Smithsonian's History Explorer Resources Related To "Preparing for the Oath: A Growing Nation"

Japanese Americans and the U.S. Constitution: Service

Mon, 16 Jul 2012 14:34:30 GMT

Students will learn about the 25,000 Japanese Americans who served in U.S. military units during World War II. This section of A More Perfect Union, an online exhibition, uses artifacts from the Museum's collections, primary source documents, photographs and oral histories to tell the stories of the military service and sacrifice of these brave men as well as the irony that they were fighting to preserve the world's freedom while their families were imprisoned. Their combat record aided the post-war acceptance of Japanese Americans in American society and helped many people to recognize the injustice of wartime internment. Oral history transcripts are available in the subsections Soldier's Life, Military Intelligence and Translation, and Ironies of Service.

Preparing for the Oath: Geography

Fri, 20 Jul 2012 10:42:35 GMT

This segment of Preparing for the Oath: U.S. History and Civics for Citizenship teaches about the geography of the United States through short videos, mini-activities, and practice questions. The eight questions in this segment cover topics such as, the longest rivers in the country, the oceans that border the country, and the states that border Canada and Mexico.

This site was designed with the needs of recent immigrants in mind. It is written at a “low-intermediate” ESL level.

Creating Stories Activity Kit

Thu, 14 Jun 2012 13:57:31 GMT

In this activity kit, students will use primary and secondary sources, and conduct oral history interviews to construct a family immigration or migration story. The kit contains step-by-step instructions, sample interview questions, and research guidance. The kit can be used in conjunction with a 28 minute streaming video called Creating Stories: America on the Move Electronic Field Part 2. It is included in the online exhibition entitled America on the Move, which focuses on transportation in US history.

From Ellis Island to Orchard Street

Thu, 14 Jun 2012 15:44:33 GMT

This online exhibition, produced by the Tenement Museum, allows students to play the role of an immigrant to New York City in the early twentieth century. Students will learn about the immigration experience by creating an indentity and making decisions about making a living and making a living in the Lower East Side. Video clips of an an actress playing the role of an immigrant add context and give students helpful advice. Panoramic photographs of rooms in a tenement apartment give students a unique perspective into the lives of immigrants in the early twentieth century. This website was a 2009 Museums and the Web Best of the Web Award nominee.

Ocean Crossings 1870-1969

Fri, 20 Jul 2012 10:53:13 GMT

Ocean liners were ships of transport for immigrants and machines of leisure, status, and national prestige. Students will learn about the roles that these ships played during the massive immigration of people to the United States from both Europe and Asia during the late 19^th and early 20^th centuries in this section of On the Water: Stories from Maritime America, an online exhibition. Students will also learn how passenger liners such as the Mauretania, Titanic, and the S.S. United States became a popular, and sometimes dangerous, mode of leisure travel for those who could afford it.

The Short-Handled Hoe and Bracero History

Thu, 11 Oct 2012 13:25:57 GMT

This object-based learning activity revolves around the short-handled hoe, the bracero program, Cesar Chavez and the organizing of Latino farm workers in the American southwest after World War II. Students will learn about the role of Mexican guest workers in American agricultural history. After exploring the short-handled hoe and its importance as a source of historical information, students will visit the forum section of the site to hear NMAH curators and historians discuss the object and then use what they have learned to complete the Virtual Exhibit Activity.

This resource is included in The Object of History, a cooperative project between the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History and George Mason University's Center for History and New Media.