SAMFA Field Trips
At the San Angelo Museum of Fine Arts, students don't just look at art, they learn to think like artists, historians, writers, and curators.
Every field trip is intentionally designed to strengthen the observation, communication, evidence-based reasoning, and critical thinking skills identified through TEKS analysis while inspiring creativity and curiosity.
Meet Doodle!
Doodle the Duck is excited to invite friends of all ages to the museum!
Doodle has lived in the Concho Valley all his life and one of his favorite places is the San Angelo Museum of Fine Arts. He loves the museum so much that he has become an official docent and wants to share all he has learned with everyone who visits.
Join us for a field trip featuring some of Doodle’s favorite artworks, fun art activities, constructing artists' statements, and opportunities to learn about the museum and the people who make it such a great place to visit.
Choose a Field Trip
Doodle’s
Wonder Workshop
Pre-K & Kindergarten
Doodle’s
Gallery Quest
Grades 1–2
Doodle’s
Collection Challenge
Grades 3–5
Doodle’s
Curator Club
Grades 6–8
TEKS
Students will participate in activities that target specific areas of need identified through analysis of the TEKS (Texas Knowledge and Skills) and historical STAAR data. The following skills were emphasized when developing field trip experiences and art activities.
Field trips support development of the following skills:
Observation (What do you notice?)
Inference (What can you conclude?)
Evidence-based reasoning (What makes you think that?)
Perspective-taking (Whose story is being told?)
Making connections (How does this relate to other ideas or experiences?)
Communication (How can you explain your thinking?)
Each field trip includes opportunities to create original works of art during a hands-on studio experience, inquiry-based learning, writing and reflection, collaborative discussion, and museum exploration.
Each field trip consists of four rotations that are modified and scaffolded based on grade level and support thinking skills and STAAR-tested TEKS.
Rotation
Gallery Tour
Observation, inference, questioning, identifying themes
Thinking Skills
Central idea, author's purpose, plot, evidence
TEKS Supported
Art Activity
Rotation
Organization, classification, communication of meaning
Thinking Skills
Purpose, theme, justification
TEKS Supported
Rotation
Artist Statement
Reflection, explanatory writing, revision
Thinking Skills
Author's purpose, informational writing, revision
TEKS Supported
Rotation
Ceramics
Application, symbolism, communication
Thinking Skills
Theme, perspective, explanatory writing
TEKS Supported
Doodle’s
Wonder Workshop
Designed for students in kindergarten or younger.
Wonder & Explore
I can notice details and wonder about what they mean!
Students will wonder about why artists might have made the choices they made and practice making intentional art choices through guided inquiry and experimentation. Students will learn about elements of art such as color and shape and have the opportunity to create in order to support observation, evidence-based reasoning, and building connections between the world around them and what they create and experience. Doodle loves noticing details and asking questions! For Doodle’s friends who are in the early stages of art exploration, this is the main focus. Doodle’s Wonder Workshop helps to set students up for success as their education journey continues by providing opportunities to practice observation and sense-making in an interactive and engaging environment. Doodle’s Wonder Workshop helps to build the foundation for skills that will impact student success in the future.
Program Overview
Art TEKS
K.1(B) - Identify elements of art and principles of design in the environment.
K.2(C) - Explore a variety of materials and processes through artmaking.
K.4(B) - Express ideas found in artworks and museum collections.
ELAR Skills to Support Strong Foundations
K.1(A) - Listen actively and ask questions to understand information and answer questions using multi-word responses.
During gallery conversations, students practice looking closely, listening to others, asking questions about unfamiliar objects and artworks, and verbally sharing what they notice. This is an excellent foundation for later emphasis on inquiry and interpretation.
K.5(F) - Make inferences and use evidence to support understanding with adult assistance.
Students make simple interpretations about artworks and explain what they see that led them to their ideas. Museum educators can scaffold this through questions such as “What do you think is happening?” and “What do you see that makes you think that?” This directly establishes the evidence-based reasoning students will use throughout the later field-trip levels.
K.5(E) - Make connections to personal experiences, ideas in other texts, and society with adult assistance.
Students connect artworks and objects to things they already know, have experienced, or have seen elsewhere. These personal connections provide an accessible starting point for constructing meaning from unfamiliar works of art.
Doodle’s
Gallery Quest
Designed for students in first and second grade.
Discover & Question
I can look for clues and ask questions about what I am seeing!
Doodle’s Gallery Quest builds on the skills emphasized in Doodle’s Wonder Workshop by providing students with the opportunity to interpret artworks and communicate their questions and understanding of the artworks. Doodle is always looking for clues to explain the world around him. This field trip provides students with opportunities to look for clues that might tell students what an artwork is communicating. This field trip also exposes students to multiple viewpoints by allowing students to share their interpretations. During the tour, students will be asked to find the artwork that is being described and then justify why they chose the artwork. Students will discuss their choices during the tour and evaluate multiple points of view. Students will also have the opportunity to create their own artworks and explain their choices as well as interpret other students’ artwork.
Program Overview
Art TEKS
1.1(B) - Identify elements of art and principles of design.
1.2(A) - Create original images using line, shape, color, texture, and form.
1.4(B) - Identify ideas found in artworks and museum collections.
2.2(A) - Express ideas and feelings through intentional artistic choices.
2.3(A) - Interpret stories, content, and meanings in artworks.
2.4(B) - Compare and contrast ideas found in artworks and museum collections.
ELAR Skills to Support Strong Foundations
1.6(B) - Generate questions about text before, during, and after reading to deepen understanding and gain information with adult assistance.
Students treat works of art as sources of information, asking questions before and during close observation to discover additional details and deepen their understanding.
1.6(F) - Make inferences and use evidence to support understanding with adult assistance.
Students use visual clues to make simple inferences about people, places, objects, events, and ideas represented in artworks and explain which details support their thinking.
1.6(G) - Evaluate details to determine what is most important with adult assistance.
Students examine the many details contained within an artwork and decide which details seem most important to understanding its subject, story, or meaning.
2.6(B) - Generate questions about text before, during, and after reading to deepen understanding and gain information.
Students generate questions about artworks and museum objects and use continued observation, discussion, labels, and contextual information to investigate possible answers.
2.6(F) - Make inferences and use evidence to support understanding.
Students use specific visual details as evidence when making interpretations about an artwork's subject, story, purpose, or meaning.
2.6(G) - Evaluate details read to determine key ideas.
Students distinguish between details they notice and details that are especially important for understanding an artwork, preparing them to identify central ideas and supporting evidence in later grades.
Doodle’s
Collection Challenge
Designed for Doodle’s early STAAR-testing friends, this tour is specifically tailored to support skills that are essential for success in 3rd–5th grade.
Observe & Interpret
I can use evidence to make inferences and explain my thinking!
Program Overview
Doodle’s Collection Challenge will utilize the Yuck game to teach students to identify central themes, explain their thinking, and support claims with evidence. Doodle has become quite the collector, and he has opinions. Like Doodle, students will be exposed to multiple perspectives and practice making arguments respectfully and based on evidence. Students will also have the opportunity to revise their thinking and adjust their explanation with additional evidence. During the art activity, students will connect their experiences to observations and new information to create a unique artwork that supports their ability to make intentional choices to communicate a central theme. This field trip is designed to directly support the following ELAR TEKS.
3rd Grade
The focus in 3rd Grade is on noticing and gathering information.
ELAR
High Need Skills Addressed
3.8(C) - Analyze plot elements, including the sequence of events, the conflict, and the resolution.
Students use narrative artworks to infer stories by identifying what happened before, during, and after the moment depicted. They analyze visual clues to determine conflict, sequence events, and predict possible resolutions, strengthening narrative comprehension and sequencing skills.
3.9 E(i) - Identifying the claim
Students analyze works of art to identify evidence that supports interpretations about the artist's message, purpose, or perspective. They practice distinguishing observations from interpretations and using visual evidence to justify their thinking, strengthening skills used to identify an author's claim and supporting evidence in text.
3.10(E) - Identify the use of literary devices, including first- or third-person point of view
Students examine artwork from multiple perspectives by considering the experiences of the artist, the subject, and the viewer. Through discussion and writing activities, students explore how perspective influences meaning and interpretation, reinforcing the concept of point of view across visual and written texts.
3.6(F) - Make inferences and use evidence to support understanding
Students closely observe works of art, make inferences about the artist's intent, historical context, or subject matter, and support their conclusions using visual evidence.
3.7(E) - Interact with sources in meaningful ways
Students engage with primary sources, including works of art and historical objects, by asking questions, making observations, discussing ideas, and creating written or artistic responses.
3.13(E) - Develop an organized response
Following gallery discussions, students communicate their interpretations through speaking or writing, organizing their ideas and supporting them with evidence gathered from observations
Other Skills Practiced
4th Grade
The focus in 4th Grade is on what the information means.
ELAR
4.6(E) - Make connections to personal experiences, ideas in other texts, and society
Students make meaningful connections between works of art, their own experiences, historical events, literature, and contemporary issues. Through guided discussion and reflective activities, they examine how art communicates universal themes and connects to cultures, communities, and everyday life, strengthening their ability to synthesize ideas across multiple contexts.
4.9(D) (i) - [Recognize] the central idea with supporting evidence
Students identify the central message or theme communicated through a work of art and support their interpretations using specific visual evidence. By citing details such as subject matter, symbolism, color, composition, and artistic choices, students strengthen their ability to identify central ideas and justify conclusions with evidence.
4.10(A) - Explain the author’s purpose and message within a text
Students analyze an artist's purpose by examining how visual elements communicate ideas, emotions, and intended messages. Through observation, questioning, and discussion, students infer why an artwork was created and how artistic decisions influence the viewer's understanding, reinforcing skills used to analyze an author's purpose in written texts.
High Need Skills Addressed
5th Grade
The focus in 5th grade is on students justifying or explaining their thinking.
ELAR
High Need Skills Addressed
5.8(C) - Analyze plot elements, including rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution
Students analyze narrative works of art by constructing stories from visual evidence. They identify the sequence of events leading to the depicted moment, infer the central conflict or climax, and predict possible resolutions using observations from the artwork. These activities strengthen students' understanding of narrative structure and sequencing.
5.9(D) (i) - [Recognize] the central idea with supporting evidence
Students determine the central idea or theme communicated through works of art by closely examining visual details and artistic choices. They support their interpretations with evidence drawn from the artwork, strengthening their ability to identify central ideas and justify conclusions using relevant evidence.
5.10(A) - Explain the author’s purpose and message within a text
Students investigate an artist's purpose by analyzing how composition, symbolism, color, subject matter, and other artistic elements communicate ideas and emotions. Through discussion and reflection, students explain how an artist's choices influence meaning, reinforcing the analytical skills used to evaluate an author's purpose and message in written texts.
Doodle’s
Curator Club
Designed for middle school students in grades 6-8, Doodle’s Curator Club builds and expands on skills addressed in previous tours and grade levels.
Analyze & Curate
I can analyze information, make connections, and communicate my ideas.
Program Overview
Doodle’s Curator Club asks students to become curators by analyzing artworks, explaining the main idea, and looking for connections. Doodle has always wanted to be a museum curator and make intentional choices about how artwork is organized and presented. During a Doodle’s Curator Club field trip, students will be asked to come up with stories about artworks, revise their stories with new viewpoints or information, and describe how artworks are related. While participating in the art activity, students will practice making intentional choices that communicate their message and translating that message or story into writing through the construction of artist statements.
6th Grade
The focus in 6th Grade is evaluating choices, considering multiple possibilities, and students refining their own communication.
ELAR
High Need Skills Addressed
6.7(C) - Analyze plot elements, including rising action, climax, falling action, resolution, and non-linear elements such as flashback
Students analyze narrative works of art by reconstructing stories from visual evidence, identifying key plot elements, and considering how time, memory, or multiple perspectives influence interpretation. Through discussion and writing, students infer events that occur before and after the depicted scene, strengthening their understanding of both linear and non-linear storytelling.
6.9(A) - Explain the author’s purpose and message within a text
Students evaluate an artist's purpose by analyzing how visual elements, symbolism, historical context, and artistic techniques communicate meaning. They support their interpretations with evidence from the artwork while considering how different audiences may interpret the same work, reinforcing analytical skills used to evaluate an author's purpose and message in written texts.
6.10(C) - Revise drafts for clarity, development, organization, style, word choice, and sentence variety
Students communicate their observations and interpretations through written reflections, gallery responses, and artist statements. As part of these activities, students revise their writing by incorporating peer and educator feedback to improve clarity, organization, supporting details, word choice, and overall effectiveness.
7th Grade
The focus in 7th Grade is inquiry-based museum learning.
ELAR
High Need Skills Addressed
7.6(B) - Write responses that demonstrate understanding of texts, including comparing sources within and across genres
Students analyze and compare works of art alongside historical documents, literature, photographs, artifacts, and other primary and secondary sources. Through written responses and discussion, students synthesize information from multiple forms of media to develop evidence-based interpretations and strengthen cross-disciplinary literacy skills.
7.7(B) - Analyze how characters' qualities influence events and resolution of the conflict
Students examine narrative and historical works of art to infer how the actions, motivations, and characteristics of depicted individuals influence the events represented in the artwork. By analyzing visual evidence and historical context, students evaluate how individual choices shape outcomes, reinforcing character analysis and conflict resolution skills.
7.10(C) - Revise drafts for clarity, development, organization, style, word choice, and sentence variety
Students communicate their interpretations of works of art through written reflections, critiques, and creative responses. Using feedback from peers and educators, students revise their writing to improve organization, clarity, development of ideas, word choice, sentence variety, and overall effectiveness.
8th Grade
8.7(C) - Analyze non-linear plot development such as flashbacks, foreshadowing, subplots, and parallel plot structures and com-pare it to linear plot development
Students analyze narrative works of art by reconstructing events, identifying visual clues that suggest past or future events, and considering multiple storylines or perspectives represented within a single work. Through discussion and writing, students compare linear and non-linear storytelling techniques and evaluate how artistic choices shape interpretation and meaning.
8.10(C) - Revise drafts for clarity, development, organization, style, word choice, and sentence variety
Students develop written analyses, critiques, and reflections based on works of art and museum experiences. Through peer review and educator feedback, students revise their writing to strengthen organization, clarity, supporting evidence, style, word choice, and sentence variety while communicating increasingly sophisticated ideas.
8.11(B) - Compose informational texts, including multi-paragraph essays that convey information about a topic, using a clear controlling idea or thesis statement and genre characteristics and craft
Students use observations, research, and evidence gathered from works of art, exhibitions, and historical context to compose informational and analytical writing. Museum experiences provide authentic opportunities for students to develop thesis-driven essays, exhibition reviews, artist analyses, and research-based responses that communicate ideas clearly while supporting claims with relevant evidence.
The focus in 8th Grade is on evaluating, synthesizing, and communicating sophisticated ideas.