About the Provider  The Albany Institute of History & Art is located in Albany,  New York.  Founded in 1791, the Albany Institute of History and Art [AIHA] is the second oldest museum in the United States. The AIHA houses a collection of more than 16,000 paintings, sculptures, decorative arts, and historic artifacts.
Videoconference Programs are available

Videoconference distance learning lessons at the Albany Institute are exciting and engaging, real-time interactions between schools and the museum’s educators, using objects, images, and lively, inquiry-based teaching methods to offer students “virtual field trips” focusing on the museum’s strong collections in American and regional history, and art from Ancient Egypt to 21st-Century America.

Each lesson was co-written with K-12 teachers, and corresponds with NY State and National Standards.  Students are active participants in the lesson who are asked to observe, analyze, and verbally express their ideas about facsimile objects and images presented. The Institute’s web site offers complementary materials for each of its lessons (see www.albanyinstitute.org, under “Education,” and “Distance Learning”). 

AIHA’s videoconferencing is intended for individual classes or groups of 30 students or fewer. In addition to a main camera, a special “document camera” allows close inspection of individual objects.  Lessons run for 45-60 minutes.             

Availability: Monday through Friday, from 9:00am – 4:00pm (Eastern time).   

Fees 
Lessons are $100 each and teacher workshops are $50.00.  The school pays the connection fees for the videoconference call.  Payment is due within 60 days of the completion of the videoconference. 

To schedule a lesson: education@albanyinstitute.org  -----  All videoconference lessons and teacher workshops must be scheduled ahead of time.  Contact the Education Department at least one month in advance to schedule at: education@albanyinstitute.org.   Please suggest 3 choices of date and time for each lesson requested.  If telephone is preferred, please have your calendar with you and several dates in mind when you call: (518) 463-4478. 

For more information and pre-visit materials: www.albanyinstitute.org

Technology Requirements
We can connect via ISDN or IP, at speeds up to 384K.  Please contact your district’s technology coordinator for further information.

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Programs  -  Distance Learning
 

America After the Civil War -----------------------------------  Through active examination of photographs, objects, and works of art from the late 19th Century, students explore key themes of this period, including the impact of the Civil War on Americans, manufacturing, transportation, expansion, urbanization, and the stratification of American society. Guided by a museum educator, students will analyze and interpret primary sources to gain a more powerful connection to this historical period.

7 - 12

45 - 60 Minutes

Artists and Nature: The Hudson River School --------------------------------   A museum educator guides students in viewing paintings and drawings by artists such as Thomas Cole and Frederic Church. Students learn how these artists expressed their ideas and feelings in paintings, while also reflecting prevailing ideas about Americans’ relationship to the rapidly transforming natural environment. Students explore artists' use of symbolism, processes and materials. For older students, connections to 19th-century literature, philosophy, history and environmentalism are made. Suitable for schools studying American history, art and environmentalism.

3 - 5 9 - 12 (Two Programs)

45 - 60 Minutes

Colonial Life In America -----------------------  Students explore colonial era artifacts and art to determine their function, manufacture, and the role they played in the history of colonial-era New York. Guided by a museum educator, they learn about the Dutch settlement of upstate New York and interaction with Native Americans and other regional colonial residents. Analyzing images of the area from different moments in time, students see visual evidence of the region’s development, and discuss key themes such as the fur trade, agriculture, and commerce.  Suitable for schools studying New York State or American history during the colonial era.

3 - 8

45 - 60 Minutes

Facing Portraits   -----------------------------  Through interactive discussion and engaged looking, students explore the stories behind the portraits and how portraits hold visual messages about the subject, the artist, the time period or the event celebrated. Portraits used in this program include “grand style” (formal) oil portraits, commercial products, political campaign materials, and informal photographs. Suitable for schools studying the cultural and ethnic diversity of America and the interpretive skills of art history.

3 - 6 7 - 12

45 - 60 Minutes

Mummies & Egypt ----------------------------  Students examine the images of the museum’s mummies and learn about the ancient culture in which they lived. Looking at images and art, they explore the influence of the environment on Egyptian beliefs and the meaning behind the style of Egyptian art.  Symbolism, hieroglyphics, and the process of mummification are highlighted.  Suitable for schools studying ancient Egypt culture and beliefs.

3 - 8

45 - 60 Minutes

Teacher Workshop  ------------------------  This 30-minute workshop for teachers will demonstrate the possibilities of videoconferencing and briefly review the content of the lessons described above. Conducted by a museum educator, the workshop is an excellent introduction to this exciting new way to connect with the “primary sources” of the museum.

Teachers

30 Minutes