School Tours
School Tours 2011–2012
Designed to support California’s History/Social Science, English/Language Arts, and Visual and Performing Arts Content Standards, these tours incorporate interactive, guided experiences in the galleries.
School tours must be scheduled with the Education department (book online). Tours have limited availability, and are subject to change. All school tours are free.
Need help with transportation costs? Take advantage of discounted BART fares for school groups on field trips. Apply for a Field Trip Grant sponsored by Target Corporation.
Grade |
Program |
Tuesday |
Wednesday |
Thursday |
Friday |
K-12 |
2:00 |
2:00 |
2:00 |
11:30 |
|
1-5 |
11:15 |
11:15 |
|||
10:30 |
10:00 |
10:00 |
|||
(January through March only) |
10:30 |
10:00 |
10:00 |
||
10:30 |
10:00 and 11:15 |
||||
10:30 |
|||||
10:00 |
10:30 |
||||
2:00 |
2:00 |
2:00 |
2:00 |
||
6-8 |
9:45 and 12:15 |
||||
9:45 and 12:15 |
|||||
9:45 and 12:15 |
|||||
9:45 and 12:15 |
|||||
4-12 |
9:45 and 12:15 |
9:45 and 12:15 |
|||
9:45 |
|||||
10:30 |
10:30 |
10:30 |
1:00 |
Storytelling Tours
Grades 1-5
Max. 40 students per time slot (Japanese and Korean Storytelling Max. 30)
About 1 hour
Storytelling (Grades 1-5)
Our trained storytellers captivate young students with traditional stories from Asia, bringing to life related works of art in the galleries. Teachers can choose a regional or thematic focus.
Regional Stories (Tuesday - Friday, various start times)
Chinese Storytelling
Japanese Storytelling
Korean Storytelling
South and Southeast Asian Storytelling
Thematic Stories (Tuesdays and Thursdays, 11:15 am)
Tricksters!
He-roes and She-roes
New Year's Celebrations
After-School Storytelling (Tuesday - Friday, 2:00 pm or later)
Choose from any of the regional or thematic tours listed above.
Related Resources
Teaching Through Myth and Metaphor
Chinese Storytelling Pre-visit Packet
Japanese Storytelling Pre-visit Packet
Korean Storytelling Pre-visit Packet
South Asian Storytelling Pre-visit Packet
Southeast Asian Storytelling Pre-visit Packet
Themed Guided Tours
Grades 6-8 (Around the World 4-12)
Max. 35 students per time slot (Around the World max. 60)
About 1 hour and 45 minutes (Around the World 1 hour)
Ancient Worlds
See how writing developed, learn about 3,000-year-old bronze technologies, and draw conclusions about how beliefs and ideas spread throughout the ancient world. Compare your discoveries to your own daily life.
Related Resources
Ancient China: From the Neolithic Period to the Han Dynasty
Golden Age of Chinese Archaeology
Ancient China Pre-visit Packet
Traveling Along the Silk and Spice Routes
Traveling along these trade routes, see how technologies, traditions, and luxuries were exchanged and assimilated into local cultures. Students will debate the benefits and dangers of land and maritime trade, barter for and become experts in objects they choose, and see which ideas and innovations are still important today.
Related Resources
Gods, Demons, and Avatars
Discover superhuman forms artists used to express universal concerns concentrating on South Asia (India, Pakistan), Southeast Asia (Cambodia, Indonesia, Thailand), and the Himalayas (Tibet, Nepal), and the art of contemporary artist, Sanjay Patel. Students use their bodies to pose and act-out scenes while analyzing non-verbal communication.
Related Resources
Beliefs Made Visible: Introduction to Hindu and Buddhist Art
Body Langauge Pre-visit Packet
Spirit of the Samurai
Explore the life of the Japanese samurai. Students can try on armor, view a tearoom, and participate in a simulated tea gathering.
Related Resources
Spirit of the Samurai Pre-visit Packet
Arts of the Samurai
Arts of Edo Japan
Experience Chanoyu: The Japanese Art of Tea
Around the World
Travel across time and place and build historical thinking skills as our docents challenge students to look at art, interpret what they see, and connect the past with the present.
Choose one focus: Beliefs, Innovations, Power, or Maharaja: The Splendor of India’s Royal Courts.
Tour and Workshop
Grade 4-12
Max. 35 students per time slot
About 1 hour and 45 minutes
Maharaja: The Splendor of India’s Royal Courts
November 2, 2011–April 4, 2012
Step into the role of a “royal king” as you visit the special exhibition: Maharaja: The Splendor of India’s Royal Court. Compare and contrast symbols of kingship in art, storytelling, and dance from ancient times, during the time of the British Raj, and through the eyes of contemporary artist, Sanjay Patel. This program includes an interactive component with the performing arts group, Chitresh Das Dance Company.
Nature in Art: Brushpainting
Explore references to nature on a tour of East Asian brushpainting in the galleries. Then apply these observations to hands-on class on traditional brushstroke techniques.
Free MUNI youth passes available upon request for students attending the brushpainting program, thanks to the generosity of the Mary Tanenbaum Fund. Passes cannot be used on BART or cable cars.
Related Resources
Brushpainting Pre-visit Packet
Brushstrokes: Styles and Techniques of Chinese Painting
Self-guided Visits
Grades K-12
Max. 40 students per time slot (1 adult per every 10 students is required)
No time limit
Use our teacher resources to build your own tour. You'll also receive one FREE museum admission per teacher to plan your visit.
Related Resources
Instructions: How to fold the worksheets
Acknowledgments
Lead funding for the Asian Art Museum’s Education and Public Programs is provided by the Bank of America Foundation. Major support provided by the Koret Foundation, Freeman Foundation, the Robert H. N. Ho Family Foundation, the Atsuhiko and Ina Goodwin Tateuchi Foundation, and Douglas Tilden. AT&T is the 2010-11 Education Sponsor for the Asian Art Museum. Additional support provided by the William Randolph Hearst Foundation; United Airlines; the MetLife Foundation; Wells Fargo; the Mary M. Tanenbaum Fund; the San Francisco Foundation—Shenson Foundation; the Walter and Elise Haas Fund; the Creative Work Fund, a program of the Walter and Elise Haas Fund supported by the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation and the James Irvine Foundation; the Louise M. Davies Foundation; the Joseph R. McMicking Foundation; Dodge & Cox; and the Putney Financial Group.
