As COVID-19 deaths spiked in 2020, Suzanne Firstenberg’s public art installation "In America: How could this happen…"
Lessons & Activities
Grade Range:
2-5
Resource Type(s):
Reference Materials, Lessons & Activities
Duration:
30 minutes
Date Posted:
3/18/2011
Explore the Web to dive deeper into the story of Robert Smalls, escaped slave and fighter for the Union cause during the Civil War. Part of an OurStory module entitled Full Steam to Freedom, this activity includes recommended web resources, tips for using picnic or Microsoft PowerPo
Grade Range:
2-6
Resource Type(s):
Primary Sources, Lessons & Activities
Duration:
45 minutes
Date Posted:
4/30/2010
Use artifacts and a historical letter to discuss George Washington’s leadership during the War of Independence and the qualities of great leaders. This lesson plan, which includes background information, full color primary sources, and a transcript of a letter about George Washington, was produ
Grade Range:
2-6
Resource Type(s):
Lessons & Activities
Duration:
50
minutes
Date Posted:
6/10/2008
This lesson will help students become aware of, and sensitive to, the Japanese American internment camp experience. By creating a list of things that are important and familiar to them and then choosing what they will take and leave behind, students will develop a sense of empathy by simulating s
Grade Range:
3-4
Resource Type(s):
Lessons & Activities, Worksheets
Date Posted:
1/14/2009
In this activity, students will analyze the letter Grace Bedell wrote to President Abraham Lincoln, then write and send their own letters to the president of the United States. This activity is included in an Ourstory module entitled A Letter to Abraham Lincoln. OurStory
Grade Range:
3-5
Resource Type(s):
Reference Materials, Primary Sources, Lessons & Activities
Duration:
30 minutes
Date Posted:
1/5/2010
Do you have what it takes to be a comic book hero? Take a close look at a comic book from the 1950s and 60s about nonviolence in the civil rights movement and think about ways those tips could help you today. Included in an OurStory module from Smithsonian's National Museum of America
Grade Range:
3-5
Resource Type(s):
Lessons & Activities, Worksheets
Duration:
150 minutes
Date Posted:
11/20/2008
This activity is a field trip that takes adults and children to historic places to learn through asking questions and seeking answers through observation and using experts. Children will be better able to observe details and ask questions. It will help children build an understanding of a specifi
Grade Range:
3-5
Resource Type(s):
Lessons & Activities, Worksheets
Duration:
15 minutes
Date Posted:
3/9/2012
It's in the numbers! Explore how charts and data maps can help you see immigration patterns in history. Part of an OurStory module entitled Coming to America, this activity includes data sources, discussion questions, links to free online tools, and background information. OurStory is de
Grade Range:
3-5
Resource Type(s):
Lessons & Activities
Duration:
30
minutes
Date Posted:
4/19/2012
Use the Densho Project website to learn about realpeople who lived in internment camps, and then create baseball cards to tell their stories. Part of an OurStory module entitled Life in a WWII Japanese American Internment Camp, this activity includes instructions, discussion prompts, lin
Grade Range:
3-5
Resource Type(s):
Primary Sources, Lessons & Activities
Duration:
20 minutes
Date Posted:
11/19/2008
The national anthem describes an actual event in American history. In this classroom activity, students will be able to recite the first verse and paraphrase "The Star-Spangled Banner." Students will also be able to explain why Francis Scott Key wrote these words in 1814. This activity is include
Grade Range:
3-5
Resource Type(s):
Lessons & Activities, Primary Sources
Duration:
15
minutes
Date Posted:
3/9/2012
How can the Statue of Liberty be used in a timeline? Take a close look at an object made by an immigrant, then tell your family or cultural stories through a timeline. Part of an OurStory module entitled Coming to America, this activity includes a guided exploration of a museum artifact,
