

Materials For Volunteer Docents
What's A Docent?
A docent is a volunteer trained to facilitate learning in the galleries. Many docents come from teaching backgrounds, but the only requirements are an appetite for learning about the arts and sciences along with a readiness to share that learning with students, teachers, and other groups who tour the Museum. Docents are expected to complete several months of training in the fall, and commit to volunteering for at least two years. For more information, visit the Volunteer Page.
About This Page
This page contains useful documents and forms for volunteer docents who lead tours at the Dennos. Many of the resources here will also complement a classroom teacher's art lessons, and are available for that use as well.
Files are provided in Adobe Acrobat (PDF) format. You should be able to just click on the PDF link next to each file name and have it appear on your computer. If you do not have the free Adobe Acrobat reader, download it at this link.
Questions? Call Jason Dake, Curator of Education at (231)995-1029.
Subscribe to the docent event calendar here.
General Documents
- Dennos Museum Center Docent Handbook (PDF)
- Tour Procedures (PDF)
- Top Touring Tips from Dennos Museum Center Docents (PDF)
Docent Forms
- Log Your Hours Here
- Tour Registration Form (PDF)
- Teacher Contact Outline (PDF)
- Tour Evaluation - Teacher (PDF)
- Tour Evaluation - Group (PDF)
- Tour Evaluation - Docent (PDF)
- Volunteer Activity Report Instructions (PDF)
- Tour Shadow Form (PDF)
Tour Outlines
- Looking to Learn - Grades K-2 (PDF)
- Tell Me About It - Grades 3-5 (PDF)
- Full Steam Ahead - Grades 6-8 (PDF)
- Process and Culture - Grades 9-12 (PDF)
- Attachments - Grades K-2 (PDF)
- Attachments - Grades 9-12 (PDF)
General Tour Planning
- Tour Planning Worksheet (PDF)
- Multiple Intelligence Activities (PDF)
- FAQ Video for Teachers & Docents (Link)
Inuit Tour Planning
- Exploring the Canadian Inuit Lifestyle: A Research Guide (PDF)
- Introduction for Inuit tour (PDF)
- Model Tour - Inuit Culture: Government, Clmate Change, and Technology (PDF)
Permanent Collection Resources
Temporary Exhibition Resources
- Karen Bondarchuk - Crow A Day
- 12 Fascinating Facts About Crows
- 40 Chances
- Pulped Under Pressure
- Making of Pulp
Online Resources
- Dennos YouTube page
- Building a Visual Arts Lesson Plan (Getty)
- Walker Art Center Tours
- Museum Educator Community
- Harvard Project Zero
- Visual Thinking Strategies
- Art Institute of Chicago Videos
- Museum of Inuit Art
- Early Printmaking Presentation
Artists in the Dennos Collection
- Kenojuak Ashevak
- Howard Ben Tre
- Natvar Bhavsar
- Diane Carr
- Gene Davis
- Michael Davis
- Sam Kerson
- Joan Livingstone
- Charles McGee (article)
- Agapito Miniucchi
- Harold Olejarz
- Carter Ratcliff (article)
- Julius Schmidt (article)
- Arthur Secunda
- Mary Shaffer
- Lois Teicher
- Bernard Verhaeghe
- Andy Warhol
- Edward Weston