Program

Education Programs: Picturing America

Period of Performance

3/1/2009 - 8/31/2009

Funding Totals

$24,750.00 (approved)
$24,750.00 (awarded)


Picturing America Teacher Training

FAIN: BA-50024-09

Corporation of the Fine Arts Museums (San Francisco, CA 94118-4502)
Sheila Pressley (Project Director: January 2009 to December 2009)

The applicant requested a Chairman's grant of $24,750 to run a one-day teacher training program that focuses on the images and themes of Picturing America (PA), together with the PA Teachers Resource Book. The program, to take place in September 2009, will serve approximately 100 teachers from San Francisco public schools, which have adopted PA system-wide, and from other Bay-Area schools that have adopted PA. The teachers will be drawn from arts, humanities, and social studies fields, with the goal of advancing instruction in American history, civics, government, literature, and culture. The distinguished American collection of the de Young Museum will receive attention for its relevance to the PA portfolio; however, the primary emphasis and the majority of time will be spent on actual PA reproductions and the Teachers Resource Book. The program presenters, who are well-established humanities educators from UC Berkeley and other area universities, will impart rich humanities content and background knowledge to participants. Training in basic visual analysis of art objects will be included. The themes of Picturing America-Leadership, Freedom and Equality, Democracy, Courage, Landscape, Creativity and Ingenuity-will inform presentations and discussions; and the program will devote approximately equal attention to works from the several centuries. The NEH Chairman's Grant of $24,750 will cover the total budget for running this program, including modest teacher stipends and working lunches, speakers' honoraria, and museum staff and facilities.

To run a one-day teacher training program that focuses on the images and themes of Picturing America (PA), together with the PA Teachers Resource Book.