"This black t-shirt, which says “Silence = Death” with a pink triangle, symbolizes the struggle against AIDS.
Lessons & Activities
Grade Range:
K-2
Resource Type(s):
Lessons & Activities
Duration:
60
minutes
Date Posted:
11/19/2008
What do museums do? In this classroom activity, students will recognize the Smithsonian Institution and be able to explain what a museum does. This is accomplished through the use of discussion questions and activities in which they relate stories from prior museum visits or share ideas for a mus
Grade Range:
K-4
Resource Type(s):
Primary Sources, Lessons & Activities, Worksheets
Date Posted:
6/10/2008
What would you take if you were suddenly forced to move? In this activity, students will make this decision after reading and responding to a quote by a woman who was forced to move to a Japanese American internment camp during World War II. It is included in an OurStory module entitled Life in a
Grade Range:
K-4
Resource Type(s):
Lessons & Activities, Worksheets
Date Posted:
5/21/2009
Have you ever wondered how the lights in lighthouses are so bright? In this activity, students will examine a Fresnel lens to develop an understanding of how some lighthouse lenses work. They will then apply their knowledge of the lighthouse lens technology to imagine a new invention using a ligh
Grade Range:
6-9
Resource Type(s):
Primary Sources, Lessons & Activities, Worksheets
Duration:
45 minutes
Date Posted:
4/30/2010
Engage middle school students in historical document analysis with three contrasting images of the Battles of Lexington and Concord. Using a graphic organizer, students will examine three primary sources and analyze the different perspectives presented in each. After completing the analysis
Grade Range:
K-4
Resource Type(s):
Reference Materials, Lessons & Activities
Date Posted:
6/10/2008
Students will learn about life on the prairie and in sod houses in this OurStory module, entitled Life in a Sod House. The module includes the interactive activity Building a Sod House, hands-on activities and a list of recommended readings related. OurStory is a series of modules design
Grade Range:
K-4
Resource Type(s):
Reference Materials, Lessons & Activities
Date Posted:
6/10/2008
In this OurStory module entitled Life in a WWII Japanese American Internment Camp, students will learn about the lives of Japanese American children who were forced to leave their homes and move to internment camps during World War II. The module includes links to hands-on activities, pertinent w
Grade Range:
K-4
Resource Type(s):
Reference Materials, Lessons & Activities
Date Posted:
5/21/2009
For hundreds of years, seacoasts, rivers, lakes, and canals have had a big impact on the ways America has changed as a country. By using this OurStory module from the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History, children and adults can enjoy exploring lighthouses and the maritime hist
Grade Range:
K-4
Resource Type(s):
Lessons & Activities, Worksheets
Date Posted:
3/31/2014
In this activity, children and adults will take a trip together to explore a locally owned
business in their community. Children and adults will use the suggested questions to learn
more about what it takes to run a business while thinking about the business history of their
Grade Range:
K-5
Resource Type(s):
Lessons & Activities, Worksheets
Date Posted:
9/4/2020
These activities help young learners build skills in literacy, creativity, and communication while using everyday materials and exploring interesting topics. A series of five, each activity uses objects from across the Smithsonian as a jumping-off point for learning through play as well as tips for
Grade Range:
K-4
Resource Type(s):
Lessons & Activities, Worksheets
Duration:
50 minutes
Date Posted:
3/5/2012
Field trips to memorials are great ways to learn about how communities remember important events. In this activity, students will do a digital field trip to learn more about the Pentagon’s memorial for September 11,2001, and then visit a local memorial. Part of an OurStory module en
