Curriculum

Prints and Books

All Lesson Plans are in PDF format.
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1. A New Viewpoint
To consider Norman Rockwell’s imagery as a means of helping students reconsider their familiar cultural and community contexts. This project is designed for students in grades 7-12. Students will develop visual literacy skills by carefully observing and analyzing Norman Rockwell’s representation of the “commonplace.” Students will reevaluate their own communities by giving attention to details they have overlooked. Students will create photo collages or multi media presentations that focus on details of their communities.

2. What Makes Good History?
The value or significance of Norman Rockwell’s representations of the Civil Rights movement as sources of historical information. This lesson is designed for students in grades 9 – 12. Students will gain an understanding of the events represented in The Problem We All Live With. Students will develop critical thinking skills by analyzing different sources of visual information. Students will reflect on the subjective nature of historical information.

3. “Creating America”
The influence of Norman Rockwell’s imagery as a reflection of America values in the first half of the twentieth century. This project is designed for students in grades 7-10. Students will develop critical thinking skills by analyzing Norman Rockwell’s Saturday Evening Post imagery as it relates to American values in his time period. Students will critique imagery from contemporary periodicals. Students will reflect on the impact and significance of mass media as a vehicle for promoting cultural values through written essays or multimedia presentations.

4. Rockwell’s American Utopia
The significance of Rockwell’s vision of an “ideal” America. The idea of utopia within American thought. This project is designed for students in grades 8-12. Students will develop critical thinking skills by analyzing the ideals presented in Norman Rockwell’s Saturday Evening Post imagery. Students will study and reflect on the notion of an ideal society through investigation of utopian writings. Students will articulate their own ideas of “ideal” society through written text and collage.

5. On the 20th Century – That Was Then, This Is Now
Explores how Norman Rockwell’s illustrations tell a story of America and Americans that reflects small towns and rural society made up of ordinary people doing ordinary things.

School Programs

The Museum’s programs are a vital link between the collections and exhibitions. They offer a unique blend of perspectives and are designed to foster inquiry and dialogue. Programs – for students and scholars – use active learning that are inspirational for people of all abilities and backgrounds. Whatever your age or interest, you’ll find that our programs explore how Rockwell’s art and visual communication can ignite the imagination, engage the mind and reflect our human experience – past, present, and future. Interested in learning more?

Education Department: 413.931.2252
Make a reservation online or call 413.931.2221

The Problem We All Live With

Giclee and Giclee canvas prints available framed and unframed in various sizes.


New Kids in the Neighborhood (Negro in the Suburb)

Giclee and Giclee canvas prints available framed and unframed in various sizes.

BOOK: American Chronicles: The Art of Norman Rockwell

American Chronicles: The Art of Norman Rockwell explores Norman Rockwell’s unparalleled role as an American artist and storyteller. Tracing the evolution of Rockwell’s art and iconography throughout his career, from carefully choreographed reflections on childhood innocence in such paintings as No Swimming (1921) to powerful, consciousness-raising images like The Problem We All Live With (1964).

BOOK: Norman Rockwell – Behind the Camera

Norman Rockwell: Behind the Camera is the first book to explore, in depth, the archive of more than 18,000 black-and-white photographs housed at the Norman Rockwell Museum in Stockbridge, Massachusetts. Rarely seen in public, these images provide remarkable insight into the imagination and working process on one of the twentieth century’s most renowned artists.

BOOK: Through My Eyes by Ruby Bridges

This is a story of a pivotal event in history as Ruby Bridges saw it unfold around her. Ruby’s poignant words, quotations from writers and from other adults who observed her, and dramatic photographs recreate the amazing story of innocence, courage, and forgiveness. Ruby Bridges’ story is an inspiration to us all.

BOOK: Story of Ruby Bridges: Special Anniversary Edition

The Story of Ruby Bridges, by Robert Coles with watercolor illustrations by George Ford.

Celebrate an American story of courage, faith, and hope with this special anniversary edition!

It’s 1960, and Ruby Bridges and her family have recently moved from Mississippi to New Orleans in search of a better life. When a judge orders Ruby to attend first grade at Williams Frantz Elementary, an all-white school, Ruby must face angry mobs of parents who refuse to send their children to school with her. This moving picture book captures the spirit of a little girl standing alone in the face of racism.