Museums as a Teaching Tool

1. Museums as a Teaching Tool How to plan your best self-guided visit ever!

2. Why Self-Guided?

3. Let’s take a journey… Imagine you are a third grader. Your teacher tells you that you will be taking a class trip to the Metropolitan Museum of Art. You have been studying communities around the world and have recently been focusing on countries in Europe.

4. Let’s take a journey… Write 3 things you might see at the museum.

5. Easy or Hard?

6. Step 1for planning your best self-guided visit ever! • Pre-visit your museum. • Go on a low-crowd day, if possible. • Take a notebook and a camera. • Look for pamphlets and children’s maps. • Take note of DON’Ts. • Map the path you will travel.

7. And the journey continues… Now, take on the role of the teacher. You found this set of artifacts in the room entitled “Art of Southern Italy” at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

8. And the journey continues… Turn and talk with the person sitting next to you: What are 3 questions you might ask students as they view the artifacts?

9. Step 2for planning your best self-guided visit ever! • Prepare students for thinking. • Questions • Information “sound bites” • Bring maps, timelines, or other materials.

10. And on we go… Continue to be the teacher. You enter the room entitled “European Paintings.” You see this painting. You want to create an activity for students to do.

11. And on we go… Turn and talk with the person sitting on the other side of you: Design a quick activity for students to do while they view this painting.

12. Step 3for planning your best self-guided visit ever! • Create a Think-Sheet • Note-taking • Quick activities • Explorations

13. Finally… You are a third grader again. You’ve been at the museum since 10:00. You are saying:

14. Step 4for planning your best self-guided visit ever! • Pacing! • Over-plan • Be ready to cut

15. Sum Up the Steps Step 1: Pre-visit your museum. Step 2: Prepare students for thinking. Step 3: Create a Think-Sheet. Step 4: Pacing!