Smithsonian's History Explorer Resources Related To "Tending Aids to Navigation"

Transportation in America Collection Search

Wed, 11 Jul 2012 14:07:30 GMT

The National Museum of American History's online transportation collection includes more than a thousand artifacts and photographs. Browse the collection by selecting multiple categories, eras, and regions. This collection object search is included in the online exhibition entitled America on the Move, which focuses on transportation in US history.

America on the Move Homepage

Tue, 12 Jun 2012 18:12:13 GMT

This online exhibition explores the role of transportation in American history. Students will learn about communities wrestling with the changes that new transportation networks brought; how cities change, suburbs expand, and farms and factories become part of regional, national and international economies; and hear the stories of people who travel for work and pleasure, and move to new homes. This online exhibition also includes an interactive collection search, thematic essays by museum staff and guest curators, interactive games and learning resources for the classroom and home.

The website includes the following subsections: Transportation in America before 1876; Community Dreams (Santa Craz, California); Delivering the Goods (Watsonville, California); A Streetcar City (Washington, D.C.); People on the Move; the Connected City (New York, New York); Crossing the Country; Americans Adopt the Auto; Lives on the Railroad (Salisbury, North Carolina); The People's Highway: Route 66; Roadside Communities (Ring's Rest, Muirkirk, Maryland); Family Camping (York Beach, Maine); On the School Bus (Martinsburg, Indiana); Suburban Strip (Sandy Boulevard, Portland, Oregon); City and Suburb (Chicago and Park Forest, Illinois); On the Interstate (I-10); Transforming the Waterfront (San Francisco, California and Oakland, California); and Going Global (Los Angeles, California)

Life on the Water

Thu, 05 Jul 2012 10:10:40 GMT

For hundreds of years, seacoasts, rivers, lakes, and canals have had a big impact on the ways America has changed as a country. By using this OurStory module from the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History, children and adults can enjoy exploring lighthouses and the maritime history of the United States together through children's literature, everyday objects, and hands-on activities. Focused around Keep the Lighthouse Burning, Abbie, a work of children's literature about a teenage girl who becomes a hero by running her father's lighthouse during a storm, the module includes links to hands-on activities and a list of recommended readings for further exploration.

Lenses and Lighthouses

Thu, 28 Feb 2013 20:09:01 GMT

Have you ever wondered how the lights in lighthouses are so bright? In this activity, students will examine a Fresnel lens to develop an understanding of how some lighthouse lenses work. They will then apply their knowledge of the lighthouse lens technology to imagine a new invention using a lighthouse lens to complete a different task. Included in an OurStory module entitled Life on the Water, this activity is intended to help children and adults enjoy exploring history together through the use of children's literature, everyday objects, and hands-on activities.

Inland Waterways 1820-1940

Thu, 19 Jul 2012 16:17:42 GMT

Students will learn how commerce on the Great Lakes, canals and rivers played an important role in the development of the country in this section of On the Water: Stories from Maritime America, an online exhibition. The country's vast system of rivers and lakes has helped people settle the land and create communities. Students will also explore the realities of life and work on the inland waterways of the United States, and the professions and technologies that developed to safely navigate the perils of these vital waterways.