This resource pairs visual and written primary resources. The works of art with have been chosen from the American Art collection at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts. The written selections include poems, speeches, and other historical documents.
Combining images with words provides students with multiple learning pathways for explorations of art, history, and language.

Artists across all times and places take advantage of local materials and resources to craft their work. At the same time, the local habitat influences and inspires artistic decisions. Broken into six thematic lenses, this collection of objects lets students use art to expand their own thinking about the complex relationship humans have with the natural world. What ideas about humanity, habitat, and creativity do these objects spark for them?

A focus object is featured for each thematic lens and is followed by other objects for extended thinking and consideration. As students investigate, encourage them to document their thinking by using the prompts and strategies provided.

Engage with Global Arts and Cultural Connections using Interactive Digital Experiences. Interactive digital arts and cultural experiences allow students to examine and explore a variety of artistic and cultural perspectives on art, artmaking, and art exhibition. Virtual exhibitions from around the world can be explored on museum websites as virtual tours and virtual galleries.

Who were the ancient Egyptians? Explore objects from ancient Egypt to discover how the Egyptians lived and what they believed in this Interactive Exploration featuring works of art from the VMFA's collection.

This resource consists of background information on Egyptian geography and climate, Egyptian life and society, role of the pharaoh, the purposes of ancient art, the role of scribes, hieroglyphics, the afterlife and mummification, Nubia (Egypt's southern neighbor), comparisons/contrasts to art from other parts of Africa, and a discussion on the legacy of Egyptian art (Egyptomania).

Woven throughout the informational narrative are several different types of looking, thinking and learning activities, all of which call on students' observation and critical thinking skills as they closely examine selected art and artifacts. Reflection questions that encourage deep thinking are featured, along with clickable popups on images that further explain Egyptian art and society. Activities like "Look At This," "What's the Story," "Be the Scribe," will bring student engagement, reflection, and critical and creative thinking to any ancient Egypt lesson!

This resource presents a variety of digital resources hosted by Virginia Museum of Fine Arts that students can use to explore the life and work of renowned African-American photographer Louis Draper.  

When world events suddenly shift our perspective and present overwhelming concerns, thinking like an artist can offer a way to creatively reflect on and process our days. Use the art, videos, and ideas in this lesson concept to help students explore ways to visually articulate their experiences by considering the colors, objects, and materials they encounter throughout their days.

Who were the Ancient Greeks? Explore more about the Ancient Greeks and what they valued as a society in this Interactive Exploration.

This resource consists of two different types of looking, thinking and learning activities. These activities call on students' observation and critical thinking skills as they closely examine selected objects from Ancient Greece. The activities explore the themes of mythology, religion, sport, and trade.

The "Look at This" activities provide close-up views with guiding questions and background information. Students will learn more about what the ancient Greeks valued as a society.

The "Surprise Me" activities offer pop-up hot spots on selected objects to reveal intriguing information about Greek religion, gods, goddesses, trade, sport and mythology. Students will investigate how these objects relate to Greek religion and human need for protection from harm and healing from disease and injury.

Art objects made and used in the past can offer clues to the ideas and attitudes that may have been prevalent at the time of their creation. Spending time to thoughtfully examine and explain their own ideas about such an object encourages students to become curious and open lines of inquiry about historical context. This interactive exercise guides students as they document their thinking about an 18th century American artwork.

This activity activates prior knowledge while developing insight into historical perspectives. Use this activity to help students broaden their horizons and explore diverse ideas.

What does leadership look like? Explore VMFA’s African Art collection to see how different cultures define and visualize the qualities of a leader. This resource brings together selected works from VMFA’s collections that relate to the theme of Leadership in African Art. Suggested inquiry-based activities are paired with each object and can be used in the galleries or classroom to promote discovery, critical thinking, and authentic engagement with art.

Students practice engaging with art, making meaning from that interaction, and considering how art can connect us to people and ideas across time and place. Use this before a museum visit to set the stage for a rich in-gallery experience that is inquiry-based.

Structure this simple activity in a way that makes sense for your class. Make a game of it, use written responses to augment discussion, frame it in the lens of your academic discipline, etc.

This simple, scaffolded discussion activity fosters creative and critical thinking and communication skills. Citizenship skills are encouraged as well: making personal connections with art, students are invited to extending these ideas by considering the common and divergent values of the whole group.

Explore objects from Ancient Rome and discover how Romans portrayed themselves and wished to be remembered. This student-facing resource includes text, images, maps, as well as interactive exercises that call invite students to closely examine authentic objects from Ancient Rome.

The first three activities provide close-up views with guiding questions and background information. What will you learn about the connections between power, status, citizenship, and images in ancient Rome? How do these objects relate to identity and how people are portrayed or remembered? Who is represented and who is not?

The next three investigations offer pop-up hot spots on selected objects to reveal intriguing information about Roman culture, gods, goddesses, and mythology.

How do these objects relate to what the Romans thought was important?

Why look at art? Art is one way humans communicate ideas to one another. Sifting through the information art presents takes careful and purposeful looking. Virginia Museum of Fine Arts has a resource that can foster close-looking and thoughtful analysis of artworks from any period or culture. Use this resource (see link) to practice looking at art before a visit to the art museum or to document thinking about art as a primary source of insight into a culture or time period. Included in this resource are: a) Works of art from the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts and a link to find more.b) Simple framework and prompts to help students document their analysis and thinking. c) Discussion prompts.  

In this Thematic Exploration, students will explore the different ways artists represent individuals in portraits. They will learn to gather clues about the time period in which the portrait was created, the lives of the subjects, and the thoughts of the artists.

Using portraits from the VMFA's collection, students will explore the Who, What, When, Where, and Why of portraiture. Guiding questions are woven throughout the activity, alongside a close examination of seven different portraits from a variety of different eras and cultures. Students are encouraged to observe, interpret, analyze, and reflect thoughtfully in each step. This activity also includes summative reflection questions to wrap up the conversation, as well as an optional "Create Your Own Portrait" activity.

Use this resource to help students explore the human experience across time and place, give voice to diverse perspectives found in art, and collaboratively reimagine a museum that presents a new story centered around our shared human interactions.