Through a variety of experiences, students reflect on the role of art in capturing parts of themselves, their communities, and society as a whole. Using an examination of 50 years of photographs by Russ Marshall as inspiration, students create their own Photovoice Project with the intention of capturing a slice of their lives in this moment in time

Engage students of all ages with these three fun and easy-to-use gallery activities.

Students use this self-guided scavenger hunt to connect emotions to pieces of art in the DIA collection.

Using this self-guided activity, visitors connect principles of mindfulness and art in the DIA collection.

These video modules, created by the Detroit Institute of Arts, feature Metro Detroit high school students from diverse backgrounds. The videos are designed to support educators in facilitating conversations about such potentially challenging topics as identity and race in their classrooms. The modules can be used as a pre- or post-visit resource or independently of a visit to the museum. Along with the links below for each video module, there are discussion prompts that may be helpful for guiding conversations with students. Educators can modify and use these flexible and open-ended prompts in many different ways to inspire thinking and discussion among students.

Discussion Prompts

• Where do you go to escape from external markers of identity? Where’s your “Soundsuit”? Do you have one?
• Think about some facets of your own identity—in your family, with your friends, at school. How can you build an understanding of yourself by exploring different facets of your identity?
• Think about a time when you’ve tried on different outfits in front of a mirror. What is this about—is it about self-expression, fitting in, something else? How do outward appearances get in the way of authentically seeing ourselves and each other?

These video modules, created by the Detroit Institute of Arts, feature Metro Detroit high school students from diverse backgrounds. The videos are designed to support educators in facilitating conversations about such potentially challenging topics as identity and race in their classrooms. The modules can be used as a pre- or post-visit resource or independently of a visit to the museum. Along with the links below for each video module, there are discussion prompts that may be helpful for guiding conversations with students. Educators can modify and use these flexible and open-ended prompts in many different ways to inspire thinking and discussion among students.

Discussion Prompts

We are constantly being bombarded with information. How often do we question the source and perspective of the information provided?

How might we develop our own informed opinions?

These video modules, created by the Detroit Institute of Arts, feature Metro Detroit high school students from diverse backgrounds. The videos are designed to support educators in facilitating conversations about such potentially challenging topics as identity and race in their classrooms. The modules can be used as a pre- or post-visit resource or independently of a visit to the museum. Along with the links below for each video module, there are discussion prompts that may be helpful for guiding conversations with students. Educators can modify and use these flexible and open-ended prompts in many different ways to inspire thinking and discussion among students.

Discussion Prompts

-How do life experiences shape the way we think or wonder about what we see?

-Why might it be important to try and understand another’s perspective when it differs from our own? How might we go about exploring differences?

Using essential questions from the new visual arts standards, this graphic organizer supports students as they explore the galleries and discover the standards in action.