See Grammar for Writing, Level Orange, page 13.) Even in short paragraphs, changes in sentence length, style, and structure add interest. It's particularly important to avoid run-on sentences when you're writing brief articles or descriptions. (See Grammar for Writing, Level Orange, pages 117 and 165.) Professional writers vary sentence structure to add variety and avoid a monotonous rhythm. Not every compound sentence is structured the same way. Practice writing compound sentences using semicolons, conjunctions other than and, or semicolons plus conjunctive adverbs. (See Grammar for Writing, Level Orange, page 105-113.) (Experiment: Write two simple sentences about doors. Then see how many different ways you can combine your information to form new, more interesting sentences.) STEP 5: Create Your Exhibit Choose the key elements to include in each description; then engage your readers with clever, accurate phrases, using sentence variety to produce crisp material. Select pictures and diagrams from your research that will become the focal point of your exhibit. Provide a descriptive caption for each item. The three-paragraph introduction to your exhibit will include: (1) the purpose of the exhibit; (2) a list of the items; and (3) a conclusion stating what viewers will gain from their visit. Chrysler Building, New York City. Architect: William Van Alen. Built from 1928 to 1930, it is often praised as the greatest example of Art Deco style. STEP 6: Revise, Edit, and Proofread Your Writing Reread your introduction and description. Be sure each paragraph has a topic sentence and all sentences support that topic. Add historical facts, descriptions, anecdotes, or quotations to your paragraphs to help readers follow the stylistic evolution of the architectural element on exhibit. Edit your writing for grammatical errors; then proofread your work carefully for spelling, punctuation, and capitalization errors. STEP 7: Publish Your Work Once you have polished the written material for your exhibit, arrange both pictures and captions in a visually pleasing way. Present your project on poster board with the introduction in the "lead" position. Provide a title or headline for your exhibit. Try to be creative with the title: Through These Doors Passed. . . is much more intriguing than Five Hundred Years of Doors. Copyright ©2007 by William H. Sadlier, Inc. All rights reserved.