FAQ
Guided gallery visits are led by a Museum educator in the Brooklyn Museum’s galleries. Lessons are designed to encourage close looking and in-depth discussions and allow students to interpret art and its cultural context through strategies such as open-ended and guided questions, storytelling, movement, writing, and drawing. Students focus on three to five objects to develop their observation and critical thinking skills. These guided gallery visits support all five strands of the NYC Blueprint for Teaching and Learning in the Arts (Visual Art), as well as several New York State Learning Standards in Art, English Language Arts, and Social Studies. Please inform the Museum educator assigned to your class about adapting lessons to meet your specific curricular needs.
Recommended for Grades K–2
(Lessons are sixty minutes in length)
Animals in Art
Hunt for animal imagery in the Museum’s galleries. Students will be introduced to a variety of artistic representations and use of materials as well as the cultural elements of mythology and symbol. This lesson uses a variety of learning strategies, including role-play, storytelling, movement, and drawing.
Hunt for animal imagery in the Museum’s galleries. Students will be introduced to a variety of artistic representations and use of materials as well as the cultural elements of mythology and symbol. This lesson uses a variety of learning strategies, including role-play, storytelling, movement, and drawing.
Learning to Look
Students will discover the Museum’s diverse collections while building their observation skills and descriptive vocabulary. The lesson explores artistic elements such as shape, line, color, and texture through activities, discussion, and drawing.
Students will discover the Museum’s diverse collections while building their observation skills and descriptive vocabulary. The lesson explores artistic elements such as shape, line, color, and texture through activities, discussion, and drawing.
People in Art
Discover gesture and facial expression in the Museum’s varied collections. Through role-play, drawing, and observation, students will examine how an artist includes details to represent the emotions and actions of a character. .
Discover gesture and facial expression in the Museum’s varied collections. Through role-play, drawing, and observation, students will examine how an artist includes details to represent the emotions and actions of a character. .
Recommended for Grades 2–5
(Lessons are ninety minutes in length)
African Art and Community
Visit the Arts of Africa galleries and discover how art can emphasize community bonds. Students will examine art as a primary resource for conveying communal ideas and values.
Visit the Arts of Africa galleries and discover how art can emphasize community bonds. Students will examine art as a primary resource for conveying communal ideas and values.
African Masks and Masquerade
Compare and contrast African masks in order to understand how and why people make and use masks in ceremonies and celebrations. Students will investigate cultural context and function through discussion, storytelling, and videos.
Compare and contrast African masks in order to understand how and why people make and use masks in ceremonies and celebrations. Students will investigate cultural context and function through discussion, storytelling, and videos.
Art and Religion in Asia
Students will view a variety of objects in the Chinese, Japanese, Indian, and Islamic galleries. Using these objects as visual and historical resources, they will compare and contrast how these cultures have conveyed spiritual ideas through artistic conventions. Topics may include ancestor worship, spirituality and nature, and the spread of Buddhism throughout Asia.
Students will view a variety of objects in the Chinese, Japanese, Indian, and Islamic galleries. Using these objects as visual and historical resources, they will compare and contrast how these cultures have conveyed spiritual ideas through artistic conventions. Topics may include ancestor worship, spirituality and nature, and the spread of Buddhism throughout Asia.
Art and Writing
Explore the choices that artists and authors make when telling a story. Students will examine character, setting, main idea, and point of view in the Museum’s collections. They will use their observations to develop their writing skills.
Explore the choices that artists and authors make when telling a story. Students will examine character, setting, main idea, and point of view in the Museum’s collections. They will use their observations to develop their writing skills.
Art and the Environment
Examine the relationship between humans and the environment and the representation of nature through objects in the Museum’s collections of African, Asian, and Islamic art. Students will focus on animal and plant imagery, discuss the materials from which objects were made, and relate these to the natural environment in which the objects were created.
Examine the relationship between humans and the environment and the representation of nature through objects in the Museum’s collections of African, Asian, and Islamic art. Students will focus on animal and plant imagery, discuss the materials from which objects were made, and relate these to the natural environment in which the objects were created.
Art in Ancient Egypt
Investigate visual imagery on funerary objects to learn about ancient Egyptian daily life, burial customs, and the use of signs and symbols as a form of communication.
Investigate visual imagery on funerary objects to learn about ancient Egyptian daily life, burial customs, and the use of signs and symbols as a form of communication.
Artist's Choices
Focus on the wide array of choices made by artists throughout the Museum’s galleries. Students will compare and contrast artworks of similar subjects and discuss the different techniques each artist used in creating a point of view, mood, and meaning.
Focus on the wide array of choices made by artists throughout the Museum’s galleries. Students will compare and contrast artworks of similar subjects and discuss the different techniques each artist used in creating a point of view, mood, and meaning.
Careers in an Art Museum
Learn about the various roles of Museum employees, including curators, designers, educators and conservators. By examining exhibitions, students will observe evidence of the work of these Museum professionals. Students will have an opportunity to role-play and develop some of the skills needed for careers in an art museum.
Learn about the various roles of Museum employees, including curators, designers, educators and conservators. By examining exhibitions, students will observe evidence of the work of these Museum professionals. Students will have an opportunity to role-play and develop some of the skills needed for careers in an art museum.
From Colony to Nation: Art as Primary Resource
Students will study a range of American paintings and decorative arts objects to explore how they reflect people’s daily lives and the artistic production of particular times and places in American history. Specific themes such as westward expansion or the American Civil War can be examined as a part of this lesson. Please specify on your reservation form.
Students will study a range of American paintings and decorative arts objects to explore how they reflect people’s daily lives and the artistic production of particular times and places in American history. Specific themes such as westward expansion or the American Civil War can be examined as a part of this lesson. Please specify on your reservation form.
Living and Working in Early Brooklyn
In celebration of the 400th anniversary of Henry Hudson’s historic voyage to North America, the Museum is offering this lesson centered on its Schenck Houses, built by an early Dutch Brooklyn family. Through drawing, discussion, and group work, students will learn about daily life in early America and the function and significance of American architecture and decorative arts. They will reflect on their own experiences while exploring artistic, social, historical, and industrial developments in Brooklyn.
“Living and Working in Early Brooklyn” is made possible with support from the Consulate General of the Netherlands in New York as part of its NY400 Celebration.
In celebration of the 400th anniversary of Henry Hudson’s historic voyage to North America, the Museum is offering this lesson centered on its Schenck Houses, built by an early Dutch Brooklyn family. Through drawing, discussion, and group work, students will learn about daily life in early America and the function and significance of American architecture and decorative arts. They will reflect on their own experiences while exploring artistic, social, historical, and industrial developments in Brooklyn.
“Living and Working in Early Brooklyn” is made possible with support from the Consulate General of the Netherlands in New York as part of its NY400 Celebration.
Eastern Parkway/Brooklyn Museum