Pre-K–12 Teaching and Learning

The Jewish Museum offers customized tours, workshops, and curriculum resources to support Pre-K–12 teaching and learning. Engage your students through in-person or virtual tours, multi-session collaborative partnerships, and award-winning documentary films from our Movies That Matter program. For teachers, develop arts-based lessons and enhance your classroom teaching through professional development workshops and online curriculum resources.

The Museum is embarking on a large-scale renovation of the third and fourth floors, to reimagine our collection exhibition and create a new Center for Teaching and Learning. Throughout the renovation, our programs will continue to be offered online, in school, and at the Museum.

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Pre-K–12 Groups

School group tours are offered in-person at the Museum or at your school, and virtually via Zoom or Google Meet. Tours are led by our museum educators, and are arts-based, interactive, and hands-on.

Museum Tour, 60 minutes: $140 per class
Gallery tour and gallery activities only

Museum Tour, 90 minutes: $190 per class
Grades Pre-K - 6 - gallery tour and studio art project
Grades 7 - 12 - gallery tour including extended discussion and activities

Virtual Program, 45-60 minutes via Zoom or Google Meet: $140 per class

In-School Program: $140/lesson; free for self-contained special education classes.

A limited number of free or reduced rate Museum or Virtual tours are available for Title I NYC public schools; self-contained special education classes can request free tours.

Museum tour groups are limited to 28 students per tour and typically, two tours may run at the same time. On Sundays, the maximum number of participants per tour (including chaperones) is 24. For Special Education classes, the maximum number of students is 12. Special accommodations will be made for New York City Public school classes with more than 28 students. One chaperone must accompany every 10 students; a maximum of five chaperones may accompany each class. Each classroom must be booked as a separate tour group.

Group size for virtual tours is limited to 30 students per tour. For Special Education classes, the maximum number of students is 12. Each classroom must be booked as a separate tour group.

A minimum of two In-School lessons must be scheduled every time one of our educators visits your school. Book a one time visit, or schedule up to four visits. Each lesson lasts for one period and must be for an individual classroom.

To schedule a tour, please fill out the Tour Request Form. If you have additional questions, please contact us at schoolprograms@thejm.org or 212.423.3270.

Exhibition Tour

The Art of Ben Shahn

Museum or Virtual Program
Grades: K-12

Ben Shahn, "New York, 1947", tempera on paper mounted on canvas and panel, 35 15/16 x 47 15/16 in. (91.3 x 121.8 cm.). Jewish Museum, New York. Purchase: Oscar and Regina Gruss Charitable and Educational Foundation Fund, 1996-23. © 2025 Estate of Ben Shahn / Licensed by VAGA at Artists Rights Society (ARS), NY

Explore the paintings, mural studies, prints, and photographs of prolific artist Ben Shahn, who chronicled the crucial issues of his era from the Great Depression to the Vietnam War, in the exhibition Ben Shahn, On Nonconformity. Shahn’s art investigates issues such as unemployment, discrimination, authoritarianism, and threats to freedom of expression, while championing labor, civil, and human rights. 

English Language Arts

Art Spiegelman’s Maus

Virtual Program Only
Grades: 7-12

Art Spiegelman, "Self-Portrait with Maus Mask", 1989. Copyright © 1989 by Art Spiegelman. Used by permission of the artist and The Wylie Agency LLC.​

Designed for groups who have read the graphic novel Maus, this virtual tour examines renowned comic artist Art Spiegelman’s ground-breaking, Pulitzer prize-winning graphic novel Maus, about his parents’ survival of the Holocaust. Spiegelman was the subject of the Jewish Museum exhibition, Art Spiegelman’s Co-Mix: A Retrospective in 2013-2014. Learn about the artist’s process, view artwork used to create the graphic novel, and discuss themes such as memory, survival, and the father-son relationship. 
 

Exhibition Tour

The Book of Esther in the Age of Rembrandt

Museum or Virtual Program
Grades: K-12

Rembrandt van Rijn. "A Jewish Heroine from the Hebrew Bible", 1632-1633. Oil on canvas. 109.2 x 94.4 cm. National Gallery of Canada, purchased 1953.

Explore paintings, prints, drawings, and decorative arts made by Rembrandt van Rijn (1606-1669) and his contemporaries in 17th-century Amsterdam that foreground the character of Queen Esther from the biblical story of Purim. Classes consider how the celebration of the Jewish holiday and the portrayal of Queen Esther in art and objects became a meaningful expression for recent immigrants who experienced newfound freedom in the Netherlands.

BOOK TOUR

English Language Arts

The Art of Maurice Sendak

In-School or Virtual Program
Grades: Pre-K-5

Maurice Sendak (American, 1928 – 2012), final illustration for “and made him king of the wild things” from Where The Wild Things Are, 1963, watercolor on paper. From the Maurice Sendak Collection at the Rosenbach Museum & Library, Philadelphia

Explore the work of renowned children's book author and illustrator, Maurice Sendak—subject of the 2005 Jewish Museum exhibition, Wild Things: The Art of Maurice Sendak. In addition to examining Sendak’s best-known works, Where the Wild Things Are and In the Night Kitchen, students will consider Sendak’s influences from pop culture, his childhood in Brooklyn, and Eastern European folklore. 

BOOK TOUR

English Language Arts

The Art of Ezra Jack Keats

In-School or Virtual Program
Grades: Pre-K-5

Image from The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats, with special permission from the Ezra Jack Keats Foundation

Examine the colorful illustrations and urban landscapes of Brooklyn-born, award-winning picture book creator Ezra Jack Keats.  Tours focus on visual storytelling, Keats' autobiographical inspirations, as well as his use of color and collage. The Snowy Day and the Art of Ezra Jack Keats was on view at the Jewish Museum from September 9, 2011-January 29, 2012.

BOOK TOUR

Art: Materials and Process

The Art of Marc Chagall

Virtual Program only
Grades: Pre-K-12

Marc Chagall, "Maternity," 1950s, lithograph on paper.

Discover the dreamlike, symbolic imagery of renowned modern artist Marc Chagall. Students will compare and contrast works of art by Chagall featured in past exhibitions with works of art in the Jewish Museum's collection.

BOOK TOUR

Art: Materials and Process

Art & Social Justice

Museum Program through March 30, 2025; In-School or Virtual Program
Grades: 6-12

George Segal, Abraham and Isaac (in Memory of May 4, 1970, Kent State University), 1978, plaster, cloth, rope, metal, and acrylic paint. Gift of the George and Helen Segal Foundation.

Explore ways that artists address social and political issues and even advocate for change through their works of art. Students examine art made in response to historical events and movements; to intolerance; to representations of gender, identity, and race; and to social conventions and customs.

BOOK TOUR

Art: Materials and Process

The Art of the Book

In-School Program only. Museum Program beginning March 7, 2025
Grades: 3-12

Benjamin Nathansohn, Prayer Hymn for Alexander I, 1818, ink and paint on silk, brocade cover. The Jewish Museum, New York, Gift of Dr. Harry G. Friedman.

In this studio-based workshop, students examine parchments, reed pens, and the natural resources used to produce medieval books. Students view original manuscripts in the galleries, grind natural pigments such as saffron or malachite using a mortar and pestle, and illuminate their own works of art with gold leaf.

BOOK TOUR

Art: Materials and Process

Materials in Art

In-School or Virtual Program
Grades: Pre-K-12

Harriete Estel Berman, Alms Container, 1999.

Students compare works of art in a variety of media and consider the choices artists make. Tours may explore art from ancient to contemporary, from paintings and photographs to sculptures created from lightbulbs and other everyday objects.

BOOK TOUR

History and Global Studies

Immigration Past and Present

In-School or Virtual Program
Grades: 3-12

Maurycy Minkowski, After the Pogrom, c. 1910.

Art can offer new perspectives on the experiences of immigrants by focusing on themes such as assimilation and collective identity.  Through close looking and discussion, students reflect upon the personal and communal experience of immigration and make connections between historical movements and contemporary issues.

BOOK TOUR

History and Global Studies

Remembering the Holocaust

In-School or Virtual Program
Grades: 6-12

Abshalom Jac Lahav, Anne Frank, 2007.

Students discuss, interpret, and establish connections between the events of World War II and works of art and artifacts related to the Holocaust.

BOOK TOUR

History and Global Studies

Number the Stars

In-School or Virtual Program
Grades: 3-5

Michael David, Warsaw, 1980, pigment and wax on Masonite. The Jewish Museum, New York.

Elementary school students reading Lois Lowry’s Number the Stars focus on issues of resistance and hope through an exploration of age-appropriate works on view.

BOOK TOUR

Ritual and Ceremony

Festivals of Light

In-School or Virtual Program
Grades: Pre-K-4

Rod Baer, Every December, Hanukkah Lamp, 1995.

Explore the role of light in the Diwali, Hanukkah, and Kwanzaa holidays and view the Museum’s spectacular collection of Hanukkah lamps. Groups may request to focus solely on Hanukkah.

BOOK TOUR

Ritual and Ceremony

Ceremonial Objects

In-School or Virtual Program
Grades: K-12

Reddish Studio: Naama Steinbock and Idan Friedman, Menorah (Candlesticks United Hanukiyah), Hanukkah Lamp, 2011.

Examine ritual objects and related paintings, exploring how artists merge artistic style with function. Students learn about Jewish culture and ceremonies through an examination of traditional objects. 

BOOK TOUR

Identity

People and Portraits

Museum, In-School, or Virtual Program
Grades: Pre-K-5

Reuven Rubin, Goldfish Vendor, 1928.

Consider how artists depict people, using the gestures, facial expressions, and body language of their subjects to communicate ideas and emotions.  Compare and contrast works in different media to explore how artistic choices impact the viewer’s experience.

BOOK TOUR

Identity

Art and Identity

Museum Program beginning March 7, 2025; In-School or Virtual Program
Grades: 6-12

Raphael Soyer, Dancing Lesson, 1926.

Students consider personal, collective, and cultural identity through an examination of paintings, sculptures, or photographs. Tours may address issues of assimilation, stereotypes and discrimination, and heritage.

BOOK TOUR

English Language Arts

Objects Tell Stories

Museum Program beginning March 7, 2025; In-School or Virtual Program
Grades: K-12

Wedding Sofa from North Germany, possibly Danzig (Gdansk, Poland).

Students examine works of art and cultural artifacts in the Jewish Museum’s collection as primary sources to learn more about their historical and artistic contexts and the stories they reveal.

BOOK TOUR

History and Global Studies

Archaeology

In-School or Virtual Program
Grades: K-6

Horse Figurine, Israel, 1000-586 B.C.E., clay: hand-formed, incised, and fired. The Jewish Museum, New York, purchase: gift of the Betty and Max Ratner Collection, 1981-223.

Students make connections between past and present and discover artifacts from ancient cultures. Students view ancient clay, stone, and metal artifacts as well as archaeologists’ tools to explore the archaeological process and daily life within the context of ancient civilizations.

BOOK TOUR

In-School Programs

Can’t visit the Jewish Museum? Bring the Museum to your school with hands-on, educator-led thematic lessons. Our thoughtful In-School programs ranging from immigration to archaeology to bookmaking can be customized to each teacher's needs. A Jewish Museum educator will travel to your school and work with individual classes using artifact replicas, touchable objects, and visual images to engage students through discussion, observation, and interactive activities.

To explore tours offered as In-School programs, please visit Pre-K - 12 Groups.

A minimum of two In-School lessons must be scheduled every time one of our educators visits your school. Book a one time visit, or schedule up to four visits. Each lesson lasts for one period and must be for an individual classroom.

Cost: $140/lesson; Free for self-contained special education classes.

To schedule an In-School visit, please fill out the Tour Request Form. If you have additional questions, please contact us at schoolprograms@thejm.org or 212.423.3270.

Movies that Matter: Film Screenings for Schools

The Jewish Museum invites middle and high school students and teachers to view award-winning documentary films that examine current social issues such as representation and identity, immigration, and civil rights, followed by discussions with filmmakers.

Attend an in-person screening at the Museum, or participate virtually by viewing a selection of on-demand short films and pre-recorded conversations with filmmakers. All programs are offered free of charge.

Virtual Screenings:

Registration includes access to films for streaming, along with prerecorded conversations with filmmakers and a classroom discussion guide. Films are available from April through June 2025. Register by filling out this form.

For more information call 212.423.3254 or email moviesthatmatter@thejm.org. 

Humanity Has Not Yet Failed (2021)
8 minutes
For grades 6-12
In this refreshing animated-short, climate activist Greta Thunberg juxtaposes the absurdity of political inaction with the straightforward high-stakes of the climate emergency. Playful yet poignant, the film pits an unacceptable status quo against the activism necessary to create a sustainable, just, and equitable world. Directed by Norma V. Toraya and Jared P. Scott.

Between Earth and Sky (2023)
25 minutes
For grades 8-12
World-renowned ecologist Nalini Nadkarni studies "what grows back” after a disturbance in the rainforest canopy. After surviving a life-threatening fall from a tree, Nalini turns this research question inward to explore the effects of disturbance and recovery in her own life. In the process, she unearths the roots of disruptions she has faced as the daughter of mixed Indian-Jewish immigrant parents who prized high achievement and contribution above all else. As a child, trees provided a place of solace and safety to Nalini, so much so that she swore an oath to protect them. Now, Nalini is bringing family secrets to light in order to understand how each impacted her. Directed by Andrew Nadkarni.

In-Person Screenings:

In-Person Movies That Matter is now completed for the 2024 - 2025 academic year.
in this program, middle and high school classes view award-winning documentaries, engage in post-film discussions, and enjoy a pizza lunch at the Jewish Museum. To learn more, or to register, email MoviesThatMatter@thejm.org.

Movies That Matter is supported by the Nissan Foundation.

Additional support is provided, in part, through public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with Council Member Erik Bottcher, Council Member Shekar Krishnan, and the City Council and the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Kathy Hochul and the New York State Legislature.
 

Multi-Session Programs

The Museum works closely with more than 25 public, private, Jewish, and special education schools to develop dynamic visual arts programming for Pre-K through 12th grade students and teachers.  Led by teaching artists over multiple days or weeks at both the schools and the Museum, multi-session programs are designed to make connections between in-class learning and the Museum’s collection and exhibitions.  Participating students build their visual arts vocabulary, consider art within cultural and historical contexts, and experiment with various art materials through studio art activities.

Multi-session programs can be scheduled for three to six sessions for a minimum of two classes of the same grade level. We encourage all classes on a grade level to participate.

Pricing varies depending on scope of partnership. Please contact us at schoolprograms@thejm.org or 212.423.3270 for more information.

The Edgar M. Bronfman Center for Education’s school programs are supported by endowed funds established by the Bronfman Family, the Muriel and William Rand Fund, the William Randolph Hearst Foundation, the Helena Rubinstein Foundation, Rosalie Klein Adolf, the Kekst Family, and Mrs. Ida C. Schwartz in memory of Mr. Bernard S. Schwartz.

Generous support is provided by the Samuel Brandt Fund, The Leir Charitable Foundations, Kekst Family, Capital One, Epstein Teicher Philanthropies, Gray Foundation, J.E. and Z.B. Butler Foundation, Stavros Niarchos Foundation, May and Samuel Rudin Family Foundation, Inc., Alice Lawrence Foundation, the Nissan Foundation, Rose M. Badgeley Residuary Charitable Trust, Con Edison, Moses L. Parshelsky Foundation, Deborah and Michael Rothman, Milton and Sally Avery Arts Foundation, Pamela and Richard Rubinstein Foundation, Elias A. Cohen Foundation, Inc., Frederic R. Coudert Foundation, Henry E. Niles Foundation, Kinder Morgan Foundation, and other donors.

Educational Programming is supported, in part, by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, in partnership with Council Member Mark Levine, Council Member Barry Grodenchik, Council Member Peter Koo, and the City Council.

Professional Development

Educator workshops provide content knowledge and practical strategies for engaging students with original art and artifacts. Through presentations by scholars and educators, guided exhibition tours, and hands-on studio activities, workshops introduce teachers to the Jewish Museum’s collection, exhibitions, and related themes, and explore strategies for integrating art into classroom curricula. Professional development workshops are recommended for educators who work with elementary, middle, and high school students

Special education teachers may register free of charge for all workshops by calling 212.423.3270.

See all upcoming events for educators here.

Ben Shahn and Social Activism A Workshop for Educators

Thursday, July 10
10:30 AM – 1 PM

Join us for a workshop that explores the exhibition, Ben Shahn, On Nonconformity. Ben Shahn (1898-1969), a progressive artist, was committed to chronicling and confronting the pressing social issues of his era, spanning from the Great Depression to the Vietnam War. Following a visit to the exhibition with a Jewish Museum educator, participants will learn printmaking techniques and create a poster about a contemporary social justice issue. 

Program fee: $18

A limited number of spaces are available for teachers of self-contained special education classes and special education teachers in ICT classes to register free of charge by emailing schoolprograms@thejm.org.

New York State teachers may receive 2.5 CTLE hours.

A light breakfast will be served.

Register by July 7.

Customized Professional Development Programs

Gallery and studio workshops can be created for educators from a specific school. These workshops introduce teachers to exhibitions and explore strategies for integrating art into classroom curricula. Themes include Archaeology and Ancient Civilizations, Identity, Objects as Primary Sources, Materials in Art, and more.

Fees start at $525 for 3 hours with up to 20 teachers. Please email schoolprograms@thejm.org for more information.

Professional development workshops are made possible with endowment support from The Gershon Kekst Family.

Additional support is provided, in part, by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council and the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Kathy Hochul and the New York State Legislature.

Teaching Resources

Discover the Jewish Museum’s resources for elementary through high school educators and download curriculum materials. Discover the Jewish Museum's resources for elementary through high school teaching and learning. Two types of downloadable resources are available: focused lesson plans highlight a single work of art, and comprehensive curriculum materials explore a theme through related works of art and objects. Both sets of resources include discussion questions, hands-on activities ideas, and links to the Museum's online collection.

Curriculum guides are made possible by a generous grant from the Kekst Family.

Portraiture & Identity

This resource was developed to help elementary through high school educators guide students in an exploration of identity based on portraiture in the Jewish Museum’s collection.
Download Introduction Download Unit 1: Self-Portraits Download Unit 2: Friends and Family Download Unit 3: Photography Download Unit 4: Historical Figures Download Unit 5: Women Download Unit 6: Politics Download Unit 7: Teens Download Unit 8: Cultural Identity Download Glossary
Listen to Kehinde Wiley Audio Tour

Curious George Saves the Day: The Art of Margret and H.A. Rey

Margret and H.A. Rey’s children’s books about America’s beloved monkey Curious George hold a special place in the hearts of both children and adults around the world. This resource for educators is designed to complement and enhance a classroom study of the Reys’ Curious George stories.
Download the Guide

Narrative in Art

This resource features works of art with narrative components, and highlights connections between visual art, English Language Arts, and literacy. Consider how artists use visual elements to weave together stories with all the familiar components: characters, setting, plot/scenes, mood, and tone.
Download the Guide

Objects Tell Stories: Jewish Holidays

This resource presents ideas for exploring the Jewish holidays through art and artifacts by highlighting ten unique objects from the Jewish Museum’s extensive collection.
Download the Guide
Listen to Jewish Rituals Audio Tour

Immigration Experiences in Art

Explore the topic of immigration with diverse works drawn from the Jewish Museum collection. Consider how art can offer new perspectives on the experiences of immigrants by focusing on themes such as assimilation and collective identity.
Download the Guide

Teaching the Holocaust through Works of Art

To understand the significance of works of art and artifacts, it is important to understand their political, historical, and social context. This resource can be used to supplement and enhance ongoing studies in history, art, and literacy, through the lens of World War II and the Holocaust.
Download the Guide

Ancient Civilizations and Archaeology

Supplement and enhance your students’ ongoing studies in ancient civilizations and archaeology using artifacts in the Jewish Museum collection. Consider how artifacts can be used as primary source material to shed light on life thousands of years ago, particularly in the ancient Near East.
Download the Guide
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