"This black t-shirt, which says “Silence = Death” with a pink triangle, symbolizes the struggle against AIDS.
Interactives & Media
Grade Range:
6-12
Resource Type(s):
Interactives & Media, Worksheets
Date Posted:
8/15/2011
In 2005, Hurricane Katrina ravaged the Gulf Coast of the United States. In her wake, a team of curators from the museum set out to collect objects that captured the history of the moment and what it meant to the country. In this episode of the History Explorer podc
Grade Range:
2-6
Resource Type(s):
Reviewed Websites, Interactives & Media
Date Posted:
9/1/2009
This interactive Web site from Plimoth Plantation, a Smithsonian Affiliate, focuses on clarifying fact and fiction surrounding the "First Thanksgiving." Students use audio from Plimoth Plantation historians, images of artifacts, and a glossary to answer questions and explore the lives of the Wama
Grade Range:
K-12
Resource Type(s):
Reference Materials, Primary Sources, Interactives & Media
Date Posted:
3/23/2018
Giving in America is a permanent exhibit that looks at the historical role of philanthropy in shaping the United States. The exhibit showcases four major themes of American philanthropy centered on the questions of “Who Gives?” “Why Do We Give?” “What Do We Give?” and
Grade Range:
K-12
Resource Type(s):
Primary Sources, Interactives & Media
Date Posted:
2/25/2014
Our Founding Fragments video series gets up close and personal with historical treasures in the collection of the National Museum of American History. This is our fifth episode in the series, and in it our host Tory joins curator Dr. Margaret S
Grade Range:
6-12
Resource Type(s):
Interactives & Media, Worksheets
Date Posted:
11/15/2011
In this episode of the History Explorer podcast series, Shannon Perich, curator in the Photographic Collection at the Museum examines three unique photographic portraits, showing how portraiture and the creation of an image between sitter and photographer, can be used to express many ideas,
Grade Range:
4-12
Resource Type(s):
Primary Sources, Interactives & Media, Lessons & Activities
Date Posted:
6/1/2009
Maritime activity is as important as ever, and it affects the lives of people everywhere. The importance of shipping to today's global economy and the types of ships that transport goods throughout the world are the focus of this section of On the Water: Stories from Maritime America
Grade Range:
9-12
Resource Type(s):
Primary Sources, Interactives & Media, Lessons & Activities
Date Posted:
11/8/2009
This object-based learning activity revolves around a dress that connects the lives of Mary Todd Lincoln and Elizabeth Keckley, a popular African-American dressmaker who lived in Washington, D.C at the time of the Civil War. Students will learn how one object can tell many different stories.
Grade Range:
8-12
Resource Type(s):
Interactives & Media
Date Posted:
3/1/2016
How do you bring an innovation to market? Explore four historic case studies to learn how real entrepreneurs moved from an initial idea to a final product.
Grade Range:
5-12
Resource Type(s):
Interactives & Media
Date Posted:
9/4/2020
Spark!Lab is a hands -on invention studio in the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History. Spark!Lab activities communicate that invention is a process, rather than a single “Aha!” moment; provide visitors with opportunities to explore the invention process and their own inventiveness;
Grade Range:
9-12
Resource Type(s):
Primary Sources, Interactives & Media, Lessons & Activities
Date Posted:
11/5/2009
This teacher resource challenges students to think about the Jefferson desk and the Declaration of Independence as objects that are valuable sources of historical information. It includes a preliminary activity intended to introduce students to doing history with objects a
