Below is a summary of the programs offered by the Crocker at your school. For more information, download the 2007-08 GenCorp School & Teacher Programs Brochure contact Stacy Beckley at 916.808.1182.

The Crocker offers two options to classes and groups who are unable to visit the Museum: Crocker-To-Go presentations and the Art Ark. In addition, we’ve provided Educator Resources, which include workshops, presentation materials and lesson plans that will help you engage children with art.

Crocker-To-Go
During a classroom visit, a docent discusses the Museum’s history, collection, and current exhibits. Presentations are 30-60 minutes (depending on grade level) and cost $20 per classroom (maximum group size is 30 students). Teachers will receive a Crocker-To-Go CD-ROM and students receive a Family Pass to visit the Museum. To schedule a Crocker-To-Go visit, please download the registration form.

Art Ark
The Crocker’s Art Ark is a mobile art education center, which brings original works of art and art activities to schools throughout the region. Designed for students in grades K-8, a gallery area displays contemporary artworks for discussion, and activity stations involve students in the creative process. More than 18,000 students, teachers, parents and administrators are served each year though tours of the Art Ark and community open houses.

On the road since 1980, the Art Ark is distinguished in the nation as one of the first mobile art museums, and one of the few focusing on hands-on learning. The Art Ark has served more than 400,000 students from 450 schools.

The Art Ark's current theme, Once Upon a Paintbrush: Stories in Art, is designed to connect and expand upon the language arts curriculum. Through multi-sensory, hands-on learning activities designed by local artists, students will explore the elements of a story and learn how stories have inspired works of art across various times, mediums and cultures. Using puppets reflective of different cultures, students will act out plays of their own creation against backdrops taken from the Crocker's permanent collection. A video panel will enable students to hear directly from professional artist in their studios. Futher activities, such as a real-time camera that transforms each student's image into a cubist or impressionist masterpiece, illustrate non-traditional methods of storytelling.

Download the Art Ark Activity Packet, which contains descriptions of the artworks and activities on the Art Ark as well as pre- and post-visit lesson plans. Booklets are provided to each teacher after a visit from the Art Ark is scheduled.

For more information or to schedule a visit by the Art Ark, please contact Christian Adame at 916.808.1962. Because the Art Ark schedule fills quickly, schools interested in scheduling the Art Ark should reserve as soon as possible.

Lesson Plans and Activities
Our online Educator Resource, Striking Gold: Mining the Resources of the Crocker, allows you to search lesson plans by grade, subject area or artwork, and once you've chosen a lesson, you can introduce your students to interactive activities including a puzzle and sending an e-card