Teacher Workshops

Be inspired to use portraiture in your classroom. No matter what subject you teach, you will learn and practice techniques to involve your students in creative and innovative ways. By using portraiture as a springboard into deeper discussions about biography and our collective history, the Portrait Gallery strives to create an unprecedented experience for teachers as we gain a glimpse into the past and examine the present.

The Portrait Gallery is pleased to offer both virtual and on-site teacher workshops for the 2024–2025 academic year. Please register for all workshops on the Portrait Gallery's Eventbrite page. Looking forward to seeing you in the galleries or on Zoom. 

full length painting of a man in a black suit

 

Rediscovering Lincoln: The Travers Portrait and Lincoln’s Complex Legacy  

Monday, January 27, 2025
5:00pm – 6:00pm  
Virtual via Zoom 

Unravel Abraham Lincoln’s complex legacy with museum educators from the National Portrait Gallery, President Lincoln’s Cottage and Ford’s Theatre. In this one-hour workshop, participants will analyze W.F.K. Travers 1865 life-size painting of the 16th president and discuss Lincoln’s role in the emancipation of four million African Americans. They will also look closely at several monuments and memorials in Washington, D.C., honoring Lincoln to discover how art reflects the arc of his evolving legacy. Designed for educators grades 3-12 and participants may request a letter certifying one-hour of professional development. 

A person in military uniform, glasses, and short white hair stands in front of a classic tape-operated computer.

 

Innovation and Tradition: Military Technology and Portraiture

Tuesday February 11th
5pm – 6pm
Online via Zoom

Join Arlington National Cemetery and the National Portrait Gallery for a STEAM-focused teacher workshop highlighting innovators of military technology. Use close looking strategies to uncover stories of each sitter’s military service and consider the reach of their impact in American civilian life.

Black and white photo of a woman standing with glasses, short hair, a long jacket, and a belt

Exploring Civics through Portraiture

Saturday, March 8th
9:00am-11:30am
G Street Lobby

As part of Civic Learning Week and Women’s History Month, this workshop will take a close look at portraits of women in the National Portrait Gallery's collection, through the lenses of civics and democracy.  We’ll analyze portraits of major figures who played critical roles in the three branches of the nation’s government.  And we’ll examine portraits of women who embodied civic engagement and the lasting impact they made.  We’ll conclude our time by considering how portraiture can be a springboard to civic participation.

Virtual Classroom Conversations Series 

Classroom Conversations is a virtual teacher workshop series that uses portraiture to explore topics and themes related to history and heritage months throughout the school year.

Latino man in a NASA space uniform

Picturing Identity and Community in The Latino List  

Monday, September 16, 2024  
5:00pm-6:00pm EST 
Virtual via Zoom 

Join us for a teacher workshop where we explore portraits of astronauts, activists, and authors featured in photographer Timothy Greenfield-Sanders's The Latino List through close looking strategies. Teachers will leave with a toolkit of thinking routines, portraits, activities, and lesson plans to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month in their classroom year-round. Recommended grade levels: PK-6  

full length photo of a darhk haired woman seated on steps

Indigenous Portraits from the Edges 

Monday, October 21st, 2024 
5:00pm-6:00pm EST  
Virtual via Zoom 

Take a close look at portraits of Indigenous sitters from tribal nations near the edges of the United States and consider how contemporary and historical portraits can aid student learning about communities pre-dating and still existing within the United States. Teachers will leave with a toolkit of thinking routines, portraits, and activities to implement in their classroom. Recommended grade levels: 4-12  

waist length photo of a badly wounded young veteran

Soldier Stories: The Fight for Freedom 

Monday, November 4, 2024 
5:00pm-6:00pm EST 
Virtual via Zoom 

Commemorate American Veterans and get to know their stories in this teacher workshop. Together we will take a close look at several veterans and how their lives and legacies are shaped by their military service. Teachers will leave with a toolkit of thinking routines, portraits, and activities to implement in their classroom. Recommended grade levels: 4-12 

black and white photo of a man speaking at the Lincoln Memorial

Portraits of Change: Faces of the 1963 March on Washington  

Monday, January 6th, 2025 
5:00pm-6:00pm EST 
Virtual via Zoom 

Join us for a close look at significant figures from the 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. Consider how portraits can add depth to students’ understanding of this important event and honor the people who made it happen. Teachers will leave with a toolkit of thinking routines, portraits, and activities to implement in their classroom. Recommended grade levels: PK-12 

drawing of a woman observing a outline of a figure behind her

Gender Expression and Portraiture  

Monday, February 3, 2025 
5:00pm-6:00pm EST 
Virtual via Zoom 

Join us for a discussion of gender expression and portraiture and its relevance in today's classrooms. Together we will explore how artists use portraiture to examine, criticize, and question the relationships between gender and society. Teachers will leave with a toolkit of thinking routines, portraits, and activities to implement in their classroom. Recommended grade levels: 8-12 

close-up photo of a Black woman with her chin resting on her hands

Community Builders: Religious Women & Portraiture 

Monday, March 17, 2025 
5:00pm-6:00pm EST 
Virtual via Zoom 

In this workshop, we’ll focus on portraits of religious women who have created community in the United States. Use close-looking strategies to delve into their biographies, learn about their life’s work, and consider how artists represent religion in portraiture. Teachers will leave with a toolkit of thinking routines, portraits, and activities to implement in their classroom. Recommended grade levels: 4-12 

sepia toned full length photo of a man standing in front of a surfboard

Ecology, Hawaii, and Portraiture  

Monday, April 7, 2025 
5:00pm-6:00pm EST 
Virtual via Zoom 

Learn about the ecology of Hawaiian Islands through the eyes of those who called them home. Together we will closely look at portraits of musicians, leaders, and athletes who taught the world about the Aloha State and ways to preserve it. Teachers will leave with a toolkit of thinking routines, portraits, and activities to implement in their classroom. Recommended grade levels: PK-12 

Waist length photo of a man with a dog looking out of a window

Portraits of Determination: Figures of the AIDS Epidemic 

Monday, May 12, 2025 
5:00pm-6:00pm EST 
Virtual via Zoom 

2025 marks the 40th anniversary of the opening of gay rights and HIV/AIDS activist Larry Kramer’s play, The Normal Heart. Join us in taking a close look at portraits of Kramer and other significant figures during the AIDS epidemic of the 1980’s and consider how portraits can be used to share this history with students. Teachers will leave with a toolkit of thinking routines, portraits, and activities to implement in their classroom. Recommended grade levels: 8-12