Smithsonian's History Explorer Resources Related To "The Curator's Challenge: Life in a Post-September 11 World"

Students’ Response to 9/11: A Documentary Report

Tue, 12 Jun 2012 12:05:20 GMT

Have students document the national response to the terrorist attacks on the United States on September 11, 2001 using polls, comment cards from teenagers, and their own recollections. This lesson plan (which includes background information and full-color primary sources) was produced to accompany the exhibition The Price of Freedom: Americans at War, by the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History.

History Explorer Podcast: Objects from September 11

Wed, 17 Oct 2012 10:06:44 GMT

In this episode of the History Explorer podcast series, James Gardner, Former Senior Scholar and Associate Director for Curatorial Affairs, discusses the Museum's collection efforts and object stories following the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001. The resource includes a teachers guide and student worksheet.

September 11, 2001

Tue, 17 Jul 2012 14:37:49 GMT

September 11, 2001 was a shocking day in American history. By using this OurStory module from the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History, children and adults can start discussing the events of that day through children's literature, museum objects, and hands-on activities. Focused around The Little Chapel that Stood a work of children's literature about a Ground Zero chapel that became a hub of rescue and recovery efforts, the module includes links to hands-on activities and a list of recommended readings for further exploration.

September 11: Bearing Witness to History

Tue, 17 Jul 2012 14:37:06 GMT

This online exhibition commemorates the tragic events of September 11, 2001. It includes highlights of the exhibition that was on display at the Museum from September 11, 2002 until July 6, 2003, including selected objects, photographs, personal stories and video. Students can also search over 100 objects related to the event from the Museum's collections, listen to oral histories of curators as they tell stories about collecting the objects, and have the opportunity to link to the September 11 Digital Archive in order to read unedited first-person accounts of the events of September 11 and then share their own memories. Some of the material included in the archive may not be suitable for young children.

September 11: Teaching Contemporary History Online Conference

Tue, 17 Jul 2012 14:39:17 GMT

In August 2011, the National Museum of American History, National September 11 Memorial & Museum, Pentagon Memorial Fund, and Flight 93 National Memorial, offered an online conference, September 11: Teaching Contemporary History, for K-12 teachers. This website includes the conferense sessions, which highlighted resources available at each organization, provided background information on September 11, and encouraged conversations on how to document, preserve, and interpreted recent history and current events. The site also includes frequently asked questions about September 11 and the memorial sites, K-12 resources from the Museum and the memorial sites, timelines of the events at each site, and access to an online community group for further discussion about September 11.

The September 11 Digital Archive

Tue, 17 Jul 2012 14:36:10 GMT

The September 11 Digital Archive uses electronic media to collect, preserve, and present the history of September 11, 2001 and its aftermath. The Archive contains more than 150,000 digital items, a tally that includes more than 40,000 emails and other electronic communications, more than 40,000 first-hand stories, and more than 15,000 digital images. Produced by the Center for History and New Media and American Social History Project/Center for Media and Learning, students can use the archive to browse, research and share their memories of the tragic event by uploading images, documents, and other digital files. Some of the material included in the archive may not be suitable for young children.