What do you already know about the Milwaukee Art Museum? Project an image of the Museum on a screen in your classroom, and ask students to tell you what they know about this building—what is it, what is it for, what does it remind them of?

Explain that the building was designed by the Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava. Introduce your students to Calatrava by watching the “Architect Idol” YouTube video—a spoof of American Idol (which your students may know was filmed at the Museum in summer 2010).

After the video, ask your students to write down one new thing they learned about the architect. Share that fact with a partner.