Field Trips and School Tours

At Smithsonian American Art Museum, we involve students in the experience of viewing art and enable them to make meaningful connections to their curriculum and themselves. Students of all settings and ages are welcomed, from kindergarten to college.

Guided tours

Guided school tours require reservations. Please book at least one month in advance. One week before your visit, your guide will contact you to discuss your content and curriculum connections. To make a reservation, complete and submit the School Group Request Form.

Self-guided tours

With a self-guided visit, you are free to explore the collection in a way that best suits your class. For students in kindergarten through second grade, we suggest that you concentrate on a few objects. For older students, we recommend one hour of focused looking and thirty minutes of discussion about the artworks. Teachers are invited to consult with the museum staff regarding the content.

Guidelines for museum behavior

Review the guidelines before the visit. Inappropriate behavior may result in a shortened tour.

·Make no noise.

·Be considerate of other visitors and guides.

·Keep at least an arm’s length from artwork.

·Walk — don’t run — in the halls and stairways.

·Photography with flash is not permitted.

Security policies

Security check is required for all visitors. We recommend that groups leave bags on the bus or at school. Pocketknives, scissors, and other sharp tools are not permitted. To speed entry into the museum, carry as little as possible.

A year ago, Joe Stilin spent the summer training for the Berlin Marathon. The professional proceeded 100-mile weeks in preparation, and his effort paid off, running a 2:17:15—a career-best on a record-qualified course.

This year, almost every racing opportunity was canceled among safety measures in response to the coronavirus outbreak. As a runner who succeeds on a full racing schedule, Stilin was taken aback by the sudden cancellations—but in the face of the upheaval, he used the summer to run for a purpose that went beyond personal achievement.

From May to September, the Olympic Marathon Trials qualifier participated in the One Wisconsin Running Challenge—a virtual(虚拟的) running fundraiser for local charities providing essential goods and financial support to those affected by the global pandemic(流行病).

Weeks after the marathon trials, most major sports competitions were cut off, including the Tokyo Olympics. But Stilin approached the change as an opportunity to steel himself on the stress-relieving benefits of running and use the miles of the One Wisconsin Running Challenge as a way to give back.

For the first time ever, Stilin left one day off in his weekly mileage this summer, which has been vital for recovery and his development as a runner.“That’s actually been a good lesson to learn,” Stilin said.“As someone who puts a lot of pressure on myself before competition, my goal is to remember to move forward next year when we get races back. I want to remember this summer when the pressure was off and we still worked hard, and the fitness came of its own accord(一致).”

“I think this year is breaking down a lot of people a little bit but also building them back up,” he said.“It’s forcing myself and everybody to get out of their comfort zone. Unfortunately, a lot of people are stressed, anxious, and maybe depressed. But I really think that when we heal from it, we’re going to be better for it.”

Ways to Live Your Life with Purpose

No matter who you are or what you do, there is a purpose for life. A sense of purpose is an essential part of a happy life.     16     Here are three tips to follow if you want to do so.

Learn to be self-aware. People tend to overestimate their strong points and ignore their weak points.     17     Be realistic and don’t be afraid to face your imperfections. When you know your personality you have better chances to figure out your purpose and stick to it.

    18     That’s what really gives you the sense of purpose. What do you love to do most? If you still cannot give an answer to this question, you risk living a useless life. I’m strongly convinced that everybody should have something favorite to pursue in his life. Your enthusiasm makes your life worthwhile and meaningful.

Make use of goal setting. Recognizing your goals isn’t enough; you should learn to set right goals. Your goals should always be accurate and realistic. Setting short-term and long-term goals can add meaning to your life.     19     It’s exactly your goals that make you get up earlier and work harder.

It is natural that you will find it difficult to follow all the tips at once.     20     Regardless of your purpose, you should do your best to achieve it. A meaningful life will give you the feeling of fulfillment and satisfaction and you’ll feel happier every day.

Most wouldn’t know what to do if they broke their leg isolated on a beach with no cell phone. One man found himself in that exact _______,but instead of giving up, he used every resource he could to make it to _______.

While enjoying a walk down the beach, Tim Robinson, a former _______of the British Army, slipped on a piece of seaweed and _______, breaking his leg. No one was on _______or within earshot, but as Robinson lay _______he remembered his military(军事的) training.

The army veteran had _______two tours in Afghanistan and one in Iraq, so even though his current situation was _______,there’s no way it was going to be his end. Robinson _______had the ability to crawl(爬), and so he did. The choice was easy but the crawl was________.Robinson said, “After I crawled about a mile and a quarter, I started________my flashlight in SOS and spinning it over my head to create a Buzz-Saw signal which is a way of________helicopters in the armed forces...”

“There was no________to begin with，so I crawled for five minutes and________about 50 meters before making the same signal three times,” Robinson said. Most people couldn’t imagine crawling for any distance with a________leg, but Robinson wasn’t about to________.

Luckily, a coast guard crew finally________. They were amazed that this man had crawled such a ________,more than a mile in total,________suffering such a wound.

Mrs. Robinson is grateful her husband was________enough to make it back to safety.

If you have ever watched the Miss America competition, you must have seen that the young ladies wear tight swimming costumes     41     (show) off their shapes, or sing popular songs to reveal their beautiful voices in the talent show.

However, Virginia Camille Schrier,     42    was crowned Miss America 2020, was different. Dressed in a lab coat, the 24-year-old girl    43    (perform) an “elephant’s toothpaste” science experiment. She created an explosion by     44     (combine)hydrogen peroxide(过氧化氢) with potassiumiodide (碘化钾) in the talent show.

“    45    a student of medicine, I am raising social awareness about everyday drug     46     (safe)and abuse prevention,” Schrier told CNN. Meanwhile, her unconventional performance     47     (immediate) made headlines around the United States.

Many people think that Schrier breaks the     48     (fix) impression of Miss America.     49     (like) the other young women, Schrier presents    50     (her) as charming ,knowledgeable and confident, instead of just a pretty face.