Working at LACMA, I’ve met countless teachers at the museum. Often, they’re looking to expose their students to art, but require flexibility to shape the visit to best meet their students’ needs. Some bring their students to explore the exciting outdoor art installations that prompt them to ask, “What is art?” Others are interested in asking their students to consider the intention of artists or the message in an artwork through an analysis of scale or materials. We’ve learned that teachers are also interested in showing students how art can connect to their identities or experiences, helping them identify their own tastes and preferences, and guiding them towards the language they need to pull all of these ideas together clearly and with conviction.
LACMA’s new self-guided tour packets for K–12 students are a direct response to these needs. Consisting of individual activity sheets supported by a teacher’s overview, the packets give instructors and chaperones the flexibility to shape their own experience while supporting their students in self-directed object-centered and inquiry-based learning.
The first, the Art Walk Checklist, is a one-page scavenger hunt that asks students to look for familiar objects such as faces, food, furniture, or the perfect outfit. Each object is supported by a prompt to help direct looking, followed up with reflection questions to support students in articulating the clues they found to help them make their choice. This accessible worksheet requires no art experience and can be used anywhere on campus.
I Wonder About Large-Scale Art at LACMA consists of 11 one-page activities centered on some of LACMA’s most massive, eye-catching public artworks, like Levitated Mass, Metropolis II, and Feathered Changes. This is the only packet that features specific artworks and guides students through the process of close-looking (“I see”), visual analysis (“I think”), and establishing personal responses (“I wonder”). Teachers can plan their route ahead of time and choose to remain outdoors, or take their students into any of the galleries on LACMA’s campus.
A Sense-ational Search! cultivates self-awareness and critical thinking through prompts related to sight, scent, touch, sound, taste, and movement. The first page of each two-page activity explains how to use a particular sense to find a related work of art and provides opportunities for independent reflection. The second page includes pair-share and writing prompts to help students understand how the visual arts activate the senses for a more holistic approach to looking at and understanding any type of art.
Each set of activities is accompanied by a Teacher Overview packet that outlines curriculum standards, provides optional scripts and activities for pre-visit preparation and post-visit reflections, and shares additional engagement tips specific to the exercises in each packet. There is also a specific Self-Guided Pre-Visit Guide for Teachers with a glossary of art and museum terms, discussion tips, and instructions for booking a self-guided tour. All of these materials are accessible on LACMA’s website and can be printed ahead of time.
For those seeking a formal introduction to the museum, or for teachers who are not able to print materials ahead of time, you can also select a “Self-Guided Welcome” by a museum educator who will ensure that students feel welcome, explain museum guidelines, and provide a short orientation to the campus. This must be coordinated alongside the reservation and includes the option of receiving the printed materials of your choice upon completing check-in.
We are thrilled to share these materials with teachers, administrators, and caregivers who are looking for a more meaningful self-guided learning experience. These packets are perfect for groups of any size, can be adjusted for all ages and grade levels, and can easily fit into any time frame between 20 minutes and two hours.
You can preview these materials and learn more about booking your self-guided experience online. We look forward to welcoming you to LACMA!