Elementary Field Trips - ABC at SLAM

I really like how sometimes they tell a story about a painting and tell you a little bit about them and who they were. And some of those items are like thousands of years old. I remember one that was 5,000 years old! Like really old, and they don't actually know who made it. And it has like perfect line details in it! You have to be very careful transporting it. Third-year Racks & Tubes student

This month and next, our third- through sixth-year students are taking weekly field trips to participate in Saint Louis Art Museum's Arts in the Basic Curriculum (ABC) Program. Together with Upper Elementary guides, assistants and a couple of lucky VdM staff members, our students explore SLAM's exhibits in small groups, sometimes with docents and sometimes independently.

I love the mummies a lot. And it's so fun that you get to see all that art. And the writing. And our guide's really nice. And yeah, it's the funnest thing ever!Third-year Racks & Tubes Lower Elementary student

The students are encouraged to examine the artwork closely and think both subjectively and critically about the art. They take notes and sketch what they see.[gallery size="full" columns="2" ids="7096,7101"]

The last time we went we were looking at paintings that were like power and really important people like kings and queens, and those are my favorite kinds of paintings. The really realistic ones with all the jewels and stuff. And I like that they gave us sketch books so we just draw anything we want.Fifth-year Upper Elementary student

We are very lucky and grateful to have access to a resource like SLAM, and thrilled to be able to enrich our children's education with the ABC Program. With that program, our children are learning about multiple histories and cultures. They are exercising their observation and analytical thinking skills. They're learning to discern and trust their tastes. And they are accessing their creativity and developing concentration.Thank you to Shannon O'Connell (one of the lucky staff members who gets to accompany the field trips) for the photos!