Today, I toured the exhibition with five 2nd-grade students (Ss), one of whom had special needs. After introductions, we began with an observation task. Then we proceeded to the Wetlands gallery. I asked (Ss) to share what they knew about butterflies. They shared information like butterflies are pretty, they are good for nature, etc., but eventually they moved on to the butterfly life cycle. We also discussed the transformation process (Transformers), which they were familiar with from TV. Next, in pairs, I asked Ss to examine one of the kites above them and note what they observed. They worked on the floor (sitting/lying) and were completely engaged. At this point, the father of the student with special needs decided she was not going to be able to continue and left. We regathered and discussed what they had discovered and the questions they had. Eventually, I explained the kites, what they represented, and the figures on them. We discussed the Qing Ming festival and likened it to Day of the Dead. Since the Ss were familiar with Day of the Dead, its purpose, etc., they began to identify the people on the kites and their roles in the artwork, parents, uncles/aunts, etc.
Next, we proceeded to Kitsune. Discussed shapeshifters. I told a story of a man meeting an old man on the road who was a Kitsune (avoided the lady Kitsune) and the consequences. Discussed the fact that many cultures have stories such as these to teach lessons, etc.
At the Golden Toad, one S read the “Uncle Speaks” and talked about “Enough is Enough”. Can you ever have enough? We then examined the toad closely and verified that it did, indeed, have three legs. We then, each in turn, pulled the handle and were rewarded with a coin. Finally, I asked them what they thought was the most valuable thing in the room. They walked around a bit, looking at the few objects. One S said, “Well, there is just a bunch of us!” That was when they got the connection! Each of them was valuable.
On the way to the FengHuang, they were sidetracked by the Apartment. They were especially intrigued by the food on the table. Then they looked for items in the apartment that differed from those they had at home (phone, TV, etc.). One student commented that it “looked like the 80s.”
Passing through FengHuang, one girl commented that it was a phoenix or a firebird. I responded that it was like a phoenix, but in this culture, it was actually different. The comment that the Feng Huang doesn’t rise from the ashes prompted the response that the sculpture appears to have fire rising from beneath the figure, giving it a fire-like appearance. I couldn’t argue with that assessment.
Finally, to the Storefront, where, after a bit of exploring, we focused on the Daruma. We talked about the purpose of the Daruma and goal setting, and I brought a Daruma from home for them to examine. I had also made origami Darumas that they could design with eyes, etc. They thought of a goal, wrote it on the back, filled in the left eye, and took the Daruma with them.
Overall, a good tour. There was only 1 tour today because of the low number of students. Having small groups and only three docents works well in the museum configuration. The Ss were well behaved, engaged, confident, and eager to learn.
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