Teaching

Faculty and teaching assistants may schedule either guided or self-guided visits to the Ackland for their classes by contacting the University Educator. Due to limited gallery space and a busy tour schedule for both university and K-12 students, we ask that you schedule your visit with us at least two weeks in advance, whether you are planning a guided or self-guided visit, formal lecture or informal discussion. Remember that some of the Ackland galleries can accommodate no more than 15 people. Large classes should be divided into smaller groups of students to ensure a safe, productive and enjoyable visit for you and your students.

How can I plan a self-guided visit to the Ackland?

You may wish to lead your own class visit to the Ackland. If so, there are a number of options you may want to consider in planning your visit.

Galleries, parts of the permanent collection or particular objects in the Ackland may provide helpful starting points for class discussions related to your course topic. Temporary exhibitions that incorporate themes central to your course may also be of interest, check the Ackland's exhibition schedule.

We can also suggest to you some interactive gallery activities that may be useful to your class. Many of them were designed for introductory and intermediate foreign language courses, which demand a high level of student participation. The objectives of these activities and the skills they develop, however, make them well suited to many courses that emphasize active learning. Click here for examples of self-guided gallery activities.

You should schedule your visit with the University Educator, who may be able to suggest more ideas. Before your visit, you should familiarize yourself and your students with the Museum Rules.

What options are available for guided visits to the Ackland?

Curriculum-Structured Tours:
The Ackland offers tours tailored to specific course topics. The University Educator leads these tours, which typically focus on a few works of art selected to stimulate a lively class discussion of major concepts and issues related to your class. Most instructors find these tours particularly helpful to them because they:

Reinforce and complement course content and objectives.
Develop students' thinking, speaking and writing skills
Address students' different styles of learning by providing a new, visually-focused environment for instruction.
And more!

The University Educator can work with you to develop a lesson plan that best serves your students, course topic and teaching objectives. To see examples of curriculum-structured tours designed for other classes, click here.

Teaching

How can I plan a self-guided visit to the Ackland?

What options are available for guided visits to the Ackland?

Click here for information about scheduling a class visit