Today, I toured with 6th-grade students in the My Masterpieces program. I focused on specific concepts within Cai’s work: science and art, construction/deconstruction/reconstruction, and permanence/impermanence. I used observation strategies (close, deep- and slow-looking) to help students connect to the themes.
I began with an observation activity in the courtyard. After engaging with the students for about 5 minutes with information about Cai, museum etiquette, etc., I asked them to turn around (away from me) and list things they noticed about me. I gave them about 3 minutes, then had them turn back around and name some things on their lists. They were somewhat reluctant and named things like “you’re smart” and “you’re wearing glasses.” I asked, “What color are my eyes?” and they answered. Then, they felt comfortable naming things. (I had purposely dressed in ways that would be noticeable: different earrings, a blouse with bright colored birds, etc.). I finally explained that this type of activity is what we would be doing in the galleries. And we were off.
In Gallery 6 (pyramid, etc.), students explored the gallery independently. We gathered, and they shared what they noticed and their ideas. We looked at individual objects and shared questions and answers. They were pretty interested in the seismograph, which measured Cai’s body reactions. We discussed the convergence of art and science.
Then we proceeded to Palmyra, where they looked closely at the object for about a minute and then shared what they saw with the group. I asked them to “interpret” what they saw, what the story was, and what the artist/creator might be saying. Their responses were varied and interesting. I told them about Palmyra (Silk Road connection) and a brief history of the troubles. Showing them pictures of Palmyra before the latest destruction made them more interested in looking at the object to identify parts. We then discussed the theme of construction/deconstruction. At this point, we looked at the Return to Darkness video and the resultant object. This returned us to the theme of construction/deconstruction/reconstruction.
Our final stop was Shadow: Pray for Protection. At this object, I asked the students to look closely and slowly at the work and write down items that they saw. They worked for about 4 minutes. One student volunteered to share her list. As she named items, the others crossed those off their own lists. We did this until all the items they listed were named. I noted that the only item they didn’t name was the man! I then related the backstory to the event that inspired this work and gave some info about Cai’s educational journey. Again, we visited the themes, including permanence/impermanence.
The activity ended with a short discussion about Cai’s work and the Getty’s interest in studying it. With about 2 minutes left, they explored the first two galleries briefly on their own.
Reflection (what would you do differently?):
I don’t think I would do anything differently. Narrowing down the objects I wanted to cover and aligning them with my chosen themes helped keep the tour on time and within budget!
Also, I think the “get acquainted” activity at the beginning helped the students be more comfortable and ready to enjoy the experience.
Comments & Suggestions:
I only toured the 10:00 hour.
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