Pre- and Post-Visit Activities: Kindergarten - Grade 4

My First Visit to the Museum
Gallery Exploration

Pre-Visit Activities

• Introduce students to the Allentown Art Museum by describing where it is, where it is located and what it contains. Ask students: What is a museum? Has anyone ever been to the Allentown Art Museum or another museum before? What did you see at the museum? Explain how they will get to the Museum and what will happen once they arrive.
  
  
• What is a work of art? Introduce students to the Allentown Art Museum's collection by viewing images in the online collection. Select a variety of artworks such as paintings, sculptures, textiles, photographs, drawings, etc., which are also realistic, abstract, contemporary, or traditional. Ask students: What do you see?
  
  Note: Images can be viewed onscreen in a computer lab, printed, or projected.
  
  
• Introduce the idea of collecting. Ask students: What do you collect? Why? How do you display it?
  
  
• Review Museum Etiquette with students to ensure they understand the unique qualities of museums as compared to other places that are familiar to them — the library, their house, the grocery store, etc.

Post-Visit Activities

• Review the trip with students. Ask them: What did they see? What did they do while they were at the Allentown Art Museum? What was their favorite artwork or activity? Have the students create a thank-you card to send to the Museum docent or educator that worked with their group. Have them draw their favorite artwork on the front.
  
  
• Have students complete the mini-museum. They can vote on a name, add more works of art, create an environment for it and invite other students in to see it. Students can "tour" other students through their museum.
  
  
• Using the Museum's online collection, print images to create an artwork memory game. Did they see that work of art during their visit?

More Pre- and Post-Visit Activities

Kindergarten - Grade 4
ART DETECTIVES
THE FOUR SEASONS
MY FIRST VISIT TO THE MUSEUM
SENSATIONAL SENSES
SCULPTURE: SHAPES TO WALK AROUND

Grades 5 - 8
SIGNS & SYMBOLS: DECODING ART
NEW WAYS OF SEEING THE WORLD
BY DESIGN: ART & LIFE
PERSPECTIVE IN DEPTH
SCULPTURE: SHAPES TO WALK AROUND
THE RENAISSANCE CONNECTION

Grades 9 - 12
SIGNS & SYMBOLS: DECODING ART
NEW WAYS OF SEEING THE WORLD
BY DESIGN: ART & LIFE
SKETCHING THE LANDSCAPE