Preparation:

A visit was scheduled to see Diego Rivera's Detroit Industry murals. Before going, students were shown Rivera materials and asked to think about how Rivera used both Christian and Native Mexican cultural references to communicate ideas about a 20th-century "community," and the workers at the Ford Motor Company facility. His work relates the automotive industry to the basic elements of nature and science, tracing its development from raw materials to finished product while also reflecting political ideologies and cultural constructs.

Likewise, students were told they would be looking at the school community, identifying themes and values that are present in the school's philosophy, observing how these abstract concepts are manifest in daily life, and creating a visual translation of the Roeper community.

While in the museum, students participated in a discussion-based tour led by a museum staff member. Not every aspect of what they discussed related directly to the project, but it was an opportunity for students to talk about what was meaningful to them as first time viewers of the mural.