Cross Curricular and Citizenship
Our diverse collections of portraits of significant individuals across a broad sweep of time make the Gallery an ideal context for cross-curricular leaning for students of all ages, particularly History/Citizenship and History/Art. Free CPD for teachers also available. GCSE and AS and A Level students can put the British writers and artists they are studying into the context of their times, while Sociology students studying the family can trace changing notions of childhood through portraiture.
From March to June 2013, A/S and A Level Anthropology students can explore the issues raised by displaying historic portraits of North American Indians in a modern museum or gallery setting in the exhibition American Indian Portraits by George Catlin. Choose between a Study Day on 22 March, or an introductory slide talk (see below for details). Teachers can attend a twilight preview of the exhibition, with an introductory talk and free glass of wine, on 21 March.
Our extensive displays of historic images and active commissioning of portraits of present-day figures of national importance create the ideal opportunity to study major citizenship topics such as diversity and democracy. We have joined with the British Library to offer sessions for ‘Campaign! – Make an Impact’. Using a historical campaign, such as the abolition of slavery or votes for women, students identify the key components of a successful campaign and then, back at school, run their own campaign on a contemporary issue of choice.
Representing Britain
Citizenship
Do the National Portrait Gallery’s displays reflect the diversity of contemporary British society? Working in small groups, students discuss in details three or four paintings from the contemporary collection. Students assess the displays for diversity, including by culture, age, gender and disability, reporting back their findings to the whole class.
- Maximum 30 students
- One hour
- Follow-up webquest: KS3 History ‘Diversity on Display’
The House of Commons, 1833
by Sir George Hayter
1833-1843
NPG 54
Images of Power: From Divine Right to Democracy
Trace the process of establishing parliamentary democracy in Britain through images from three different periods - the reign of Charles I and the Interregnum, the House of Commons in 1833 and a selection of recent and present-day politicians. The focus is on changes in the nature and composition of parliament and identifying further changes students think they will see in their lifetimes.
This gallery session can include either a history or citizenship activity:
- History Activity - Students assess the relative significance of the particular historical events discussed in the session
- Citizenship Activity - Choosing and suggesting adaptations to one of the portraits from the discussion to inspire a design for a poster encouraging young adults today to vote
- 90 minutes
- Maximum 30 students
- The contemporary part of the session may take place in the Lecture Theatre depending on the current Gallery displays
- Follow-up webquest: KS3 The Road to Democracy
The Abolition of Slavery
Looking at key figures along the road to abolition, this session culminates in an exploration of the large scale painting showing Thomas Clarkson addressing the Anti-Slavery Convention of 1840. The focus is on how individuals can work together to bring about major social change, considering the roles of different groups of people: British men, women, and freed slaves.
This gallery session can include either a history or a citizenship activity:
- History Activity -Students assess the relative significance of the different abolitionists discussed in the session
- Citizenship Activity - Initiate ‘Campaign! – Make an Impact’ by identifying the key components that make for a successful campaign
- 90 minutes
- Maximum 30 students
- Follow-up webquest: KS3 History Heroes of Abolition
Votes for Women
Students analyse portraits of key figures, male and female, in both the suffrage and the anti-suffrage movements in this practical session mainly in the Lecture Theatre using slides. Students predict from the sitter's self-presentation which movement they are likely to fall into, testing their hypotheses against quotations from the sitter. The session ends in the Victorian and Early Twentieth Century galleries, looking at key portraits including Emmeline Pankhurst.
- Citizenship Activity – Initiate ‘Campaign! – Make an Impact’ by identifying the key components that make for a successful campaign
- 90 minutes
- Maximum 30 students
- Follow-up webquest: KS3 History Votes for Women
Cross Curricular History/Art
Tudor Symbolism and Propaganda
Learning how to decode messages in Tudor portraits, students look at Tudor portraiture from the point of view of both sitter and artist to consider how these images were created and for what purposes.
This session can include either an art or history activity:
- Art Activity - Using viewfinders to draw details in colour
- History Activity - Who are the most significant Tudor sitters and why?
- 90 minutes
- Maximum 30 students
- Follow-up webquest: KS3 Elizabeth I's New Portrait
Contemporary Britain: Diversity in Art and Society
Starting with a discussion of three or four contemporary portraits of sitters who have made or are making a significant contribution to British life and culture, this session explores two angles: the artistic issues associated with their portrayal and assessing the sitters as representative or not of contemporary Britain. Students work in small groups to question if contemporary displays are sufficiently diverse in their representation of culture, age, gender and disability to represent Britain today
This session can include either an art or citizenship activity:
- Art Activity - Explore and consider diversity of media, sketching one example of each of 4 different types of media
- Citizenship Activity - Students suggest improvements to make the current display of contemporary sitters more diverse
- 90 minutes
- Maximum 30 students
Cross Curricular English/History/Art
Writers and Artists in Context
Placing British writers or artists in the context of their times through the medium of their portraits, this session makes links between significant people from different walks of life living at the same time. The focus can be on the Age of Shakespeare, the Romantics, the early Victorians, or the mid-twentieth century. Please specify when booking
This session can include an art or an English/history activity
- Art activity - drawing any portrait discussed in the session
- History/English activity - place one individual discussed in the session within a mind map of the period
- Maximum 30 students
- 90 minutes
Christopher Anstey with his daughter
by William Hoare
circa 1775
NPG 3084
Changing Images of Childhood
Taught in the Ondaatje Wing Theatre using a series of key portraits which students analyse, this session traces the changing portrayal of children and their families from the sixteenth to the early twentieth centuries. The class looks at such topics as infant mortality, the demographics of the family, gender roles, the status of children within the family and society, and contemporary concerns with divorce, child abuse and the erosion of childhood innocence.
- Links to AQA's Sociology AS Level unit on the family
- Maximum 80 students
- 1 hour
AS and A2 Anthropology Study Day – George Catlin and the American West
FREE
Fri 22 March 2013
11.00-15.00 with a break for lunch (not provided)
- Introductory talk by Dr Stephanie Pratt, Curator of the exhibition
- Discussion with the Curator about displaying Catlin’s paintings in the modern museum context
- Lunch break and visit to the exhibition American Indian Portraits by George Catlin, with group work (preparing a short presentation on an aspect of the display)
- Feedback by groups about their chosen aspect
- Ask the curator – any questions?
Introductory talks for AS and A2 Anthropology students – American Indian Portraits by George Catlin
FREE
10.30-11.15
March 2013: Wed 27
April 2013: Fri 19 and Wed 24
Or at other times on request between 7 March and 23 June 2013 when the necessary Gallery spaces and staff are available.
These syllabus-related slide talks help students get the most out of their visit to the free exhibition, American Indian Portraits by George Catlin.
- Maximum 60 students, minimum 10
- 45 minutes, followed by self-guided visit to exhibition
