Talk with your students about the labels found in a museum and how they share important information about the work of art. Let your students explore each part of a museum label in our Listening Lab. Then give feedback on what kinds of information are most meaningful and useful to you and your students.
Then, have your students create their own labels. Choose a work of art for all students or choose a variety based on the outcome you’d like your students to experience. Find works of art by visiting collection.mam.org and search for art from a specific time or place that fits with your curriculum. Use this as a research project to create historically accurate labels for the piece, or let them use their imaginations to create their own backstory for the work. Encourage them to look closely at the piece, just like the curators do, to explain what is going on in the piece.