Online and in-person resources for educators and their students
Educator Resource Center
The Educator Resource Center (ERC) is home to a wide array of books, Art Connection Kits, teaching posters, and other materials available for check-out. Search our catalog to see what’s available.
Educators must register for a free ERC account to borrow materials. Registered patrons receive a monthly e-newsletter from the ERC with educator-focused content.
Hours and access
ERC staff are ready to assist you in finding resources and identifying strategies and works of art to incorporate into your teaching. You can access the ERC in one of two ways:
- To schedule a visit on Mondays, Thursdays, and Fridays, complete our contact form.
- Drop-in during on Saturdays during public hours, 10 am-2 pm.
The ERC is supported in part by H&R Block.
Art Connection Kits
Art Connection Kits provide multi-disciplinary, hands-on enrichment activities and objects that connect works in the museum’s collection with the cultures and historical periods that produced them. Kits can be reserved in advance and checked out by ERC patrons for a two-week period. Kit topics include:
- African Collection
- American Collection
- Ancient Egyptian Art
- Archeology
- Chinese Collection
- Native American Collection
- Native American Art of the Plains
- Sculpture
If you have questions, complete the Educator Resource Center contact form.
Online Resources
Find downloadable resources with discussion questions, activity ideas, and multimedia items that can support your students’ learning.
Field trip guides
Check out the following resources to find pre- and post-visit activity suggestions, relevant vocabulary terms, and other support materials.
Tours
- Ancient Odysseys Classroom Connections
- Beyond the Buffalo Classroom Connections
- Chinese Collection Classroom Connections
- Making of America Classroom Connections
- Sacred and the Secular Classroom Connections
- Seen and Unseen Classroom Connections
Workshops
- Shapes and Colors (Pre-K – Grade 1)
- My Mythical Creature (Grades K – 3)
- Indigenous Designs (Grades 2 – 4)
- Museum Explorers (Grades 3 – 5)
- Scribble Bots (Grades 5 and up)
- Personality Portraits (Grades 5 and up)
Exhibition Guides
- Teacher Guide – Hokusai: Waves of Inspiration from the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.
- Teacher Guide – Still Performing: Costume, Gesture, and Expression in 19th Century European Photography.
Other Resources
- Missouri Remembers: Artists in Missouri through 1951 – Teacher Resource Guide (PDF)
- American Art – Teacher Resource Guide (PDF)
- Asian Art – Teacher Resource Guide (PDF)
- Portraits – Teacher Resource Guide (PDF)
- BIPOC Artists: Selected works from the Nelson-Atkins (PDF)
- Curate Your Own Exhibition Card Game
- Elements of Art at the Nelson-Atkins Posters
- Fierce Women Across the Collection (PDF)