Post on 13-Jan-2022
SmithsonianNational Museum of African Art
Fall 2012–Summer 2013School programs
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Museum InfoNational Museum of African Art950 Independence Avenue sw
Washington, d.c. 20560-0708
Smithsonian InstitutionNational Museum of African Artp.o. Box 37012 mrc 0708Washington, d.c. 20013-7012
10 a.m.–5:30 p.m. daily, closed December 25Free admission
202.633.4600202. 357.4879 Fax202.633.0030 Museum Store
Buses may drop off and pick up groups on Independence Avenue or on JeffersonDrive between the Smithsonian InstitutionBuilding (known as the Castle) and theArts and Industries Building. Due to limited parking, Metrorail is a good transportation option; take the Blue or Orange Line to the Smithsonian Station.
The museum is fully accessible. Parking forthe disabled is available on Jefferson Drivenear the Freer Gallery of Art and theSmithsonian Institution Building. Amplifi-cation headsets are available at the infor-mation desk. Sign language, oral andcued-speech interpreters are available bycalling 202.633.4633, at least two weeks be-fore your visit.
The museum does not have a restaurant or a place to store bag lunches. For information about food services at theSmithsonian Institution, inquire at the Information Desk or call 202.633.1000.
Contents
Museum Resources 2
Classroom Resources 9
Teacher Resources 10
Online Resources 10
Scheduling Programs 11
Map of Africa 12
Classroom Poster centerfoldRegistration Form inside
back cover
africa.si.edu
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. . . a child’s first inspiration
through the arts can be a
life-changing experience. . . .
Learning through the arts
reinforces critical academic
skills in reading, language
arts and math and provides
students with the skills to
creatively solve problems.
First Lady Michelle Obama
May 2009
This year follow us onTwitterand Facebook!
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You cannot fully understand your own life with-
out knowing and thinking beyond your life, your
own neighborhood, and even your own nation.
Johnnetta B. Cole, Director
National Museum of African Art
The arts are a universal language. At the National Museum of African art, oureducators create opportunities for students to engage with and learn throughart and the world of ideas, experiences, and emotions it represents. We echothe President’s Committee on the Arts and Humanities in advocating for thearts to “be part of the education of every child in America. The power of thearts and humanities to foster creativity in developing minds, to engage andmotivate students in school, and to prepare all children for productive futuresis essential for the future of the nation’s cultural and economic life.”
Research has shown that children whose imaginations are stirred by thearts are more fully engaged in school. The arts energize students to improvethose problem-solving and critical-thinking skills that reinforce their develop-ing proficiency in reading, writing, science, history, social studies, and math.Our programs offer them exciting opportunities to encounter the arts throughdiscovery, creation, and experimentation.
Inspiring stories await you at the National Museum of African Art. Discoverearly cultural expressions rooted in our collection that spans six centuriesfrom ancient Mali and Nigeria to present-day Africa. Interact with modernartists who chronicle the contemporary world and our place in it. We not onlyoffer hands-on and interactive activities in our programs, but we are also hereto help teachers meet national education standards of learning and fosterthemes of diversity and commonality across cultures and continents.
Each year thousands of students participate in exciting educational pro-grams in our museum, on our website, and in their classrooms. Our SchoolPrograms 2012–13 is a summary of museum resources, activities, and newmedia opportunities that provide useful information and ideas for engagingstudents. Introduce your students to the richness and diversity of works of artin selected exhibitions and collections at the National Museum of African Art.Choose from an array of activities to make meaning and memories together!
Deborah Stokes
Curator for Education
K–12 and Teacher Programs
1The arts can take you places!
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Museum Resources
E x h i b i t i o n s
Connect the arts with science!African Cosmos: Stellar Arts
Through December 9, 2012
Explore the intersection of tradi-tional and contemporary Africanarts through African Cosmos: Stel-lar Arts. Learn about Africa's contri-butions to astronomy, and discoverAfrica in a whole new light!
Like musical instruments, stars,through their natural oscillations(vibrations), can be transformedinto audible sound waves. As-
tronomers detect them through thescience of asteroseismology. Theyartificially boost the sounds tobring them into human hearingrange, where they sound likeghostly whistling, drumming, hum-ming, or bells ringing, dependingon the speed of their vibration.
The educational programmingassociated with the exhibitionAfrican Cosmos: Stellar Arts is inpartnership with seven Smithsonianmuseums. A galaxy of pan-institu-tional activities is available online at http://africa.si.edu/exhibits/cosmos/education.html.
left to right
The Dark Matter
of Galaxy Cluster
1E 0657-56, known as
the “bullet cluster”
Gavin Jantjes
Untitled (detail)
1989–90
Acrylic on canvas
200 x 300 cm
(78 3/4 x 118 1/8 in.)
Purchased with funds
provided by
the Smithsonian
Collections Acquisi-
tion Program, 96-23-1
Join our Cosmos online community Blog: CosmosDiary http://africancosmosdiary.wordpress.com/
Twitter @africancosmos
Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/groups/africanstargazers/
Scan to hear the starChi Hydrae.
Classroom Lesson Plans: Astronomical ArtsWhat do art and science have incommon? Artists and scientistsare both keen observers of theworld around them. By using Astronomical Arts, teachers canengage their students in under-standing basic scientific princi-ples through the arts and meetobjectives in both subject areas.Each lesson plan includes anoverview with background infor-mation and objectives, an imple-mentation plan, activities withscience- and/or math-based art-making challenges, materials, keyterms, assessment guidelines,classroom discussion questions,pertinent national science and visual arts standards, and onlineand print resources for extendedexplorations. To download classroom lessonplans (pdf), visit http://africa.si.edu/exhibits/cosmos/education.html
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Reflect on Definitions of IdentityLalla Essaydi: Revisions Through February 24, 2013
Moroccan artist Lalla Essaydi re-frames stereotypical notions of cul-ture and gender by creating imagesthat call attention to the highlycomplex realities faced by Arabwomen. Many students with anaffinity for bicultural and/or mul-tiracial households in the UnitedStates can relate to Essaydi’s work.
Explore World Artsand CulturesWalt Disney–Tishman African ArtCollection HighlightsOngoing
Focus on questions of history anddifferent approaches to the human
ideal by consideringmessages of power
and status con-veyed throughform, gesture,and material.
Six activitiesfor use in the
classroom or at home, can be found at
http://africa.si.edu/exhibits/africanvision/athome.html
Imagine Form and FunctionAfrican Mosaic: Building a Museum Collection Ongoing
Learn about design and the formand function of objects in the per-manent collection by exploring theexhibition and drawing in thegallery with your students.
Lalla Essaydi
Converging
Territories #24
2004
Chromogenic print
mounted on aluminum
121.92 x 152.4 cm
(48 x 60 in.)
© Lalla Essaydi/
Courtesy Edwynn Houk
Gallery, New York
below, leftReliquary guardian
figure
Kota peoples, Gabon
Late 19th to early
20th century
Wood, copper alloys,
iron, bone
51 x 24 x 5 cm
(20 1/16 x 9 7/16 x
1 15/16 in.)
Gift of Walt Disney
World Co., a sub-
sidiary of The Walt
Disney Company, 2005-
6-105
rightSamuel Narth Nartey
Ga peoples, Ghana
Nokia cell phone
coffin
2007
Wood, paint, cloth
180.3 x 58.4 x 36.8 cm
(71 x 23 x 14 1/2 in.)
Anonymous donor,
2009-3-1
3The arts can take you places!
All schoolprogramsare FREEof charge!
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Teaching materials and resources,offered for many of the museum’smajor exhibitions, are designed tobroaden and deepen both teacherand student engagement with the arts. Intended for use by k–12teachers, these resources emphasizestudents’ active exploration of se-lected cultures and encourage on-going dialogues about the meaningof art in their lives.
Teaching materials and resourcesare available online at http://africa.si.edu/exhibits/resources.html.
Consult with the museum’s staffabout ways to include African art inyour curriculum. Contact DeborahStokes at 202.633.4632 or emailStokesD@si.edu.
Pre-registration is required for allschool programs. Please makereservations as far in advance of therequested date and time as possible.Programs are scheduled on a first-come, first-served basis. Our Febru-ary programs are especially popularduring Black History month.
If a group is late, the activity willbe modified to fit within the pro-gram time. Due to the large numberof program requests we receive during the school year, cancella-tions must be made one week priorby phone; call 202.633.4633.
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Jambo!10:30 a.m.
1 hour
Maximum 40 participants
Discover the National Museum ofAfrican Art with us! Bring your stu-dents to tour one of our exciting ex-hibitions and learn about uniquemuseum architecture. We’re under-ground! Examine objects and ideasthrough a variety of age-appropri-ate activities. Our guides use imagi-native strategies to help students
learn focused looking, and they tailor their tours to the needs of specific themes, grades, and ages.Touchable objects available uponrequest.
Please choose from our exhibi-tions listed on page 2, or for furtherinformation, visit our website atafrica.si.edu to prepare for yourclass trip.
To schedule a tour, call Frank Esposito at 202.633.4633. Confirma-tion of your tour reservation will beemailed to you along with relatededucational materials.
5The arts can take you places!
Select Fridays
November 2, 2012–May 24, 2013
D.C. public and charter schools thatneed transportation assistanceshould call 202.204.7751 for moredetailed information. The NationalMuseum of African Art is partneringwith Arts for Every Student Program(afes) through the D.C. Arts and Hu-manities Education Collaborative toprovide this service.
MusicSounds of Africa
10:30 a.m.
1 1/2 hours maximum
Maximum 25 participants
Elementary–Middle School
This engaging and interactive pro-gram introduces African culturethrough the distinct sounds, dy-namic beats, and polyrhythms ofAfrican music and percussion in-struments. Award-winning Ugan-dan musician and educator DanielSsuuna uses drums (long drum,
main drum/rhythm, big drum/beat),cordophones (bow lyre), idiophones(xylophone, shekere), and the lamel-lophone (mbira/thumb piano) todemonstrate musical sounds, pat-terns, repetitions, and rhythms. Students participate in a group performance with a variety of musi-cal instruments at the end of theprogram. Yes, it sounds great, andit’s fun!
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Image: visa stampsValid for Africa Book Club [emphasis on A, Band C]
valid for
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THIS PASSPORT BELONGS TO
passport
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List the books you’ve read!1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Language ArtsLet’s Read about Africa
10:30 a.m.
Maximum 40 participants
Elementary–Middle School
nmafa’s storytelling program isspecifically developed to reinforceearly literacy skills. Storytelling, likereading, relies on imagination. Withimagination comes the same activeparticipation a reader uses to un-derstand and embrace text. Facili-tated by acclaimed storyteller DianeMacklin—an inspired performerwho works in the African griot tra-dition as poet, praise singer, and
musician—stories jump, leap, andspring off the page.
Stories selected for Let’s Readabout Africa incorporate significantlife lessons, such as the importanceof honesty, kindness, and overcom-ing obstacles. Themes of diversityand commonality are at the heart ofall the stories we share. Each pageof the selected book is projected on a large screen to create a theater-style atmosphere in which eachchild can practice silent readingwhile viewing the outstanding bookillustrations during the performance.
6
Africa Book Club
Africa Book Club is designed to excite reading readiness while it underscores the contributions of diverse populations in an increasingly global world.
Materials include printed “passports” for each
student,
stickers to be awarded upon completion of assigned goals,
booklist, ideas for activities, andstrategies for incorporating rec-ommended books into classroomlesson plans, cross-disciplinaryconnections, and reading at homewith family,
storytelling podcasts (africa.si.edu/radio_africa/index.html),
including The Leopard’s Drum by JessicaSouhami (Francis Lincoln Ltd, 1995) as told by Johnnetta Betsch Cole.
Anansi the Spider: A Tale from the Ashanti by Gerald McDermott (Holt, Rinehart, and Winston, 1972) as told by Diane Macklin.
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A book for every student The teacher of each classroom that successfully completes the abc activities will receive books to distribute to students so they can start their own home library. A personalized bookplate for eachchild is included.
I wanted to share with you how
we used the Africa Book Club
passports that you gave to our
first graders. . . . [They] served
as the foundation of a home-
reading initiative. We had
great success and we owe you
a very big thank you for giving
us the idea and the tools to
get rolling!
Michelle Koerner
John Eaton Elementary
School
Johnnetta Betsch Cole
with young students at
Ideal Academy PCS
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Supported by
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Studio Art Workshops10:30 a.m. and 1 :30 p.m.
2 hours
Maximum 30 participants
Elementary–High School
Studio art workshops inspired by museum exhibitions and cus-tomized for school curricula areavailable to school groups duringthe week. Workshops introduce students to the historical origin and social significance of themes,including: Woven Treasures: Explore the
textile arts and cultures of AfricaChoose one: Asante Adinkra Stamped Cloth, Ghana Fon Story Cloth, Republic of Benin Yoruba Indigo-dyed Adire, Nigeria Kuba Grass Cloth, Democratic
Republic of the Congo Asante Kente Weaving, Ghana Senufo Korhogo Cloth, Côte d’Ivoire
The Art of African Masquerade Ndebele Dolls of
South Africa Beadwork of Africa The Healing Pots of
Southeast Nigeria African Cosmos and
the Egyptian ScarabTo request a workshop, contactDeborah Stokes at 202.633.4632 or email StokesD@si.edu.
Come Draw with Us!Date and time by
arrangement
2 hours
Maximum 25 participants
Middle School–High School
Draw inspiration from originalworks of art! Students sit in front of original works of art in the mu-seum’s galleries and explore line,form, and texture. They are encour-aged to experiment with individualdrawing styles and approaches. All materials are supplied.
To request a morning or after-noon session, contact DeborahStokes at 202.633.4632 or emailStokesD@si.edu.
Workshops by RequestAre you interested in scheduling a workshop for your active k–sixthgraders or group from home school?We can design a program to sup-port your specific teaching needs.
To request a workshop, contactDeborah Stokes at 202.633.4632 oremail StokesD@si.edu.
8
new!
new!
Back bypopular demand!
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Classroom Resources
Learn how our Education TeachingCollection can be part of your class-room. Our one-of-a-kind lending li-brary of objects provides uniquehands-on experiences. Contact Deb-orah Stokes at 202.633.4632 or emailStokesD@si.edu.
Learn how our education depart-ment reaches out to schools andcommunities beyond the museumwalls, across the country, and inter-nationally. Be a part of our team andexplore ways to involve your stu-dents in learning about the artswith other school communities.
Day and time by arrangement
One class only per program1 hour
Elementary–High School
Museum representatives travel toclassrooms, where they introducestudents to a variety of African arts(e.g., masks, dress, textiles) or focuson a single African country, such asMali, Ghana, and Nigeria. Studentshave a hands-on opportunity tohandle objects from the museum’steaching collection.
Please submit your request atleast one month in advance. Theprogram site must be within 20miles of the museum.
The arts can take you places!
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Members of the J.O. Wilson
Elementary School French
Club receive special
certificates
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Teacher Resources
Minimum 10 participants
Maximum 25 participants
The National Museum of AfricanArt offers a variety of teacher work-shops that can be customized tomeet staff development needs andschedules. All workshops can beadapted for local curricula. Work-shops include an introduction toAfrican art, hands-on activities, content experts, and lesson plans.
The participating organization is responsible for organizing andregistering teachers. To discussyour staff development needs, con-tact Deborah Stokes at 202.633.4632or email StokesD@si.edu.
Our museum store has award-winning children’s books, musical instruments, and other teachingaids to enhance learning in yourclassroom.
Online Resources
Elementary–High School
Learn about Africa! Curriculum resources developed for use in theclassroom are available at africa.si.edu/exhibits/resources.html.
Curriculum resource topics include: Mali Empire and Djenne Figures Portraits of Mali from the Eliot
Elisofon Photographic Archives Baga Drum, A Figurative Drum
from Côte d’Ivoire Ntan Drum, An Asante Drum
from Ghana Gavin Jantjes, A South African
Artist Grass Roots: African Origins
of an American Art Central Nigeria Unmasked:
Arts of the Benue River Valley African Cosmos:
Stellar Arts
10
Equestrian figure
(detail)
Inland Niger Delta
region, Mali
Possibly 13th to 15th
century
Terracotta
70.5 cm (27 1/2 in.”)
Museum purchase,
86-12-2
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11
Garth Erasmus
Untitled
1996
Acrylic and crayon on
paper
29.5 x 21.0 cm (11 5/8 x
8 1/4 in.)
Gift of Lee Lorenz in
memory of Philip L.
Ravenhill, 97-23-2
dvd and videotapes in vhs formatare available for loans of up to threeweeks throughout the year. Pleaseallow two weeks for delivery andlimit your request to two items. You are responsible for paying the return postage. For information and to request a video, go to africa.si.edu/exhibits/resources.html.
Scheduling a ProgramPrograms are scheduled on a first-come, first-served basis. The mu-seum sends written confirmation ofyour program, which serves as yourofficial registration.
To schedule a program register online at
africa.si.edu/exhibits/form.html
complete the registration formand fax it to Scheduler at202.357.4879
ChaperonesOne adult chaperone (over 21 yearsold) must accompany every 15 highschool students and every 10 stu-dents in elementary through juniorhigh school. Failure to provide suffi-cient chaperones or to maintainorder may result in the group beingasked to leave the museum.
Upon ArrivalPresent your confirmation slip tothe staff member at the InformationDesk. It is your proof of a scheduledtour or workshop. Your guide willmeet your group at the InformationDesk.
CancellationsIf you need to cancel your program,please notify the museum as soonas possible. Cancellations must bemade by phone no less than oneweek prior to your scheduled program; call 202.633.4633 or202.633.4632.
The arts can take you places!
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EQUATOR
I n d i a n O c e a n
Cabinda(Angola)
Sãn Tomé and Principe
Niger
Mauritania
Mali
Nigeria
Namibia
Libya
Chad
South Africa
Angola
Algeria
Botswana
Gabon
CentralAfrican Republic
Tunisia
Morocco
Togo
BeninGhana
Côte D'ivoire
Liberia
Sierra Leone
BurkinaThe Gambia
Cameroon
Congo
Equatorial Guinea
WesternSahara
Senegal
Guinea-Bissau Guinea
DemocraticRepublic ofthe Congo
BissagosIsland
Cape Verde
Canary Islands
(Spain)
Faso
Madagascar
Eritrea
Djibouti
Kenya
Ethiopia
Sudan
Egypt
Somalia
Tanzania
Zambia
Uganda
Swaziland
Lesotho
Malawi
Burundi
Rwanda
Zimbabwe
The Comoros
Réunion (France)
Mauritius
Seychelles
Mozambique
A t l a n t i c O c e a n
South
Sudan
Contemporary Africa
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Department of Education
Registration Form
Online: africa.si.edu/exhibits/form.htmlFax: 202.357.4879Phone: 202.633.4633
contact name
school or organization
street
city
county state zip
school/organization phone
home phone
number in group grade level
m t w th f date time
m t w th f date time
dates that are not possible
do you need an interpreter for a deaf
or hard-of-hearing audience?
SmithsonianNational Museum of African Art
Please duplicate this form for multiple requests. Programs are scheduled on a first-come, first-served basis. You are not registered until you receive a confirmation of your request from the museum.
tour/program/outreach or video
loan you are requesting
please let us know about
any accessibility concerns
for your group.
what aspect of africa are
you currently studying?
If requested times and/or dates are not
available, may we schedule your program
for the earliest possible date?
2nd choice
day requested
1st choice
day requested
yes
no
yes
no
educ prog brochure 2012 printfile_cc_Layout 1 9/18/12 2:58 PM Page 15
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Learning to LookTeachersStudies have determined that visitors spend an average of 30seconds viewing a work of art in a museum.
Instruct your students, either individually or in a group, to viewthis work of art for 30 seconds, and then put it aside. Ask themto think about the following questions. How would you describe the object? What is it? Consider the shape,
material, size, abstract designs and/or human features.
When do you think it was made? Why?
How do you think it was used? Why?
After a quick view and discussion, show your students the poster again. Discuss what they may have missed by guiding them through a longer, more focused examination.
Show your students the photograph of Bedu masqueraders in Côted’Ivoire. Compare how we view this mask at the National Museum ofAfrican Art to how it would be seen in performance in Côte d’Ivoire. Discuss how music, song, costume, choreography, and the audience playa part in any live theater performance.
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Bedu plank maskNafana peoples, Bondoukou region, Côte d’Ivoire, GhanaMid-20th centuryWood, paint, metal269.2 x 125.7 x 15.2 cm (106 x 49 1/2 x 6 in.)National Museum of African Art,Smithsonian Institution, gift of Walt Disney World Co., a subsidiary of The Walt DisneyCompany, 2005-6-45Photograph by Franko Khoury
30-Second
ArtChallenge!
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Did You Know?The National Museum of African Art is 96 percent underground!
explore the Smithsonian Institution Building (known as the Castle),the architecture of the Quadrangle, and the Haupt Garden as part ofyour field trip experience.
Bedu masks photographed in the Kulango communities of Kanguele, Debango, and Bozangui Côte d’Ivoire.Photographs by Rene A. Bravmann, 1967
ne unique regional creation is the use of large,flat plank masks throughout the regional border villagesof Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana in West Africa. Early maskswere destroyed after colonial governments banned their
appearance in the 19th century. By the 1930s, however, new masks,called bedu, began publicly appearing in performance every night atthe closing of the harvest season (November and December). Bedumay also be called upon to perform when an important elder of thecommunity has passed or when blessings to the sick are needed. In its many local forms, bedu reflects the ethnic and linguistic diversity of the region.
The lower triangular form of the bedu mask on this poster has a smallface with openings for the eyes and mouth cut through to allow themasked dancer to see and breathe. Bold geometric areas painted black,red, green, white, and yellow decorate the mask. Two bent posts con-nect the top superstructure that consists of a large disc with a hole inthe center and four curvilinear pierced areas. These recurring designrepresent feminine traits.
C u r r i c u l u m C o n n e c t i o n s Visual ArtsTheaterLanguage ArtsSocial StudiesGeography Geometry
learn how the complex also includes the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery,the S. Dillon Ripley Center, and the Enid A. Haupt Garden, whichserves as the “roof” of the African and Asian art museums. The Quadrangle was designed by architect Jean-Paul Carlhian of the firm Shepley, Bulfinch, Richardson and Abbott.
discover other great activities on our webpage africa.si.edu.
SmithsonianNational Museum of African Art
For more information on integrating arts in your school’scurriculum, contact Deborah Stokes at 202.633.4632 oremail StokesD@si.edu. Or visit our website for more Teacher Resources,africa.si.edu/exhibits/resources.html.
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