Art museums can inspire children’s creativity, as well as teach about the arts. Many children may not have the opportunity to visit museums and schools may not have resources for trips to the museums. One way is by using technical resources to take children on virtual tours of museums.
Explore the websites listed below:
Art Museum of Chicago – http://www.artic.edu/
Metropolitan Museum of Art- http://www.metmuseum.org/
Museum of Modern Art- http://www.moma.org/
National Gallery of Art- http://www.nga.gov/content/ngaweb.html
Philadelphia Museum of Art – http://www.philamuseum.org/
Smithsonian American Museum of Art – http://americanart.si.edu/
Next, prepare a written evaluation of at least three websites. Address the following questions for each site in your evaluation.
1. What child-friendly content or resources are available on this site (e.g. virtual tours, online activities, etc.)?
2. What resources are available for teachers (e.g. lesson plans)?
3. What resources are available for families (e.g. at home activities)?
4. How easy is the site to navigate?
5. To what extent does this site provide information or resources that are creative and child friendly?
6. What are some other ways that you, as a teacher, would use this site to enhance children’s art experiences in your classroom?
