By Margaret Antonitis
Latin Teacher, Farmington High School, Farmington, CT
Starting with the class of 2023, students in Farmington, CT, need to complete a project-based class that meets all of the standards of the district’s “Vision of the Global Citizen.” Farmington High School initiated a program of studies called Aspire, which stands for an Ambitious, Self-directed, Personalized, Interdisciplinary and Reflective Exhibition of learning. The goal of Aspire is to “Bring the world to the student and the student to the world.” I proposed a course entitled, “The Art, The Myth, The Museum.” I was hoping to channel students’ passion for mythology into a product that a museum could use to engage a younger audience. The proposal was approved, and I piloted the course in the fall of 2021 in cooperation with the Wadsworth Atheneum.
As a Latin teacher, I love taking a group of students to view the artwork at the Wadsworth Atheneum. It is culturally diverse but also contains pieces that represent things that we talk about in our classroom. One of my personal struggles with taking kids to any museum is engaging their attention and sparking their enthusiasm. Usually when I want to know how to make things more interesting, my students are the best resource. They are innovative and love giving their opinions. Therefore, my goal for this course was to have the students come up with ways to make a trip to the museum more engaging.
“The Art, The Myth, The Museum ASPIRE course available to Farmington High School’s juniors and seniors brought out . . . a passion for community building, teamwork, and hands-on collaboration. Creating a functional, publicly-accessible product was not only incredibly rewarding in its completion, but in its creation.”
The Judgment of Paris, Johann Joachim Kaendler, Meissen Porcelain Factory, c. 1762, hard-paste porcelain - Wadsworth Atheneum - Hartford, CT
We started with the essential question: “How can we make a trip to the museum more engaging for a younger audience?” We started with the Judgment of Paris. The museum has three pieces that depict this myth. During the first month of our course the students researched the myth in order to gain an understanding of what happened and how this event led to the Trojan War. The students administered a survey to our local 7th grade students which identified the kinds of learning activities that interested them. These responses drove our brainstorming sessions for our end product..
In October, we visited the museum for the first time. The students excitedly gathered around one of the paintings we had been studying and started pointing out the attributes that identify the various gods and goddesses in the painting. Our guide, Ms. Fyfe, expressed that she wished all patrons could read the painting like the students were doing. She thought it would be a great idea if we could create something that benefited patrons of all age levels. We agreed, and returned to the classroom to work on a product that would help the general public “read” a work of classically-themed art.
Our class decided to create a guide on how to identify Greek gods and goddesses in different works of art–a skill that can be used when visiting any museum. The students used an existing table of reference created by the Wadsworth and added to it. They then took the painting “The Judgment of Paris” and wrote little blurbs identifying each figure in the painting and explaining how the attributes in the painting help distinguish the gods from each other. Using the data from the middle school survey, the students created a quiz for the painting “The Feast of the Gods.” The idea is that people would use the “Judgment of Paris” resource as a learning tool and then apply that knowledge to identify the figures in the “Feast of the Gods” painting. The students also created a survey that put the audience in Paris’s: shoes:“Three goddesses bribed Paris in order to win his favor for the golden apple. Which of their bribes would you choose?” The poll is a fun way for people to make a personal connection with the myth and then get to see the responses of others who also take the poll.
This class has grabbed the attention of students who love mythology and who want to share their passion for learning the stories behind these magnificent pieces of art. We are hoping that our contribution to the Wadsworth’s mobile guide will not only teach the public how to identify different deities in artwork but will also ignite a passion to learn more about mythology. You can access the resources our class created here.
“The course provided such a great opportunity to collaborate with people who were interested in the same topic and help the community at the same time! . . . By creating such a simple resource we were able to provide others with the opportunity to be able to teach themselves. The class was such an amazing experience where we were able to really have autonomy over what we did and how it impacted others.”
The Judgment of Paris, Jacques Stella, 1650, oil on canvas—Wadsworth Atheneum - Hartford, CT
For Spring 2022, I had a new group of students. Our goal was still to increase the engagement of a younger audience at the museum, but our product was very different. Ms. Fyfe and Ms. Holchin requested a “Family Mythology Quest” that elementary-aged children could complete with their families while visiting the museum. Our class researched the myths behind nine pieces of artwork and wrote “kid-friendly” versions of each myth. They then created discussion questions and activities for each piece of artwork. Families will be able to discuss the stories behind these art pieces and make a personal connection with them. The Wadsworth Atheneum is a wonderful resource for our Latin and Greek classrooms. I strongly encourage you to check out its rich collections.
If seeing the artwork in person is not attainable for you the museum has some options for remote visits:
Virtual Guided Tour - a 45 minute docent or educator-led experience using a slideshow and digital images on Zoom. Followed by a short period of time for questions and conversation;
Art and Writing Program Print & Digital Curriculum Set - a combination of a digital and printed curriculum for teachers, classroom posters, and a USB of images to view on your own time. Select by grade or theme. Materials will be mailed;
Studio Program Videos - pre-recorded 15-20 minute gallery tours and art demonstrations to view on your own time. Video will be sent as a Vimeo link.
For more information on tours, email tours@thewadsworth.org. For more information on Margaret’s course, email Margaret.