Make preparations in the museum galleries before students arrive. In this lesson, for example, place easel in gallery opposite the painting Still Life with Cats and Monkeys . Put labeled objects on a mat under the framed poster of Still Life with Parrots . Cover the objects. Place worksheets, foam boards, pencils, colored markers, and viewfinders on a mat near the painting.
Teachers can apply the procedures to their own locations and settings.
Students enter the gallery and discover that the painting Still Life with Parrots is on loan to the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston. They also discover a note on the easel from the parrot, similar to other notes they have received in their classroom. A student is selected to read the note, in which the class is invited to examine Still Life with Cats and Monkeys . Next, the teacher reads her letter from the parrot. Students are asked to turn their backs to the Parrots painting, close their eyes, and listen to the magical words.