At the end of January, 1st grade students went on a field trip to the National Gallery of Art. This field trip (along with our field trips to Huntley Meadows) supports our curriculum focus on developing close observation skills and appreciating the natural world. The theme of the visit was “nature in art.” The children were split up into small groups and led on a guided tour, visiting four landscapes in different galleries throughout the museum.

The docents taught the students how to look at art: first, we stood back and quietly looked at the painting for a full minute before sharing what we noticed, and then we walked closer to notice the small details throughout the landscape. We practiced identifying the foreground, background, and horizon in each painting. We learned that some of the painters were able to paint outside, while others sketched first and then painted their landscapes later.

Throughout the visit, the children got hands-on experiences to deepen their learning: everyone had the opportunity to sit in front of a painting and do their own landscape sketching. Students also got the chance to stand by a seascape and create a “soundtrack” for the painting—some children voiced the thunder, some were the wind, some were the waves, and some were the people calling for help from the boat.

We will return in the spring to the East Wing to look at modern art and practice our “art investigator” skills!