Philadelphia Museum of Art - Education : Schools : Distance Learning

Distance Learning

Before, after, or even instead of a Museum tour, visit us from your classroom! The Museum's videoconferencing programs provide students and teachers with meaningful, interactive learning experiences, connecting the visual arts with all areas of classroom curricula. Videoconferencing lessons are a great way to bring the Museum's collections and special exhibitions into your classroom—as a stand-alone lesson or in conjunction with a Museum visit.

Cost

$110 per interaction (average time: 40–60 minutes)
$50 for lesson before or after Museum visit
For every 5 lessons that a school books during the school year, the 6th one is free.

Materials

Evaluation

Lesson Topics

Lessons are linked to national standards.

Lessons for Grades K–2

Lessons run up to 40 minutes, depending on your class time

Learning to Look
Students are shown how to develop visual perception skills and learn specific strategies for looking at and understanding works of art.
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Stories in Art
Sometimes when art speaks, you want to talk back. Students join the conversation and discover the wealth of stories art can tell as they explore paintings, decorative arts, and sculpture through a variety of structured looking, writing, and role-playing activities.
World of Art
Take a trip around the world with art as your guide. Students explore the art of several cultures as they journey through the Museum’s period rooms and galleries. Tell us the country you are studying, and we will make sure to visit a related gallery.

Lessons for Grades 3–12

Lessons run 40-60 minutes, depending on your class time

African American Artists
Students examine works by influential artists such as Horace Pippin, Henry Ossawa Tanner, and Elizabeth Catlett.
American Art: From Colony to Nation
Students explore early American life by examining and discussing paintings and furniture from George Washington’s day.
Art and Math
Students explore how artists from different eras and cultures used mathematical concepts in their art. The content of this lesson is adjusted to fit the grade level of each class. Possible topics include pattern, symmetry, one-point perspective, and number series.
Art of Asia
Students investigate and compare works of art from Asian countries, including India, China, and Japan.
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The Art of the Japanese Tea Ceremony
Students discover the customs, aesthetics, and philosophies associated with this centuries-old tradition.
Days of Knights
Students learn about the history, use, and aesthetics of armor from the Museum’s collection. This lesson includes a live demonstration with pieces of armor.
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Images of the Medieval Era
Students discover how art flourished in medieval Europe by studying a variety of artistic mediums that reveal clues about life in these times.
The Impressionist Era
Students are introduced to this intriguing art movement, and explore the impact of artists such as Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Edgar Degas, Mary Cassatt, and Claude Monet on Parisian society at the turn of the nineteenth century.
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Learning to Look
Students are shown how to develop visual perception skills and learn specific strategies for looking at and understanding works of art.
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Modern and Contemporary Art
- Modern and Contemporary Art: A Survey
  Students investigate the changing role of artists, their methods, and conceptual approaches in European and American societies.
- Modern Contemporary Art: 1890–1920
  Students will investigate the origins of modern art in the context of the industrialized Europe of the late 20th and early 21st centuries. We will be looking at major artists and movements in the time leading up to, during and post World War One. Artists discussed may include: Paul Cezanne, Pablo Picasso, Fernand Leger, and Marcel Duchamp.
- Modern Contemporary Art: 1920–1945
  Students will follow the development of modern art and how artists were changed and shaped by their society and the events happening around them. This lesson will introduce students to artists who look both inward and outward for their inspiration during the time between the World Wars. Artists and movements discussed may include: Salvador Dali, Paul Klee, Diego Rivera, and Georgia O’Keeffe.
- Modern and Contemporary Art: 1945–1970
  In this lesson, students will follow the development of modern art during the decades following World War Two. This was a time of great political, economic, and social change and the art discussed in this lesson was created as a direct response to that change. Artists discussed may include: Jackson Pollock, Mark Rothko, Robert Rauschenberg, Andy Warhol, and Alice Neel.
Photography
Students view traditional photographs from the Museum’s collection and explore the ways in which artists use this medium to record and alter our perception of the world around us.
The Art of Spanish and Mexican Artists
This lesson introduces students to the art of Pablo Picasso, Salvador Dalí, Diego Rivera, and others whose works reflect the rich cultures of Spain and Mexico.
Special Exhibitions
Each year, the Distance Learning Program offers new lessons in conjunction with select Museum exhibitions. Information regarding these lessons will be posted as it becomes available.
- Picasso and the Avant-Garde in Paris – This lesson (starting March 8, 2010) is offered in conjunction with the Museum’s special exhibition Picasso and the Avant-Garde in Paris.
Women Artists
Students are introduced to a broad range of works by influential women artists such as Mary Cassatt, Georgia O’Keeffe, Faith Ringgold, and Graciela Iturbide.

Pre- and Post-Visit Lessons

Expand the impact of your students’ visit by taking part in a pre- or post-visit videoconferencing lesson. Schedule your visit and then book a companion lesson(s) to introduce or review what your students will see and do at the Museum.

Cost: $50 per lesson in addition to your Museum lesson fee.

Teacher Programs

Attend a Museum workshop without leaving your school. Programs include:

Introductory Demonstration (30 minutes)
Do you want to learn more about how the Museum’s videoconferencing programs can support and enrich learning in your classroom? During this free demonstration, Museum educators demonstrate a variety of ways that videoconferencing can extend student learning.
Cost: Free
Learning to Look: 20 Works of Art Across Time and Cultures (1 1⁄2 hours)
This in-service workshop introduces art from around the world as a resource for classroom learning through four themes: stories, people, things we use, and nature. The images and resources explored help teachers (K–12) motivate students to identify shapes, lines, colors, and patterns; learn new vocabulary; decode symbols; understand narrative elements and structures; formulate hypotheses; find and organize supporting evidence; tolerate and respect unfamiliar perspectives and opposing opinions; and apply mathematical concepts to real-life situations. Up to ten kits are provided with each workshop.
Cost: $200
Using the Visual Arts to Teach Math and Language-Arts Skills (1 1⁄2 hours)
Works of art provide a rich ground for students to practice verbal and written language skills and math processes. Museum educators and teachers (K–12) explore writing and language exercises and math connections using images from the Museum's teaching poster sets. Poster sets can be purchased online or over the phone from the Museum Store.
Cost: $150

Technical Requirements

You must have an IP- or ISDN-based videoconferencing system to participate. The Museum’s systems are compatible with most other videoconferencing systems, and are able to connect at up to 384 kbps.

Inclement Weather Policy

In the event of extreme weather conditions, there is a possibility that your lesson may be postponed. Should this situation arise, the Museum will make every effort to give advance notice.

Videotaping Policy

If you wish to videotape any portion of your lesson, permission from the Distance Learning Staff is required in advance. Please contact the office for further details.