National Gallery of Art :: Education :: Teachers :: School Tours :: Mythology

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Mythology

Grades 4–8

Which significant episode or moment in a mythological story did an artist choose to depict, and why? This tour unravels Greek and Roman myths, which artists through the ages have depicted with great drama and imagination.

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

  • making and articulating careful observations
  • formulating questions that demonstrate curiosity and engagement
  • exploring multiple viewpoints of the artist, the characters/protagonists, the audience (then and now)
  • comparing and contrasting different visual representations of myths
  • reasoning with evidence from the artworks themselves
  • connecting new ideas discussed on the tour to prior knowledge of myths, mythology, and personal experience

 

EXAMPLE WORKS FEATURED ON TOUR

  • Example works featured on the Mythology school tour http://media.nga.gov/public/objects/5/1/0/9/5/51095-primary-0-740x560.jpg

    Claude Lorrain, The Judgment of Paris, 1645/1646

    Learn more about this artwork
  • Example works featured on the Mythology school tour http://media.nga.gov/public/objects/4/1/6/9/3/41693-primary-0-740x560.jpg

    Giovanni Battista Tiepolo, Apollo Pursuing Daphne, c. 1755/1760

    Learn more about this artwork
  • Example works featured on the Mythology school tour http://media.nga.gov/public/objects/7/1/3/4/9/71349-primary-0-740x560.jpg

    Sir Peter Paul Rubens, The Fall of Phaeton, c. 1604/1605, probably reworked c. 1606/1608

    Learn more about this artwork
  • Example works featured on the Mythology school tour http://media.nga.gov/public/objects/4/6/5/3/1/46531-primary-0-740x560.jpg

    Odilon Redon, Pandora, 1910/1912

    Learn more about this artwork

LOGISTICAL INFORMATION

Group Size: Up to 60 students
Length: 60 minutes for grade 4, 75 minutes for grades 5–8
Meeting Location: West Building, Rotunda, Main Floor

ADDITIONAL GALLERY RESOURCES

 

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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