Script: Welcome to the Ingenia Design Department. Today, you’ll be environmental psychologists in training helping us rethink the design, form, and function of a classroom at Ingenia Middle School. You may have heard the term psychologist before. What do you think it means? (wait for student response) A psychologist is someone who studies and treats mental health. Now let’s think about what it could mean to be an environmental psychologist. What does environmental mean? (wait for student response). It has to do with our environment, or the place and surroundings we are in. Environmental psychologists investigate how people respond to the natural world and designed spaces around them. They think carefully about the space they are designing for and how it will look and feel (its form) as well as how it will be used (its function) to better meet both the physical and psychological needs of the people who will use it.
Environmental psychologists often think about many different aspects of the space they are working with, including the objects and technologies that may be used in it. Think about the different rooms and spaces you have been to, do those spaces focus more on form or function? Why do you think so? (allow students to share)
Students are introduced to the concepts of form and function and play a game to debate which is more important to the use of different technologies and objects.
5 min Script: In this unit, we’ll be thinking a lot about two important design concepts: form and function. Form is about how something looks–its shape, style, and appearance. Function is about how something works–is it easy to use? Does it work consistently? These are both important concepts designers think about all the time as they make decisions about spaces, objects, and technologies that people use. To get familiar with these terms, we’ll first play a quick game.
10 min Explain the game and play: Divide the room into two parts. Label one side Form and the other Function. Have students stand in the middle. As you read aloud an object or technology, students should decide whether form or function is most important for that object/technology. They will walk to the side of the room. After each round, have students defend their decision and debate whether the form or function is most important.
Use the following objects/technologies:
TIP: If time allows, have students suggest more objects and technologies to keep playing the game.
Students will use familiar objects from the classroom to chart the form and function of objects they use everyday.
5 min Script: The form and function of the objects in a space are both important. Sometimes, how something looks (it’s form) is an important part of how it works (it’s function). The form of a chair or pillow is a key component of how it works to keep you comfortable when using it. Other times, the function of an item can be more important than how it looks (its form). A lamp, for example, must function properly to give you light, but what it looks like doesn't matter as much. There are many different lamps in many different styles and shapes. In this activity, we’ll work as a class to chart the form and function of objects in the classroom. Each of you will find a classroom object to add to our class chart.
5 min Demonstrate how to fill out the chart.
25 min Dismiss students to find classroom objects and chart their form and function.
5 min Lead a class discussion of the chart. Ask the following questions:
Using the chart created in the previous section, students work as a whole group, with your support, to design the interior of their ideal classroom.
5 min Script: Now that we’ve thought about the form and function of items in our classroom, we’re going to work together as environmental psychologists to design our ideal classroom–a space that is comfortable to be in both physically and in terms of mental health.
First, you’ll generate some ideas for things you’d like to have in an ideal classroom by talking with a partner, then we’ll agree on some of the core ideals as a whole group and map it out together.
As you think about your ideal classroom, you’ll want to consider both the function of items and their form so the classroom works well and looks good. You can use any of the objects we charted previously, and you can think of other ideas and objects, too.
2 min Have students turn and talk to someone nearby to brainstorm ideas. Ask:
20 min Gather students together. Have some students share the ideas of their partner. Then, support students in coming to a consensus on the ideal classroom and work together to draw a basic map of the classroom and the important objects within it. You can also cut up the original chart created in the previous section and use the sketches to tape down objects where they would go.
8 min Discussion: As you review the classroom map, ask:
10 min Watch: The Most Incredible Feats of Human Engineering in the World (www.youtube.com/@MojoTravels)
TIP: You can use the Chapters of this YouTube video to play a selection of the examples rather than the whole video.
5 min Discussion: After watching, lead a discussion with the class.
Students can make a map of a room of their choosing from their home or a place they go to frequently. On the back of the map, have students identify what objects or aspects of that space help it have a balance of form and function, and that make it a place where they feel good. They can also generate a wishlist of items that would help make the space more ideal for them.
