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Unit 1-final 14/08/2007 17:28 Page 13Exploring Houses from Around the World• Display each of the photographs (Pictiúirí 1-7) showing different types of houses from around the world.• Discuss the similarities and differences between the houses.- What makes them the same/different?- What materials were used to build them? Why?- Which materials are natural/manufactured?- What do you think the weather is like in countries where these types of houses are found?- How does the weather affect how the houses are built?- Imagine the daily family life of a child living in each house?- How might it be the same/different from the children’s own daily lives?• Encourage the children to locate the regions where these houses may be found on the globe, keepingin mind that some may be found all over the world.Exploring Houses in the Local Region• Encourage the children to take notice of the houses they see on their way to and from school eachday. Ask them to observe particular details including the following:- Types of houses and frequency of each type, e.g. bungalows, two-storey, semi-detached, cottage,terraced, etc.- Materials from which the houses are made, e.g. wood, stone, brick, etc.- House styles, e.g. modern, Georgian, etc.- What do the houses tell us about the community now and in the past?• Divide the children into groups and invite them to draw or paint a picture of their own home.Afterwards, ask each child to describe his/her home to the other children in the group. Construct aclass collage of ‘My Home’.• Using Cárta Oibre 1A, gather the necessary information as a whole class discussion and allow thechildren to complete the activity individually or in groups.Sensitivity will be required for this task, as some of the childrenmay live in small, inadequate housing.• Similarly, select different groups to draw, paint or build a model of particular types of houses in thecommunity or from around the world. Encourage the groups to explore, plan, make and evaluateeach of their models carefully and to report back to the class on their evaluations at the end of theactivity. Display the models of ‘Homes in Our Community’ or ‘Homes from Around the World’ in theschool or local library.13