PMA Classroom

Introduction Goals Frequently Asked Questions Activity Guides

Introduction

This is a digital space for you and your classroom—however you define it. No matter the age group you work with or the setting you teach in, these resources are designed with your needs in mind.

At the PMA, we believe that a classroom can be any place where learning, critical thinking, questioning, and open dialogue happens. As the idea of the classroom rapidly expands to respond to our current moment, PMA Classroom will also grow and adapt based on your evolving needs.

We each bring our own identities, motivations, and emotions to art, and how we respond to artworks is influenced by our personal experiences and unique perspectives. Multiple truths and interpretations exist within a work of art and throughout our world—and we should value and honor all truths, even if they differ from our own. Learning and teaching through the visual arts promotes creative and expansive thinking, critical questioning, empathy, and visual literacy.

PMA Classroom is yours to use how you see fit. Please reach out to us, give us feedback, and tell us what you’d like to see. We are here for you and grateful that you chose to spend time with PMA Classroom.

With gratitude,

Meghan Quigley Graham Learning and Teaching Specialist

Goals

While each Activity Guide has its own goals, all PMA Classroom Activity Guides are designed to meet the following goals: 

  • Students will understand that multiple truths and interpretations exist within our world and that we should value each one 
  • Students will explore how artists visually communicate ideas 
  • Students will cultivate observation, close looking, critical thinking, creative problem solving, and empathy skills  

Activity Guides

PMA Classroom FAQ

Everyone who would like to experience artwork in a new way and learn more about the art and themselves. We designed these activity guides for educators and students of all ages.

While we designed the lessons for specific grade levels, you know your students best! We encourage you to modify or change anything within the lesson to best respond to your students’ needs and interests. The activities that we suggest are fun and engaging, and we can’t wait to see other modes of interaction that you come up with for your students.

PMA Classroom activity guides are designed to be done in either a classroom or a remote setting. They are written from the perspective of museum educators talking directly to you or your students and designed as though we are leading you through the activity. You can teach the whole lesson plan at once, or break the guides up and extend them over several lessons. You know your students best.

For educators who wish to use these lesson plans to lead a live activity for students in either a classroom or digital setting, you can either read aloud our instructions and prompts to your students, or you can add your own spin onto the instructions and prompts.

You can also assign the activity guides to your students to complete remotely. They are easy to follow and require minimal materials.

We are here to help! If you have questions about how to use these activity guides in your classroom setting (either remotely or in person), contact mquigley@portlandmuseum.org

Please reach out! We would love to work with any educator on customizing lesson plans. We can work with you to adapt any of the lesson plans you see here to your classroom setting, or we can work on creating something new. Contact mquigley@portlandmuseum.org to get started.

Feedback

If you have any questions or feedback, please reach out to Meghan Quigley Graham, Learning and Teaching Specialist

Consider taking a short survey to tell us how you’ve been using PMA Classroom:

Thank you to our sponsors

PMA Classroom is made possible by the generous support of the Charles A. Came Educational Fund, Katherine K. Monks Education Fund, Madelyn Busker Cohen Endowment Fund, Onion Foundation, Sam L. Cohen Foundation, Peggy L. Osher Education Endowment, Rachel F. Armstrong Education Fund, the Sibley-Saltonstall Charitable Foundation, and Unum