School Tours: Portraits and Personalities
Grades 6–12
Request this tour | Pre-visit PowerPoint (for Grades 4–12)
How does a portrait reveal the life and time of its sitter? This tour explores portraits and self-portraits from multiple points of view, examining works of art that reveal the sitters' personality, mood, status, and social and historical environment.
Looking and Learning Skills
During four to six tour stops in the galleries, students engage in activities—such as looking exercises, small group work, and sketching—that foster conversations around works of art. The following skills are promoted:
- making and articulating careful observations
- formulating questions that demonstrate curiosity and engagement
- comparing and connecting different works of art
- using works of art as primary sources on people's lives
- connecting new ideas learned from the tour to prior knowledge and experience
Logistical Information
Group Size: Up to 75 students
Length: 75 minutes
Meeting Location: West Building, Rotunda, Main Floor
Museum policies
Student lunches
General information
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- Who Am I? (online interactive unit)
- Napoleon in His Study (NGAkids online interactive unit)
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