Curated OER
How Smart Growth Can Reshape Communities
Middle schoolers explore the concept of smart growth development. They create a class list highlighting the benefits of smart growth and then research, discuss, and present their findings on the benefits of smart growth and how it...
Curated OER
Landmarks Word Search
In this geography worksheet, students identify and locate vocabulary terms and names of specific landmarks in the United States. There are 32 words/names located in the word search.
Curated OER
America's First Pictures
Fifth graders visit the Smithsonian website to search online for early photo archives about life in the mid-nineteenth century.
Curated OER
Technology in the Early 1800s
Fifth graders, in groups, select ten photos about work and technology in the early 1800's from the Smithsonian Internet site for analysis. They discuss the photos and write a short description of day in the life of a worker.
Smithsonian Institution
National Museum of American History: First Lady for the Environment
This resource provides information about Lady Bird Johnson, wife of President Lyndon Baines Johnson, and the efforts she put forth to preserve the environment. Activities, videos, and book recommendation are included.
Smithsonian Institution
National Museum of American History: A Vision of Puerto Rico
A virtual look at a wide-ranging mix of art and artifacts that visually represent Puerto Rico's culture and history. With thematic overviews of everyday life on the island, music, families, and religion along with many useful educational...
Smithsonian Institution
National Museum of American History: Building a Sod House
Ready to be an early settler on the plains? While playing this interactive game, you'll get to build your own sod house ..if ..you have the right answers.
Smithsonian Institution
National Museum of American History: Whatever Happened to Polio?
Online exhibit commemorates the discovery of the polio vaccine. Includes a timelined history of the disease, beginning with the first clinical description of polio by British physician Michael Underwood. Inquiries into the research to...
Smithsonian Institution
National Museum of American History: July 1942: United We Stand
Exhibit, honoring a nationwide design contest to encourage Americans to buy war bonds while boosting morale, explains the rationale for the campaign and tells the stories behind the magazine covers designed for the campaign.
Smithsonian Institution
National Museum of American History: The Price of Freedom: Americans at War
View comprehensive sets of artifacts that tell the story of America's wartime past and present. Artifacts from every major American military conflict, beginning with the American Revolution, can be closely examined. Full curatorial notes...
Princeton University
Princeton University: Joseph Henry
A really fine and complete biography, quite lengthy. Some emphasis placed on his time at Princeton. A great deal of detail can be found here. Link here to the Joseph Henry House.
Smithsonian Institution
National Museum of American History: Sports: Breaking Records: Breaking Barriers
A virtual exhibit featuring sports legends and great Olympians from more than a dozen sports. See artifacts from the Smithsonian's sports collection, and explore the exhibition spotlights on athletes who dominated their sports.
Smithsonian Institution
Smithsonian Learning Lab: The Music in Poetry
Smithsonian in the Classroom presents The Music in Poetry. Teachers can download this comprehensive teaching package for exploring the rhythms in poetry. Includes background information, lesson extensions, student handouts, examples of...
Smithsonian Institution
Smithsonian Learning Lab: How Things Fly: Activities for Teaching Flight
Through this series of three lessons, students will gain an understanding of the basics of flight. They will learn about the four forces of flight and practice their observation skills through a number of fun experiments. In addition,...
Smithsonian Institution
Smithsonian Education: Minerals, Crystals, and Gems
Through this series of three lessons, learners will gain an understanding of the basics of mineral science. In their investigation they will also work through the scientific process as they practice their observation skills, form...
Smithsonian Institution
Smithsonian Learning Lab: Black History Teaching Resources
Explore an exciting collection of teaching resources, activities, and lesson plans honoring Black History Month.
Smithsonian Institution
Smithsonian Education: Lesson Plan: Black Wings: American Pioneer Aviators
With this resource, teachers can select the most appropriate academic level and download a lesson plan that contains images, Word documents and PDF resources for teaching about the history of black Americans in aviation. Excellent...
Smithsonian Institution
Smithsonian Education: Tomorrow's Forecast: Oceans and Weather [Pdf]
A lesson unit for Grades 4-9 on how the ocean affects climate and weather. Includes worksheets (also in Spanish) and maps.
Smithsonian Institution
National Museum of American History: Legendary Coins and Currency
Archived images of coins from a beautiful online exhibition on the history of money.
Smithsonian Institution
Smithsonian: Creativity and Resistance: Maroon Cultures in Americas
An education resource guide based on an exhibit on the role of "Maroons," who were escaped slaves in Latin America who established communities with extensive cultural contacts. The guide includes activities which can be used in middle...
Smithsonian Institution
Gifts and Blessings: The Textile Arts of Madagascar
To the people of Madagascar woven cloth is more than just something nice to wear. Come explore the topic of textiles and their importance to these African people.
Smithsonian Institution
National Museum of African Art: Wrapped in Pride: Ghanaian Kente
Learn about African kente cloth, including how it is made, when to wear it, and how to wear it. Accompanying interactive lets you can design your own kente.
Smithsonian Institution
National Museum of African Art: El Anatsui: Gawu
The work of Ghanaian artyist El Anatsui is presented in this on-lone companion to the travelling ehibit of his work created by the Arts Council of Wales.
Smithsonian Institution
National Museum of African Art: Artful Animals
African artists commonly base their work on animals observed in their natural habitats. Artful Animals lets you view African art that takes animals as its subject and inspiration. Learn about animals as symbols in African art, the beauty...