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Lesson Plans—Activities
Ride the Métro

The Paris Métro is a great way to learn about the city. You are at the Louvre Museum in the heart of Paris. Now you want to see some of the actual places painted by famous French artists in Paris. Find them on the map of the subway, the Métro. Here’s a Web link to the Métro map (you can choose the acrobat or GIF version and print the map). Click on “Metro” to see it.

1. Palais Royal—Musée du Louvre
You are starting here. The Louvre is one of the largest art museums in the world, but it was a royal palace hundreds of years ago. Name some famous works of art at the Louvre. On the Métro map, find the name of another place you have heard of in Paris that is close to the Louvre.

2. Opéra
This is where Edgar Degas watched ballerinas such as the Little Dancer, Aged Fourteen. When was the building designed and who created the sculptures? Stop for a drink at the sidewalk terrace of a nearby café. Better yet, do a Google search to find out how much the euro costs in dollars today so you know how much to spend for your jus d’orange or Coca-Cola.

3. Porte d’Ivry
Henri Rousseau painted View of the Quay d’Ivry in the suburbs of Paris. Several Métro stops are named for the “portes,” where the gates in the medieval walls of the city used to be. Métro stops named “porte-something” will be far from the center of the city. Porte d’Ivry is on the southeastern edge of Paris. You know the spot is near the Seine River because a quay is a riverside landing. You can easily walk from the Métro to the river. Follow the Seine on a different map to see how it cuts through Paris. What is the name of the larger island in the center of the city? (There is a Métro stop named for this island.)

4. Mairie de Clichy
Clichy is another suburban neighborhood, at the northwestern edge of the city. Paul Signac painted Quay at Clichy near here. A mairie is like a city hall for the neighborhood. What is an English word from the same root? After looking at Signac’s pointillist painting, try your hand at drawing a familiar sight such as the Eiffel Tower using nothing but dots.