Beginning the tour in Gallery 5 works well for younger students because they enjoy the art/science discussion. It was apparent that the students had done pre-visit work, which helped to further their understanding. The second group was more engaged and responsive to the discussions. For Canvas on the Moon I used the pair-share strategy to have them imagine where they were and note what they saw, heard, felt, and smelled. The groups then shared out their thoughts and revealed where the imagined they were.

I need to rethink pen-to-paper activities (drawing etc) in the galleries. Since the students are doing wonderful art activities upstairs, I am not sure that these types of activities are beneficial in this instance.

I would like clarification on whether Lonnie will continue doing the introduction, norms, etc., with the students. If so, I will not have to do that part of the tour, and the time will be added back to the actual tour. Also, can thought be given to allowing the first tour to begin before taking the students upstairs for artmaking?

I started at the gallery next to the gift shop, then went to AI room and moved to the 1st gallery. Although we backtrack the gallery, it works better instead of going to clockwise all the way.
Before going to the gallery, we did a sketching of “The Canvas On the Moon”, and compare their artwork with Cai’s version. I told one student to use ChatGPT to create “The Canvas On the Moon”.

I am not good to tour this grade students, but group discussions worked.

This school did not know that the museum is now showing Cai’s works, and requested docents to incorporate Silk Road into our tour. I was able to connect some of Cai’s works to Asian traditions (Oracle bones to Cai’s “Rubbing of Archean Era” ; Mandala to Cai’s “Return to Darkness” in Gallery 2; Dragons to Cai’s “Drawing for Ascending Dragon” ). We may need to come up more with these connections and create touring aids.

Review of Chinese beliefs in unseen/evil forces while still at the courtyard. Then I introduced fireworks as another way to protect against unseen forces. 
Gunpowder as a source of beauty. 
Identifying details of the Nagasaki painting. 
I showed them videos of some of Cai’s firework installations (recorded with my iPad from the Sky Ladder documentary). I found that the kids were more engaged with them than with the videos displayed in the gallery. I connected the video of the Sky Ladder project with his dream of connecting with unseen forces or entities (i.e. extraterrestrials).

With the first group I asked them to draw how they would represent our world to extraterrestrial. There were no “buyers”. With the second group I just handed them the PAM booklet with instructions for them to do it at home if they wished. Maybe we could talk to their teacher and suggest that he/she give “extra credit” to those who complete it.
I found the Palmyra painting and it’s background too complicated to explain to this age group.

I wish the mandala video would be earlier in the tour as it helps to explain the process and we can see the outcome. I guess it’s a trial and error process.

Pre-tour planning. The three of us agreed via email about where we would start (zone 1, 2 or 3) and confirmed that we would proceed counter-clockwise. We also confirmed that we would divide our time equally between the 3 zones. I set the timer on my watch to be mindful of spending 1/3 of my time in each zone.
For zone 2 (substrates room), dividing them into groups and then passing out a substrate to each group with instructions to find the works using their particular substrate. Then, each group told the rest of us about the works that they identified.
For zone 3, walking through the rooms all the way to the mandela explosion. Then, letting them choose what would room in zone 3 we would go to next.

To the extent possible, try to equalize the numbers that start upstairs and start downstairs and try to equalize the numbers in each tour group. This is difficult because the students try to move to the group with their friends.

This was my first tour of the Cai exhibition, but the students were great. I tries out an activity in which the students write or draw everything that they are thinking about at that moment. The idea is to give them a sense of Cai’s documentation of his constant ideas, plans, results in his notebooks and on his work.
The 6th graders thought it was fun, and eagerly participated. But the most common thought was how hungry they were!

I bypassed the permanent collection gallery during my second tour due to time constraints. I won’t do that again because the oracle bones were of great interest, and they can introduce Cai’s philosophy the the material and immaterial worlds are one.

Our in-gallery security staff are very attuned to the student tours, and the attitudes/engagement of the kids (one is a substitute teacher). They had some very perceptive comments, and largely think we are all doing a great job.

In preparation for understanding AI:
I let students carry a small clipboard and on that jot answers to questions like:
If you could ask Cai a question, what would you ask?
What are some of the different substraits Cai used?
(One question answer per gallery)
When we got to the Hercules gallery, I asked them to draw something: favorite animal, favorite sport, etc. etc. After a discussion of AI, I asked them what would I get if I fed all their drawings and words into a computer. I explained AI Cai and then told them we would get to see what happened when Cai did this. They were excited to see and entered the AI room with a “Wow!”
For group 2 I did a calming breathing exercise before beginning the tour which worked well to ground them.

Reflection: Be more conscious of time in each gallery.

Everyone needs to be conscious of the time limit in each gallery to avoid bottle necks.

After noticing a different energy level in previous tours after the first groups were finished touring or art-making upstairs, I decided to engage my group with a brief relaxation activity (based on Qigong principles). Eiko decided that she would join us. The students seemed to enjoy this, and my group was noticeably more settled and attentive. Both groups were engaged and open to discussion. I found that engaging them in “wondering” about objects prompted them to open up and ask some interesting and curious questions. They enjoyed discussing the connections between art and science.

I was delighted with both of the tours.

I would encourage others to take a few minutes before the second tour to settle the students (perhaps a stroll around the garden, breathing exercises, or walking to the parking lot to view the mural). 
Can we know what the art activity will be before the day of the tour? Someone could introduce an activity that is very similar to what the artist will be doing, thereby missing an opportunity to do something different.

“The Return to Darkness” video and artwork are always the hit. When I took them to PAM Collection room, one student immediately pointed out that “Cloisonne Mandala” is what Cai made for “The Return to Darkness”.
Before taking students to AI room, students draw their version of “The Canvas On The Moon”. After finish drawing I took them to show Cai’s version of “The Canvas On The Moon” and ask the differences between their drawing and Cai’s artwork. After they identify the difference, I told them that “the different parts of your drawing is your creativity”. I did the same drawing yesterday, and one student was hesitant to show her drawing, but when I explain that difference is your creativity, she proudly showed her drawing to us (cute!).

Students truly enjoy seeing Cai’s artworks. They all truly feel something. Sometime students struggle to express because they cannot find the right words to express their feelings (their feeling surpass their vocabulary). Such a joy to see them working hard to come up with the right words.

Students had already learned about Cai (the arts made with gun powder). I showed Mandala in the PAM collection room telling them that we will see the Mandala art created by Cai. I showed the video “Return to darkness” located in the gallery next to the gift shop, students were mesmerized by it, and when I explain the art next to the video is the art showed in the video, they wowed and commented that it is beautiful.

Every time I give tour, I learn more about Cai’s works through students.

The tour worked out very well. The sturensts had learned a bit about Cai’s works at shcool, so we jumped into disucussions of his works in the gallies right away, They were so responsive and eager to particiapate in all the works we saw in the gallery, there was not a dull moment from beginning to end. I explained about uracle bone to them, and they made the connections to arts produced by fireworks. Every student participated in the discussions.

If I have a group of students who are so engaged and interested in sharing their thoughts on what they saw on the wall like this group, I would rather have the conversations with them about art works than having them doing drawings, etc.