Sculpture on Site: Learning in 3-D

How do I look at and make sense of sculpture? How do I incorporate sculpture into my classroom curriculum? Explore these questions and others at Sculpture on Site, a Web-based resource designed to assist teachers in gathering ideas and creating experiences for their students focusing on large-scale, outdoor sculpture in DeCordova's 35-acre Sculpture Park. This site contains cross-curricular lesson plans for elementary and middle-school students, grades K-8. Each of the lessons incorporates national standards and is general enough to apply to other sculpture parks and works of public sculpture. The activities and materials outlined in the lessons are designed to be realistic and relevant to most classroom environments. In addition, the lessons are broken into "looking" and "doing" components.

As an exciting extension of this Web site, you can view short films inspired by sculpture in DeCordova's Sculpture Park. These films have been created by students from Waltham High School through DeCordova's Teen to Screen project. To learn more about Teen to Screen, click here.

Remember, the best way to learn about sculpture is to experience it in real life! Investigate and visit a local park or museum in your local community!

1. Take notice of how you first respond when you look at this sculpture—thoughts, feelings, associations.
2. Walk around the sculpture and look at all of its physical aspects—line, shape, form, color, texture, space, etc.
3. Look at the materials (wood, metal, plastic, found objects, etc.) the artist chose and see how they are skillfully put together.
4. Consider the relationship this unique sculpture has with its environment—the immediate surroundings, the Park, you the visitor.
5. Try to determine the subject matter of the sculpture—the title may or may not give you a clue.
6. Reflect on all of the things you have just experienced regarding the sculpture—now, formulate your own interpretation.