Classroom Visits

The Education Department is doing limited in-person classroom visits on Mondays between 10 am and 3 pm. Our workshop options are listed below. Currently, the Trust is only able to serve schools in Oak Park, River Forest, or in Chicago city limits. If you fall outside of those districts, please consider a kit rental and virtual workshop with us! Teachers can fill out our Booking Form linked below for more information.

Fee: $150 for one class, $15 per class for additional classrooms

Building Blocks of Architecture: Froebel Blocks

This activity introduces Frank Lloyd Wright and principles of design as participants build with Froebel Blocks and explore the relationship between design and geometry. Participants use simple wooden blocks to build Forms of Life and Forms of Beauty. Then they are asked to design their own Form, while considering the relationship between aesthetics (beauty) and utility (life).

Building Blocks of Architecture: Pentominoes

This activity provides a hands-on opportunity for students to analyze, compare, and create geometric designs inspired by the architecture of Frank Lloyd Wright. Participants observe and analyze images of key buildings and furnishings designed by Wright during his Prairie years and create their own floor plans using Pentominoes.

Virtual Tours

Virtual tours of the Home and Studio in Oak Park and the Frederick C. Robie House in Chicago are now available for your classroom! Thanks to funding from the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Trust has created virtual tours of each location. Check below for themes and curriculum covered in each tour.

• The Home and Studio in Oak Park, IL - Frank Lloyd Wright and his architectural styles, the history of Oak Park, how Wright utilized the Home and Studio as a laboratory for growing and learning, geometry and the many ways Wright connected shapes to the natural world through his architecture and art glass. Recommended for Grades 2-8.
• The Frederick C. Robie House in Chicago, IL - Frank Lloyd Wright and the Prairie Style, Robie House’s connection with nature and the Midwestern Prairie, Wright’s use of modern materials and technology, and the geometry of Robie House’s interior and exterior. This virtual tour also comes with downloadable worksheets and answer keys for your students and classroom. Recommended for Grades 4-9.

Find the tours on our website, teaching by design.org.

Kit Rental and Virtual Workshop

The Education Department is offering our kit rentals and virtual workshops for students across the United States. Read about our kit rental offerings on the Rentable Learning Kits page.

• Cost: We ask that you cover the cost of shipping.
  • In-State Cost: $75
  • Out-of-State Cost: $100
• Price includes 1 free virtual workshop
  • Schools may request additional virtual workshops for $15 per class (up to 4 classes total).