K-12 Landscape Architecture Education

This curriculum guide is designed to help learners develop critical thinking skills from engaging in interdisciplinary activities while in the natural environment. The lessons are divided by grade level. You will find lessons for students to develop skills in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) as well as in Social Studies, Language Arts, Writing and Art. These learning experiences will help students gain awareness of their environment, enabling them to see the world in a more holistic way.

About the Author

The topic of K-12 educational programs in Landscape Architecture has been a very personal endeavor for Arnaldo Cardona-Rivera. His first Bachelor was a pre-professional degree in Architecture but after meeting Roberto Burle Marx he decided to pursue a degree in Landscape Architecture. For this, he enrolled at the City College of New York Urban Landscape Program, finishing a BSLA in 1992. Because of his interest in the Arts, Mr. Cardona continued graduate studies in the Art and Art Education program at Teachers College, Columbia University finishing a Masters in Art and Art Education in 1994. His Masters project was an interdisciplinary curriculum guide in Architecture. After this he became an adjunct professor teaching Art and Studio in Landscape Architecture courses.

In 1995 Mr. Cardona became a teacher at New York City Public Schools and later received a scholarship from City College of New York to finish a Masters of Science in Education. His thesis was about the effectiveness of a curriculum in Architecture to master reading skills among special education students. As a teacher he designed and implemented summer and after-school programs in Architecture for elementary and middle school students. In 2002 he became a Middle School Coordinator and wrote grants and coached teachers in writing curricula in Art, Engineering and Architecture. At the same time he collaborated with AIA Learning by Design as an instructor for summer programs and as Architect-Educator at a non-profit organization in New York City. In addition, he was an adjunct professor at colleges in New Jersey and New York, teaching courses in assessment in Special Education, and integrating Math and Art in Childhood settings and Education Seminar courses.
In 2005 Mr. Cardona joined ASLA and took his continuing educational credits at the NJ ASLA annual meetings, always sharing his ideas about the importance to educate the new generation about the profession of Landscape Architecture.

Mr. Cardona is a retired landscape architect and is documenting all of the K-12 learning experiences he has designed over the past 30 years with the goal of publishing them.