Lesson 1 - LearningThroughMuseums

● Vocabulary
museum
collect
collection
display
docent
gallery
label
original (artwork)
preserve
● Procedure
1. Explain to students that a museum is a place that collects, preserves, displays, and studies
important things from human history. For example, the Shedd Aquarium collects, preserves,
and displays sea life, and the Field Museum collects, preserves, and displays things like
fossils and artifacts from natural history. The Art Institute of Chicago is an art museum, which
collects, preserves, and displays original works of art such paintings, sculptures, drawings and
photographs made by artists from all around the world and different periods of time.
2. Ask students if they or members of their family have collections of their own. What kinds of
things do they collect? Make a list of on the chalkboard of student responses. How do they
protect their collections? How do they display their collections? Do they have them set up in
their bedroom or stored and shown to people only on special occasions?
3. Have students view “Your Museum Visit.”
4. After the video is over, review important information about the visit with your students and ask
them to talk about what they are most looking forward to seeing or doing in the museum.
Day 2: Field Trip to the Museum
● Time Allotment
3‒4 hours
● Procedure
You know best what procedures your school has for taking field trips regarding permission slips,
buses, and other details. Be sure to arrive at your scheduled time and a greeter will meet you at the
student entrance to the Art Institute. Remind students of the rules in the museum:
• the art is for looking, not touching
• no food, drink, or gum
• walk, don’t run
• stick together
• use inside voices
• pencils only
Art Institute of Chicago • 125