Smithsonian's History Explorer Resources Related To "All Hands on Deck! Learning Adventures Aboard the USS Constitution"

A History of the War of 1812 and The Star-Spangled Banner

Mon, 05 Nov 2012 15:54:19 GMT

Using this classroom activity, students will be able to cite the origins and outcome of the War of 1812 and be able to place the creation of the Star-Spangled Banner in a chronological framework. The activity includes a narrative about the war of 1812 and the history of the Star-Spangled Banner, vocabulary, discussion questions and extension activities. It is included in the online exhibition from the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History entitled The Star-Spangled Banner: The Flag that Inspired the National Anthem.

Blog Post: Star Spangled Women: Mary Pickersgill

Tue, 25 Sep 2012 12:03:00 GMT

In this post, students will learn the story of Mary Pickersgill, the woman who created the Star-Spangled Banner. Mary Pickersgill learned the art of flagmaking from her mother, Rebecca Young, who made a living during the Revolution sewing flags, blankets, and uniforms for George Washington’s Continental army. Rebecca lived with Mary during the time the Star-Spangled Banner was created, but since she was 73 years old at the time, we have no idea how much she was able to contribute. We do know that Mary’s daughter Caroline, her two teenage nieces Eliza and Jane, and an indentured servant named Grace Wisher did help with the onerous task of sewing the 30 × 42 foot flag. Grace was an African-American teen who had entered into a six-year indentured apprenticeship with Mary in order to learn “the art and mystery of Housework and plain sewing.” Written by Megan Smith, Education Specialist in the Department of Public Programming, this post is published on the Museum's "O Say Can You See?" blog.

Interactive Star-Spangled Banner

Mon, 05 Nov 2012 15:53:59 GMT

Explore features of the Star-Spangled Banner using this interactive flag included in the online exhibition entitled The Star-Spangled Banner: The Flag that Inspired the National Anthem. Using this interactive tool, students can click on hotspots and learn something new about the flag each time they click. They can also zoom in on the image of the flag in order to see incredible detail.

Making the Star-Spangled Banner Homepage

Thu, 19 Jul 2012 13:30:19 GMT

In this activity, children will learn the story of the flag that inspired the national anthem. An OurStory module entitled Making the Star-Spangled Banner, the resource includes links to hands-on activities and a list of recommended readings. OurStory is a series of modules designed 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 will allow children to think critically, to be creative, and to achieve academic standards both in and out of the classroom.

War of 1812

Mon, 16 Jul 2012 17:48:50 GMT

This website discusses the major events of the War of 1812, including the burning of Washington, and the battles of Fort McHenry and New Orleans. Students will learn from images and objects in the Museum's collections to shed light on the conflict that gave the country a new symbol, the Star-Spangled Banner, and a new hero, Andrew Jackson. This website is part of the online exhibition, The Price of Freedom: Americans at War. A non-flash version of this site is available: The War of 1812.

A Sailor's Life for Me!

Thu, 19 Jul 2012 16:55:50 GMT

In this activity, students will enlist and experience the life of a young sailor aboard USS CONSTITUTION during the War of 1812. Students will scrub the deck, haul on lines, steer the ship, work the guns, tell tall tales, and perhaps sneak a game of dice during your leisure time. If the player does well, she'll rise through the ranks and eventually captain her own gun crew.

Students can also explore the ship and learn about the daily lives of the 450 sailors who lived and worked in these crowded spaces. Sailors recount their lives in their own words, and vivid, detailed drawings and playful text by world-renowned artist Stephen Biesty and writer Richard Platt let students explore all of USS Constitution's nooks, from the dark hold to the top of the tallest mast and everywhere in between.