National Portrait Gallery - Teacher orientation video

Welcome to the Smithsonian's National Portrait Gallery at the Donald W. Reynolds Center for American Art and Portraiture. Also the home of the Smithsonian American Art Museum. >> REBECCA:I'm Rebecca Kasemeyer, Director of Education at the National Portrait Gallery. We hope that your visit will inspire your students to learn about the men and women who have made significant contributions to the culture of the United States. Our Museum has so much to see and do. We're open daily from 11:30 am to 7 pm. The National Portrait Gallery presents the wonderful diversity of individuals who have left, and are leaving, their mark on our country and our culture. A museum of history and biography, NPG uses art to introduce you and your students to the individuals who have had a significant impact on American culture. You have two options for visiting the Museum. You may schedule a tour, please contact us at least three weeks in advance, or you may come on your own. If you are here for a scheduled tour please allow one hour for a standards based interactive tour, and one hour for a facilitated activity in our education center. When you arrive, buses need to drop off, and pick up your group, at our G Street Entrance. The G St entrance is wheelchair accessible as is the rest of the museum. Since the Museum has two entrances, please let everyone in your group know which entrance is the meeting place, so no one gets lost. Before everyone gets off the bus, please remind your students to leave their backpacks, and any electronics, on the bus. Otherwise they'll have to put them in the lockers located at the G St entrance. Also, let your students know before they arrive that no eating, drinking, or chewing gum is allowed in any of the galleries at the museums. >> BRIANNA: Welcome to the National Portrait Gallery, my name is Brianna. I manage the school and teacher programs here. Once inside, if you are registered for a guided tour, your NPG gallery educator will greet you. If your group has not scheduled a guided tour, please take your time. The Portrait Gallery is a rich resource and you can help your students with a meaningful visit by helping them focus on fewer portraits than you might expect to see, allowing them to learn more in depth about the individuals in the collection. We require that Chaperones stay with their students at all times. Chaperone to Student ratio should be one to 10 for elementary school students and one to 15 for middle and high school students. A highlight of our school tours is our MOVERS AND SHAPERS program, which will introduce your students to some of the historical figures who have contributed and shaped our history from early America to 1865. Another highlight is AMERICA'S PRESIDENTS, which invites your students to consider how presidential portraiture has changed through out the presidency. These are just two examples of object based learning programs that can guide your students into discoveries of the cultural, social, political, and personal context of historical figures and their time periods. If you're interested in learning more about our tours and programs, please contact the National Portrait Gallery's Education Department. We're happy to talk with you about your class, and discuss tour options to best meet your needs. And finally, we hope you allow time for you and your students to enjoy our courtyard. School groups may bring in bag lunches. To enjoy their indoor picnic, students may sit on the planters or on the floor. Please help make sure that all trash is disposed of properly. Groups of 20 or more can take advantage of special dining packages at the Courtyard Cafe. For information, visit the Smithsonian's group Tours Website. REBECCA: We look forward to hosting you and your class at the National Portrait Gallery. [music]