Smithsonian's History Explorer Resources Related To "Plant a Seed"

Reading Miss Lady Bird’s Wildflowers

Wed, 18 Jul 2012 12:46:50 GMT

Explore environmentalism, the role of the first lady, and biography by reading Miss Lady Bird's Wildflowers together! Miss Lady Bird's Wildflowers is a work of children's literature that tells the story of First Lady Claudia "Lady Bird" Johnson, wife of President Lyndon Baines Johnson and her work to protect the environment and bring beauty to every community. The activity guide includes discussion questions and strategies for exploring the role that setting plays in the story of Lady Bird Johnson. This activity is a part of the OurStory module called First Lady for the Environment.

OurStory is a series of modules designed by the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History to help children and adults enjoy exploring history together through the use of objects from the Museum's vast collections, quality children's literature, and engaging hands-on activities. Ideal for afterschool use, OurStory resources allow students to think critically, to be creative, and to achieve academic standards both in and out of the classroom.

First Lady for the Environment Homepage

Thu, 19 Jul 2012 13:23:43 GMT

Learn more about First Lady Claudia "Lady Bird" Johnson, wife of President Lyndon Baines Johnson and her work to protect the environment and bring beauty to every community. This module from the OurStory program includes active reading suggestions and discussion questions for the illustrated biography Miss Lady Bird's Wildflowers, by Kathi Appelt.

First Ladies at the Smithsonian Homepage

Wed, 07 Nov 2012 10:58:30 GMT

In addition to artifacts and background information on the first ladies, this website features thematic overviews of the many roles of the first ladies, a timeline of first ladies, and behind-the-scenes details on the history of the first ladies exhibitions at the Smithsonian. The Smithsonian's National Museum of American History's first ladies collection includes material related to their social and political activities as well as their gowns.

Smithsonian Education Online Conference: Climate Change

Fri, 13 Jul 2012 14:55:35 GMT

Students and teachers can deepen their understanding of the challenge of climate change through this archived online conference. An excellent professional development resource, the homepage for the online conference provides the conference schedule and speakers, as well as general information about virtual conferences. Also included are links to learning activities, the conference blog, and a brief essay entitled Why the Ginkgo? that explains the importance of the Ginkgo tree to science, art history and research at the Smithsonian.