School Tours: Mythology
Grades 4–8
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Which dramatic moment in a mythological story did an artist choose to depict, and why? This tour unravels Greek and Roman myths, which have been imaginatively and dramatically portrayed by artists through the ages. Students explore representations of character, plot, and setting as well as underlying messages that the artist was conveying.
Looking and Learning Skills
During four or five tour stops, 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
Group Size: Up to 45 students
Length: 60 minutes for grades 4 and 5, 75 minutes for grades 6–8
Meeting Location: West Building, Rotunda, Main Floor
Museum policies
Student lunches
General information
- Art and Greco-Roman Origin Myths (online interactive unit)
- Inquiring Eye: Classical Mythology in European Art (teaching packet)
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