Advice from Third Graders in Ms. McVay's Class at YIES

ADVENTURING THROUGH

the Art Museum

Advice from Students in Ms. McVay’s Third Grade Class at Ypsilanti International Elementary

A D VENTURI N G THRO U HG the art museum

Ms. McVay’s Class

Advice from Students in Ms. McVays Class at YIES

826 National’s Commitment to Inclusion

As an organization committed to encouraging youth in their creative expression, personal growth, and academic success, 826 National and its chapters recognize the importance of diversity at all levels and in all aspects of our work. In order to build and maintain the safe, supportive 826 environment in which great leaps of learning occur, we commit to inclusion: We will not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, ethnicity, age, gender identity, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, nationality, marital status, English fluency, parental status, immigration status, military service, or disability.

826michigan Staff

Megan Shuchman Executive Director

Catherine Calabro Cavin Education Director

Megan Gilson Program Manager

Denise Ervin Program Manager

Caitlin Koska Volunteer Manager

Kinyel Friday Operations Manager

Ola Faleti Institutional Giving Strategist

Kayla Chenault Interim Program & Volunteer Coordinator

Paige Bennett Teaching Artist

Eli Sparkman Teaching Artist

826michigan Board

Maria Montoya (President)

Christopher Ankney

Sean Emery

Abby Fanelli

James A. Hiller

Holly Hunt

Monica Rodriguez

Matthew R. VanWasshnova

Phil Weiss

The U-M Museum of Art puts art and ideas at the center of campus and public life. We create experiences that enrich our understanding of one another, foster joy, and build a more just future. Through exhibitions, programs, research, and community partnerships we are redefining what a campus museum can be.

Copyright © 2023 by 826michigan and Blotch Books.

All rights reserved by 826michigan, the many whims of Dr. Thaddeus Blotch, the illustrators, and the authors.

This book is a work of fiction. Any similarities to any people or events, real or imaginary, is purely coincidental. No part of this book may be reproduced without express written permission from the publisher, except for small excerpts for the purposes of review or scholarly study.

Many thanks to the University of Michigan Museum of Art and our volunteers for their participation in this field trip.

By purchasing this book, you are helping 826michigan continue to offer free student programs. For more information, please visit: 826michigan.org

With gratitude for our supporters

826michigan gratefully recognizes the incredible generosity of its Board, individual funders, and foundation and corporate partners that make its work possible in providing free quality writing programs to the students of southeastern Michigan. In particular, we wish to acknowledge the supporters of our Washtenaw County based work: the Ann Arbor Area Community Foundation, the Hawkins Project, the Kiwanis Club of Ann Arbor, the James A. and Faith Knight Foundation, the May Family Foundation, and the Poetry Foundation.

UMMA is committed to providing access to the Museum and its programs for the breadth of our communities. UMMA’s K–12 engagement program strives to support teachers and students by providing flexible and creative experiences including free admission, layered instruction, teacher resources, and transportation stipends for qualifying schools. The UMMA K–12 program is generously supported by Michigan Medicine, the Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan, and the Kiwanis Club of Ann Arbor.

What would happen if you could jump inside a work of art?

This isn’t an ordinary trip to the museum! During this field trip program, students imagined that they were shrinking down to the size of a paper clip and then jumping inside of different art pieces at the University of Michigan Museum of Art. They worked with volunteers and museum educators to write creative survival guides, giving advice for how readers might survive inside of these different art worlds. Students’ writing was then published in a book—the one you are now holding. Students toured the museum and saw the art that they wrote about in real life, reading their newly-written survival guides in front of the art.

This field trip is offered each year to every third grade class in the Ypsilanti Community Schools district. The program is a partnership between 826michigan, a local youth writing organization, and the University of Michigan Museum of Art to highlight the connections between art and writing.

We hope you enjoy reading these guides to survival in some very unusual settings!

How to Survive Alice

Florencia Pita

Alice, 2007

Polymer foam, PETG, urethane

Gift of the artist

Ms. McVay’s Class

First, you need to find some food by gently harvesting the plant–a Venus Human Trap. The smell of orange peels comes out and you go ahead and eat the plant. You start to feel a little weird so you eat the chips and crackers in your backpack. Instead of eating more of the plant, you use your filter water bottle to get nectar out of Venus Human Trap. It tastes like a citrus juice.

Then, you take some of the outside layer of the art, it’s smooth and moist and you use that to build a tent. Use anti slip spray to hold the tent down so it doesn’t fall. Use the stems of the Venus Human Traps to build an ax to cut down wood and make a fire. Find the trees for chopping wood underneath the flowers in the middle.

Next, you climb to the top using the handles on the sides of the flowers. Use anti slip spray on the bottom of your shoes so you don’t fall.

Last, look for a hole and use that as a way up and watch out! Look for a rope in your backpack and use it to climb down–hold on tight so you don’t fall off! If the rope doesn’t work, use the handles on the flowers as a ladder to climb down.

How to Survive Future Cache

Courtesy of the artist

Andrea Carlson

Future Cache, 2022

Gouache on paper

Group 1

First, you should go to the forest to get resources. You need to get a rock and a stick to make a hatchet so you can cut down the trees and build a house. There is a big human skull that’s really long and like a cave where you can build your shelter. The bottom is hollow where there are a lot of resources.

Then, you go to explore and you find the clothes on the beach. When you pick up the clothes, you fall into a hole that the sandworms made. The sandworm sniffs you out and finds you, but you can ride one out of the hole so you can escape. There are also sharks that are dangerous, so you should run from them before they bite you. The last danger is the leeches that might chase you.

Next, you would try to cross the borders of the art but you keep getting stuck in places because it’s like a maze. You might be able to walk in the white parts but not the black ones.

Last, you want to make a raft out of the wood so you can escape. You can distract the sharks by throwing a leech into the water. Take your raft to the middle of the ocean where the portal is. When you get to the portal, there is a whirlpool, so it might be hard to leave. You have to jump right in so you can get out.

How to Survive Lion Dance and Monkey Dance

Unrecorded, Japanese

Top: Lion Dance Under Red Plum Blossoms, 1730-1740

Bottom: Monkey Dance Under White Plum Blossoms, 1730-1740

One of a pair of 6-fold screens ink, color, and gold pigment on paper

Museum purchase made possible by the Margaret Watson Parker Art Collection Fund

Group 2

First, use the translator in your backpack to ask people where shelter is. Take off your shoes and go into the house with the kitchen to ask to learn how to cook a snack (maybe dumplings).

Then, share your snack with the people making food. Put on the dragon costume packed in your backpack and start dancing with the people. Maybe join in with the music.

Next, use the water filter in your bag and a cup from the kitchen to drink water from the river. Put on the swimsuit in your backpack and go swimming in the river. If you are hungry and want something sweet you should eat Hello Pandas from your bag and some plum blossoms from the trees. If you want to play, you should go climb on the trees with the other kids.

Last, watch out for a dragon who may want to attack you and throw a piece of cooked meat from the dumplings to distract him away from you. While the dragon is distracted, go through the kitchen and exit through the back door after saying goodbye to your new friends or climb up one of the plum blossom trees and crawl out through the top. While you’re leaving, make sure to ask for extra dumplings and soy sauce to bring back for your family. If the dragon is following you, get in your friend’s car outside the painting and zoom far past the dragon.

How to Survive

Nevelson Dark Presence III

Louise Nevelson Dark Presence III, 1971

Painted wood Gift of Bobby Kotick

Group 3

First, watch out for evil robots. They can come out from any part of this robot factory, and they want to take over the world. They look like big dogs and cats and they have very sharp teeth. There will be metal pipes on the floor. If you see a robo-dog, grab a metal pipe from the floor and throw it. The dog should chase it. You can also use sparkling water to get rid of the dogs, because they don’t like the taste of it. To scare away the cats, throw something cucumber-shaped, and they will be afraid of it because it looks like a snake.

Then, you need to gather supplies. You should store your supplies in the bottom right storage room. You can also sleep in this room. You should fill a backpack with clothes, soap, 15 bottles of water, crackers and salami, chips, and sandwiches. On the opposite side of the art, you can store your bathroom supplies, like your soap and towels.

Next, if it starts raining, you can come out of hiding, because the robots can no longer move. If there’s no rain, and you need to venture out of your home, you can carry water with you to fight off the robots. If you need to sleep, you can draw a circle around you with the water to keep away the danger. The robot flies can go over your water circle, so also put water on the ceiling and carry a giant flyswatter with you at all times.

Last, you climb up the crevices of the painting to get to the top of the factory, find a piece of metal, and use it as a sled to slide off the side of the art and back into reality. You should pour water behind you as you slide away so the robots don’t follow you.

How to Survive Ngoromera

Masimba Hwati

Ngoromera, 2020

Brass, iron, copper, carbon steel, and plastic

Museum purchase made possible by the University of Michigan

Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, and the Director’s Acquisition Committee, 2020

Group 4

First, you should climb up the tubes and go inside the instrument to hide from the monsters. There are two instrument monsters–a brother and a sister. Their names are Mr. Horn and Gorilla Monkey and they have 50 sharp teeth. The monsters want to make noises to annoy you. One monster has strong arms that help it to jump. It does not have legs. Another monster has strong legs. Then, you should get your backpack filled with food, clothes, tools, pillows, and headphones. Find your noise-canceling headphones to block out the sound. The monsters live in the long bottom horn. Your mission is to find the monsters and turn off the instrument noise.

Next, you should plug the noise. You’ll want to find something big enough. The pinecone hanging down is the generator that powers the entire instrument monster. If you control that, you will stop the monsters by controlling their super hearing.

Last, you should slide down the tubes like a straw. It would be safer than dropping down. You should pull the pillow out of your backpack for a soft landing. You should free the pet squirrel that the monsters had been holding captive for one year.

WRITE YOUR OWN SURVIVAL GUIDE!

Author Name:

How to Survive:

First, Then,

About the Author

inspires school-aged students to write with skill and confidence in collaboration with adult volunteers in their communities.

Our writing and tutoring programs uphold a culture of creativity and imagination and support students in establishing strong habits of mind. Through publication and community engagement, we provide students with an authentic and enthusiastic audience for their writing. Our programs provide an energizing creative outlet for students and meaningful volunteer opportunities for community members.

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We organize trained volunteer tutors to work with students one-on-one with their homework after school. Homework support is available for all subjects, for students ages 7–18.

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We offer a number of free workshops taught by professional artists, writers, and our talented volunteers. From comic books to screenplays, bookmaking to radio, our wide variety of workshops are perfect for writers of all ages and interests. One of the most popular workshops we offer is our weekly Weebots program for elementary-aged writers.

IN-SCHOOL PROJECTS

Our trained volunteers go into local public schools to support teachers with their classroom writing assignments. Based on the teacher’s curriculum, assignments range from writing tales to crafting college essays to exploring poetry.

FIELD TRIPS

Students come as a class to our writing lab to join a group of volunteers, interns, and staff in order to help solve a problem through writing—whether that is our editor Dr. Blotch’s insomnia, our looming story deadline, a mystery in need of solving, or one of the many others we encounter. Our field trips always end in a finished publication of original writing that students take home.

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Our Robot Supply Co. store is your one-stop shop for robots, robot owners, and enthusiasts alike. It’s designed to inspire creativity and bring awareness of our programs to the community. In addition, our online store is always open; visit the Robot Supply Co. at onwardrobots.com. All proceeds from our store directly fund our free student programming. Onward robots!

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A way to figure things out by ourselves

A way to help us connect to our world

We create a safe place to be ourselves and try new things

We support the ways that writers work (like thinking, sketching, talking)

We study the writing we want to do so we can try it

We learn how to change our writing for genre, audience, and purpose

We work with a group of writers who help and support each other

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A way to help us learn who we are and who we will become

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