Smithsonian Institution
National Museum of American History: Documents Gallery: Ellington and Strayhorn
Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn, two of the greatest jazz composers, collaborated on hundreds of works. As you explore this exhibition, you will have an opportunity to view original music scores, listen to audio clips, and view videos...
Smithsonian Institution
National Museum of American History: Van Valen's Gold Rush Journey
In this superb interactive exhibition, students explore primary resources and learn about the reasons people left their homes to search for wealth during the California Gold Rush. Van Valen, along with four other men, set out in 1849 to...
Smithsonian Institution
National Museum of American History: A Letter From George Washington
See a display of correspondence from George Washington on a variety of topics that show his interest in shaping the new country. An explanation of each topic is given along with a transcript of the letter.
Smithsonian Institution
National Museum of American History: Documents Gallery: Diary of Civil War Nurse
Interactive exhibition makes use of personal letters and diaries to document the life and experiences of Civil War nurse Amanda Akin.
Smithsonian Institution
National Museum of American History: Albert H. Small Documents Gallery
The Albert H. Small Documents Gallery presents exhibits of rare items valuable to American history.
Smithsonian Institution
National Museum of American History: Separate Is Not Equal: White Only
This section from the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of American History's exhibition Separate Is Not Equal: Brown v. Board of Education gives the history of Jim Crow laws and how they affected not only the voting rights of...
Smithsonian Institution
National Museum of American History: Preparing for the Oath: u.s. History and Civics for Citizenship
This site from the National Museum of American History, part of the Smithsonian Institution, is a great site for citizens and those learning to become citizens alike. Review the fifteen themes that deal with U.S. history and civics,...
Smithsonian Institution
National Museum of American History: Parthia: The Forgotten Empire
The Parthian Empire lasted for five hundred years and have been mostly forgotten, despite their prowess in the Middle East. Their kingdom began in 247 BC when Arsaces I was elected as King of Parni. They were the only civilization that...
Smithsonian Institution
National Museum of American History: Numismatic Collection: Spain and Its Coins
Read about the history of Spain through its coins, beginning the Greeks and Romans in ancient Spain, all the way up to the 20th century. Spain's long history is reflected in the examples of its coins presented here.
Smithsonian Institution
National Museum of American History: Life in Ancient Greece : Coinage of Corinth
Corinth was an important center for commerce in ancient Greece, and thus one of the first to produce coinage. This site discusses the symbolism on Corinth's coins, and presents almost two dozen examples from the Smithsonian collection.
Smithsonian Institution
National Museum of American History: The Coins of the Demareteion Master
The Demareteion Master is the name given to the artist who created the dies for the Demareteion coin and some others in ancient Greece. He is the first known master engraver to have lifted the numismatic art form to the level of...
Smithsonian Institution
National Museum of American History: Coins of Byzantium: The Christian Empire
This exhibit on Byzantine coins explores how the history of the Byzantine Empire is represented in its coins. There is an explanation of coin denominations, and a page listing all the rulers of the Byzantine Empire. Click on the name of...
Smithsonian Institution
Anacostia Community Museum: All the Stories Are True: African American Writers Speak
An online companion site for an exhibit showing at the Anacostia Community Museum. Read biographical information on many African American writers while viewing video clips and photos.
Smithsonian Institution
National Air and Space Museum: Star Wars: The Magic of Myth
Online exhibition relates the original Star Wars film trilogy to the "hero's journey" presented in Joseph Campbell's "Hero With a Thousand Faces" and "The Power of Myth." Originally accompanied an exhibit at the Museum, but now stands...
Smithsonian Institution
National Air and Space Museum: The Black Wings Story
This online story tells of how African Americans overcame enormous obstacles to break into aviation. Besides tracing the story there are primary sources, classroom activities, and teaching resources are included.
Smithsonian Institution
National Museum of Natural History: The Origin of the Genus Homo
The evolution of the Genus Homo is neatly laid out in a chronological fashion beginning with the key change that signaled the origin of Homo, through the evolutionary forms, finalizing with Homo sapiens.
Smithsonian Institution
National Air and Space Museum: Wright Brothers: The Invention of the Aerial Age
Beautiful, well-done site from the Smithsonian on the Wright Brothers: Who were they and what was the importance of the era they ushered in? Their roots are traced back to the Great Migration. Classroom activities and interactive...
Smithsonian Institution
National Air and Space Museum: America by Air: Early Commercial Aviation
Commercial airlines took flight soon after the Wright brothers' famous first flights. Read about how the U.S. government encouraged the development of air travel.
Smithsonian Institution
National Air and Space Museum: America by Air: Airline Expansion and Innovation
Air travel grew in the 1920s and 1930s despite the Great Depression. Read about the new commercial airlines of the time and what it was like to fly at the dawn of commercial passenger flight.
Smithsonian Institution
National Air and Space Museum: Wright Brothers: Interactive Experiments
Three interactives in an online exhibition about the Wright Brothers. The first is an engineering activity on the forces of flight, and is accompanied by a lesson plan for Grades 6-8. The second is a gallery of original artifacts related...
Smithsonian Institution
National Air and Space Museum: Wright Brothers: Embracing the Impossible [Pdf]
In this lesson, students explore primary resources to see what people who lived in the early age of flight felt about this innovation. They then compare that response to that towards an invention of today.
Smithsonian Institution
National Air and Space Museum: Wright Brothers: Engineering the Wright Way
Great interactive provides students with an opportunity to use engineering skills to design and test airplane wings based on the methods of the Wright brothers. Step into the workshop and design a set of wings that will fly your glider...
Smithsonian Institution
National Air and Space Museum: America by Air:the Jet Age, 1958 Today
Learn about the changes that have occurred in commercial jet travel since 1958, when jet passenger service began in the United States.
Smithsonian Institution
National Air and Space Museum: Wright Brothers: Who Were Wilbur and Orville?
Classroom activities, interactive experiments, timelines, and other artifacts that celebrate the Wright brothers' first flight.