Teaching Tips: Picturing America - The Chrysler Building
Guide your students in a close reading of the informational text provided with this video. Download William Van Alen: The Chrysler Building, 1926-1930 and make a copy for each student.
Begin by having students read the essay silently. Next, read the essay aloud to the class and have students follow along.
Direct students to refer to the text as they answer the questions below.
A Close Reading of "William Van Alen: The Chrysler Building, 1926-1930"
- “The Chrysler Building could only have been constructed in the competitive climate of Manhattan in the 1920s.” Find evidence in the text to defend or oppose this thesis.
- How does the style of the building reflect America’s character at the time it was built?
- How do the building’s exterior motifs reflect the man who built it? Besides Art Deco, what other aesthetic or artistic influences are found in the building’s interior?
- To what newer building did the Chrysler Building quickly lose its claim as the tallest in the world?
- If you were to publish an obituary of William Van Alen, what would it say? Use references from the text in your response.
-----
Visit the NEH Picturing America website to find more innovative ways to integrate works of American art into your teaching.