National Gallery of Art :: Education :: Teachers :: School Tours :: Every Picture Tells a Story

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Every Picture Tells a Story

Grades 3–12

Paintings are more than just pictures in a frame—they are unfolding stories with multiple perspectives. In this tour, learn to "read" works of art by identifying characters, setting, and plot, and by creating dialogue.

LOOKING AND LEARNING SKILLS

During four or five tour stops in the galleries, students engage in activities—such as looking exercises, small group work, and sketching—that foster conversations about works of art. The following skills are promoted:

  • making and articulating careful observations
  • formulating questions that demonstrate curiosity and engagement
  • examining paintings from the perspectives of peers, the artists, and the people in the paintings
  • comparing and connecting different paintings
  • reasoning with evidence from the artworks themselves—developing narratives based on what's seen in the work of art
  • connecting new ideas learned from the tour to prior knowledge and experience

 

EXAMPLE WORKS FEATURED ON TOUR

  • Example works featured on the Every Picture Tells a Story school tour http://media.nga.gov/public/objects/6/5/8/9/8/65898-primary-0-740x560.jpg

    Ludolf Backhuysen, Ships in Distress off a Rocky Coast, 1667

    Learn more about this artwork
  • Example works featured on the Every Picture Tells a Story school tour http://media.nga.gov/public/objects/4/6/5/5/8/46558-primary-0-740x560.jpg

    George Bellows, The Lone Tenement, 1909

    Learn more about this artwork
  • Example works featured on the Every Picture Tells a Story school tour http://media.nga.gov/public/objects/4/3/6/2/4/43624-primary-0-740x560.jpg

    Edouard Manet, The Railway, 1873

    Learn more about this artwork
  • Example works featured on the Every Picture Tells a Story school tour http://media.nga.gov/public/objects/4/6/4/3/4/46434-primary-0-740x560.jpg

    Orazio Gentileschi, The Lute Player, c. 1612/1620

    Learn more about this artwork

LOGISTICAL INFORMATION

Group Size: Up to 75 students
Length: 60 minutes for grades 3–4, 75 minutes for grades 5–12
Meeting Location: West Building, Rotunda, Main Floor

ADDITIONAL GALLERY RESOURCES

Download poster
Download

Art in the Classroom Poster for Manet's The Railway
(PDF 522kb)

This file is in PDF format and requires Adobe Reader.

Schedule a Tour

Note: We are no longer accepting tour requests for spring 2013. We will begin accepting fall 2013 requests on August 1.

Pre-Visit Information

Watch a video or download a presentation to show your students prior to your visit. View our museum policies, location, parking, accessiblity, security, lunch options, and other important information about visiting.

Questions

Our tour scheduler is available to answer questions on Monday through Wednesday between 2:30 and 4:30 p.m. (September through May). Please contact her at (202) 842-6249 schooltourrequests@nga.gov.

Also see our Frequently Asked Questions about School Tours.

Feedback

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