Students in Mrs. Populorum’s Interior Design class were tasked with a very fun and festive project, testing their knowledge of the elements and principles of design through the construction of gingerbread houses. After the houses were built, a contest was held to vote on which house most clearly represented the elements and principles of design. 

  Students were instructed to form groups of two, purchase the ingredients they wanted to use, and then construct their gingerbread house over the course of several class periods . Creativity was tested for some partners as they used more alternative methods to build their house. Sophomore Anays Peralta says, “We used cookies because there were no more gingerbread houses left when we went to buy one, so that made us have to think a little differently.” After building, students were instructed to put together a reflection on their houses. This written reflection needed to include the description of the three elements of design and three principles of design used in the project. 

  For each class, their contest time was the last class before winter break began. The houses were lined up at the front of the classroom, each with a plastic cup and a number to label. The voters were students or teachers from other classes who have an understanding of the elements and principles of design. Voters would come in and were given a little bell to place in the cup accompanied by the house they thought was the best. The cup with the most bells was named the winner, and each partner received a prize. Senior Mireliz Gimenez states, “I think the prize is something from Chick-fil-A.” She was correct, and house four, built by sophomore Abby Fulk, won the prize of a Chick-fil-A gift card and congratulations on a job well done.