Art Museum Field Trip
This page is dedicated to Sara Grow - a university pre-service student teacher.
Sara is writing a project for her art ed class about using art museums as a tool
for instruction in the high school art classroom. If anyone has more success
stories to share please send to Ken Rohrer. Note: ArtsEdNet Talk is now
Teacher Art Exchange
Prepare your students by playing Greg Percy's "Hangin' Around (The Gallery)"
- from Songs in the Key of Art #4
From Susan on Long Island:
Elementary Level: I take many classes to art museums every year. I have
found that students of all ages LOVE scavenger hunts. After the docent has
finished the tour, I break up the kids in teams and give them lists of things to
find within the museum. I rotate the #s on the lists so that team one starts
looking for #1 on the list, while team two is looking for #2, for example, so that
groups are not running around after the same items at the same time. I always
go to the exhibit before my classes to create this game. Afterwards, in the
classroom, I create another "game" for them. They must create a piece of art or
element (from the scavenger hunt) of their own from the piece of art that most
remember or that inspired them. Not copy, but they create original art from
something they were forced to see (find) during the scavenger hunt.
From Lynn:
Elementary Level - High School: I have great lesson that you can use from
elementary to high school when you go to the museum. We talk about the
lesson the day before we go. The day we leave each student receives an
instruction sheet and three pieces of illustration board that are the size of 3X5
cards that they can fit in their pockets. They are to pick one painting in the
museum. Then on one of the cards they are to reproduce the artwork (We use a
regular pencil) on another card they are to draw what was happening before the
painting was painted and on the other, what happened after the painting was
created. It is a wonderful lesson that deals with the narrative of a work of art.
You can extend and change this lesson in many ways.
Since talking about the Art Museum Field trip ideas, it has sent my mind
wandering. I suppose it would be interesting to take students to the museum
with the idea that they are to study the set up, architecture and design of an
exhibit in relation to the exhibit. Then bring them back to create a better
museum or exhibit.
From Judy:
Middle School - High School: (In response to Lynn) This is not my original
idea... I have seen it in magazines (although can no longer remember which
ones) and also a coworker did this. Make a mock up museum using foam core
boards (or any other kind of available materials). Have many different rooms cut door ways going between the rooms. You decide just how big to make it
(your own personal storage space may determine size). My coworker's was
large enough that post card size prints could be tacked to the walls (maybe
about 2' by 3'?). She used her "museum" a lot with the students as she had
hundreds and hundreds of small prints (cut from magazines and postcard size).
She also used it in teaching DBAE workshops -- we displayed our artsy name
tags in the museum for critique. Try a Shoe Box Gallery. Students study an
artist via the Internet and collect images. They create a mini gallery of the
work.
Upon return from the museum - students could display images of their favorite
works in the museum to talk about them. Maybe give each student a "room" to
fill. Students could work in groups to present their museum trip if you have
limited time and few rooms. The museum could be cleared for the next group
to present. While initially it is a lot of work -- the rewards were great. I am
wondering if you could even use some kind of slit construction so the museum
could be flattened for storage?
Thinking about how the work was presented is a great idea... and having
students come up with alternative suggestion gets them thinking (do the works
tell a "story"? are they arranged aesthetically? are they grouped by medium? or
by time? and so forth). Great career based lesson, too.
From San D:
High School Level: The biggest problem I can see with integrating art
museums is that schools have cut way back on field trip opportunities due to
budget constraints. What I have done to sort of bypass that is I wrote "field trip
experiences" as part of the curriculum which allows me to take students to
museums. I can go twice a year, so since I teach in New Jersey about 40
minutes from New York City we naturally go to NY. I make one of the
experiences "old school" i.e. The Metropolitan, and one "new school", i.e.
galleries in Soho. I like the excitement of the kids' responses to the 'new school'
work (as they seem freer to talk about what they see... no one has declared
anything 'important', i.e. like Rembrandt in the Metropolitan). I also like the
awe in kids when they actually see 'originals'. Also the whole experience of
going into NYC counts towards the museum experience... I mean who wouldn't
want to sit on the stairs of the Metropolitan and look for Candice Bergen or
Woody Allen? (both of whom have passed me on the street right outside
Central Park). I have also taken students to the Cloisters when we studied
Medieval Art... and nothing beats that museum in the fall. Not only did we
enjoy the work, but we brought our sketchpads and drew in the medieval
garden.
From John:
High School Museum Research Lesson: To integrate art museums into my 9th
grade art history, I've done a museum project with them. Each student selects a
different museum (major world museums) and writes a business letter to them
telling them about the project and asking for postcards and information about
the museum collection. Then they study a different aspect of their museum
each week for the term (9 weeks) while we continue to talk about the
progression of art history. Topics for the weeks have included (as selected by
the students for the most part): culture/traditions, folktales, food, the permanent
collection, recent special exhibits, and architecture of the museum. The wrap up
for the unit is to have a "Museum Symposium" lasting 2-3 days where
everyone shares key things about their museum (key pieces from the collection,
special exhibits) and shares food from the culture with everyone in the class. I
usually do this in the spring, after they all have some understanding about
museums and can handle independently researching the topics while we
continue to do time periods/artists in class. I always make sure they visit a local
museum during their study as well, to be able to ask questions and apply their
knowledge to another space. It's a great way to get more material covered than
can normally be done in class, and most of the museums have sent back posters
and postcards that the students love to get and take with them!
From Michal:
High School: I have taken my students to the museum many times and the first
and foremost thing I have found is to make sure they have an assignment in
hand before they get off the bus! I have had students start off with a scavenger
hunt. They have a list of visuals they must find in various paintings. Step two is
to find 2-3 paintings I have pre-chosen and write a critique on each painting,
then award them various prizes. Step three is to choose their favorite artwork,
describe it in detail, then tell why they like this one so well. When we return to
the classroom students will compare answers, and often get in a debate over the
answers. If time allowed I would love to be able to take them on return visits to
visually defend their paintings and allow others to see what they see.
~Michal, K-12 Kansas Art Teacher
From Marvin Bartel
All Levels: In addition to what is done at the museum, consider asking them to
notice and nominate a beautiful site or view and nominate an ugly site or view
along the route that they see while on the bus trip to and from the museum.
They can make a quick sketch and a brief description.
If you know the bus route, you could ask them to take special note of several
sites along the way. Give them a work sheet to complete during the trip to and
from the museum. The work sheet builds awareness for the best and worst
examples you can identify along the route.
Visual literacy means becoming more aware of how our built and natural
surroundings change us. (From Getty TeacherArtExchange post February 21,
2007).
From Donnalyn Shuster - Gallery Walk:
For Middle School: Donnalyn had her students prepare for a museum visit by
having a "gallery Walk" in her school. She displayed prints throughout the
building. See Lesson Plan
(inspired by Jennifer Mattot - Liverpool Central
School District, Liverpool, NY). Lesson Plan is a Word doc. Lesson can be
adapted to other grade levels. Donnalyn is a member of ArtsEducators Yahoo
list.
From Donnalyn Shuster - Students Prepare a Mini Museum/Gallery:
For Middle School. Donnalyn has her students make a mini museum. These
included research on selected artists. A culminating activity would be the field
trip to the museum or gallery. SeeLesson Plan.
Donnalyn enhanced the
lesson at the end of the unit as students had to present the gallery and field
questions from the audience at the "opening" of the show. (Click image for
larger view)
Of course, they also had refreshments as no opening is complete with out food!
"Knight Gallery" is the name of her unit plan (named after school mascot Knights).
Here are some online resources to help in your planning:
Check the web site of the museum you are visiting for teacher packets and
downloads. Each Museum will have information on their site to help you plan a
successful visit. Many have Scavenger hunt worksheets/handouts already
prepared that you can adapt to your needs. If you are doing a Virtual Field Trip
and need an online lesson for your students (but do not have a school web site)Let Incredible Art Department know. Your lesson can be put on the Web site so
your students can "click and go". Email Ken Rohrer if this interests you.
Going to a Museum? A Teacher's Guide (Archive) - This World Wide Web site
includes a compilation of lesson plans written by teachers in the "Museums and
Education" course offered in Northern Virginia. Timeline - sample lessons and
more (Archive). Here is a very good onefor African Art (Archive).
National Gallery of Art Classroom -- Access lessons and resources by
curriculum, topic, or artist.
Virtual Field Trips and Web Museums (Archive) - resources from a
Professional Development Workshop prepared by Midge Frazel.
Teaching with Works of Art - Carlos Art Museum, Emory University. See
the Object Analysis Worksheet.
Plan a Trip - tips from Museum Spot
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