Virtual K-12 Field Trips & Art Lessons
Take your students on a virtual field trip of PAFA’s museum collection and Historic Landmark Building.
These live 45 minute online sessions will engage your students with artwork from the permanent collection and special exhibitions, as well as the museum’s history and architecture. Facilitated by PAFA educators and staff, they are designed to engage students in careful observation, foster active learning and the development of language and critical thinking skills. Hands-on learning occurs through application of Visual Thinking Strategies, group sharing, discussions, and other learner-centered participation activities.
We offer two ways to bring virtual museum experiences to your school or organization:
- A live, virtual field trip and/or art-making lesson with a PAFA educator.
- Downloadable teacher kit to teach students at your own pace (coming soon).
All programs can be adapted to support specific goals and can be tailored to meet the needs of your group. For more information about school programs, please contact fieldtrips@pafa.org.
Pricing
| Class Size | Virtual Field Trip | Virtual Art Lesson |
|---|---|---|
General School Groups (Includes home school groups.) School District of Philadelphia - 40% off | ||
| 1–15 Students | $45 | $40 |
| 16–35 Students | $65 | $60 |
| Tour & Art Lesson Package | Requires 2 days. | |
| 1–15 Students | $80 | |
| 16–35 Students | $120 | |
Virtual Tours
A Museum educator conducts the field trip activities and/or art lesson live, via the online conference platform of your choice (e.g. Zoom, Google Meet, etc.).
- Schedule: Tuesday–Friday at 9:00 AM, 10:00 AM, 11:00 AM, and 12:00 PM (Eastern Time).
- Time can be adjusted by 10-15 minutes, subject to educator availability. Alternative times may be requested.
- Duration: 45 minutes. Please allow 60 minutes for the program’s total time.
- Before and After activities are available for download.
- Session Size: Maximum 35 students per session. For larger groups, please contact us at fieldtrips@pafa.org.
| Title & Description | Recommended for... | Art Lessons |
|---|---|---|
Let’s Look Students discover a variety of American art masterpieces presented in PAFA’s collection and learn about the museum. They analyze subject matter, discuss elements of color, line, and shape, and apply a variety of other tools to engage with art works. | Introductory tour Grades K-2 Special Needs & Autistic Support classes | Visual storytelling and Mad Libs Foil Printing |
Artists in the Community: In this tour, students will discuss artworks in which artists depict the people and landscapes of their neighborhoods and communities. They will explore and analyze the ways artists use artistic tools to present these communities and express their feelings about them. | Grades K-2, Special Needs & Autistic Support classes | Meditative Art through the Continuous Line. Visual storytelling and Mad Libs. |
Storytelling in Art (Art and Writing) Through writing prompts and discussion questions, students explore the concept of narrative in works of art. Students learn about the artist as an “author” and analyze the way artistic tools are used to present different points of view, characters, mood, themes, and setting in a story. | Grades 3-5 and 6-8 | Visual storytelling and Mad Libs. Foil Printing |
| Math in Art: Hidden and Visible From lines and shapes to patterns and symmetry, mathematics is an essential tool in painting, sculpture, and architecture. Students will explore artworks in PAFA’s collection and discover how artists use spatial reasoning and mathematical concepts in their art making process. | Grades 3-5 | Meditative Art through the Continuous Line. |
| Art, Science, and the Environment: Explore the American landscape through the eyes of artists and learn various ways art was used to represent seasons, nature, weather patterns, and human interaction with the natural environment. | Grades 3-5, 6-8 | Meditative Art through the Continuous Line. Foil Printing |
Women in Art Examine the diverse body of work created by women artists from the 19th century to the present, including works from the Linda Lee Alter Collection. Students will have discussions about equality in the art world as well as the personal themes, motivations, and inspirations of each artist. | Grades 3-5, 6-8 and 9-12 | |
Race, Gender, and Diversity in Art Observe and discuss the diversity of American artists in PAFA’s collection. This tour addresses important themes such as American history, race, social justice, and gender, and how a museum challenges dominant narratives in our society. | Grades 6-8 and 9-12 | |
How to Talk about Contemporary Art Discover the ways artists use new techniques and approaches to translate important social and cultural issues into their art. Students will analyze works to develop their own arguments and interpretations. | Grades 6-8 and 9-12 | |
Masterpieces of American Art PAFA’s permanent collection tells the sweeping story of American art from the colonial era to the present. For this tour, students deconstruct masterpieces in order to understand the dynamics of why and how certain pieces of art become iconic and maintain relevance over time. | Grades 3-5, 6-8, and 9-12 |
Virtual Art Lessons
Designed to complement and deepen the Museum Virtual Field Trips, or as a stand alone activity, Virtual Art Lessons offer hands-on experience with different artistic media. Aligned with National Visual Arts Standards that enhance art-making vocabulary and skills, and engage students in creative self-expression.
- Schedule: Tuesday–Friday at 10:00 AM, 11:00 AM, 1:00 PM, and 2:00 PM (Eastern Time). Time can be adjusted by 10–15 minutes, subject to educator availability.
- Duration: 45 minutes. Please allow 60 minutes for the program’s total time.
- Session Size: Maximum 35 students per session. For larger groups, please contact us at fieldtrips@pafa.org.
- Materials: Materials list will be provided in advance. Most of the materials should be available at the students home.
| Title & Description | Pair with Virtual Field Trip... | Required Materials & Additional Info |
|---|---|---|
Meditative Art through the Continuous Line Through observation and experimentation, students will discover a variety of meditative art practices including the long-standing artistic tradition of continuous line drawings. They will explore examples from PAFA’s collection as well as their own environment and will follow along on a series of guided observational drawing activities that are fun for all skill levels! | *Can be adapted to any tour Recommended Tours Artists in the Community Art, Science, and the Environment Women in Art | Materials: a few pieces of blank paper, pencil or pen, optional coloring materials Note: This exercise is very adaptable can be used for almost any tour 3-12 |
Visual storytelling and Mad Libs Works of art often tell stories. In this activity students will learn a variety of visual tools and tricks used by artists to present different narratives. They will construct a fun collaborative story, reflecting on how individual perspective can drastically affect the narrative, and will create their individual illustrative art pieces. | *Recommended for K-4, but could be adapted for other ages. Storytelling in Art Artists in the Community | Material: Blank Paper, Pencil/eraser, coloring materials are optional |
Downloadable Teacher Kits (Coming Soon)
We offer downloadable teacher kits to teach students at your own pace. Each kit includes a lesson plan, presentation (i.e. PowerPoint, PDF), activity guide, and supplementary materials. Payment information coming soon.
| Teacher Kit | $10 each |
Virtual Programs Terms and Conditions
- To book a program, please fill out the Virtual School Group Form. Submitting this form is only a request—not a reservation. We will contact you to confirm your time slot and provide payment instructions. After we receive your payment we will send you a program confirmation email and will be in touch to set up the video conference. Please check your spam/junk folder for correspondence with the Museum Education Staff and review the confirmation materials.
- Schedule requests must be made at least 7 days in advance and are subject to availability. We will do our best to accommodate your choice, or will be in touch with alternative times.
- All payments must be made at least 72 hours in advance (not including weekend), otherwise your reservation will be released to others.
- Refund requests must be made at least 72 hours in advance (not including weekends) (20% processing fee will be charged).
- No refunds will be issued if requested less than 72 hours.
- Please email us at fieldtrips@pafa.org and we will work with you to reschedule your program to another available day, at no additional cost.
Contact Us
PAFA offers programs for artists and art lovers of all ages and skill levels who want to learn about and make art.