The Blackberry is a handheld wireless Personal Data Assistant (PDA) and communication device.
Lessons & Activities
Grade Range:
1-6
Resource Type(s):
Lessons & Activities
Duration:
15 minutes
Date Posted:
9/4/2012
Thomas Edison said, "To invent, you need a good imagination and a pile of junk." With these words of wisdom in mind, we challenge you to create your own yo-yo using items found in your recycling bin.This activity from Spark!Lab includes suggested procedures and ideas for extending your learning.
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:
2-4
Resource Type(s):
Reference Materials, Primary Sources, Lessons & Activities
Duration:
15 minutes
Date Posted:
3/15/2010
Take a close look at some special dishes that Lady Bird Johnson had created for the White House. Use the discussion and observation questions to think about the dishes and the dishes you have in your own home, and find out how these dishes connected to Lady Bird Johnson's work to protect the envi
Grade Range:
1-6
Resource Type(s):
Lessons & Activities
Duration:
15 minutes
Date Posted:
8/29/2012
Build a monument and think about monuments in Washington, DC and the history those monuments celebrate. This activity from Spark!Lab includes step-by-step directions, discussion questions, and ideas for extending your learning. Spark!Lab activities encourage young learners to explore the inventio
Grade Range:
K-4
Resource Type(s):
Lessons & Activities
Duration:
15
minutes
Date Posted:
3/22/2012
Follow simple directions to make a musical instrument, then try out some "call and response" jazz rhythms. Part of an OurStory module entitled Duke Ellington and Jazz, this activity includes links to instructions to make a drum or “sound-sandwich,” discussion prompts, and bac
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,
Grade Range:
K-4
Resource Type(s):
Primary Sources, Lessons & Activities, Worksheets
Duration:
15 minutes
Date Posted:
3/5/2012
Learn how firefighters' gear help them do their jobs, then imagine your own special gear that would help you help others in your community. Part of an OurStory module entitled September 11, 2001, this activity includes photographs of a firefighter’s gear in the Museum’s collections,
Grade Range:
K-4
Resource Type(s):
Interactives & Media, Lessons & Activities
Duration:
15 minutes
Date Posted:
3/22/2012
In this activity, children will watch a short silent film recorded in 1930 and get a sense of a Harlem club during the Jazz Age. Part of an OurStory module entitled Duke Ellington and Jazz, this activity includes a link to a newsreel video from the Smithsonian Archives Center, discussion
Grade Range:
6-12
Resource Type(s):
Primary Sources, Interactives & Media, Lessons & Activities, Worksheets
Duration:
13 minutes
Date Posted:
4/2/2012
When John Jea joined a ship’s crew in 1806, he was not prepared for the dangerous conditions, hard work, and preparation necessary for life at sea. Listen to a dramatic reading of his narrative, and then study the supporting primary sources to answer the discussion questions. This resourc
Grade Range:
6-12
Resource Type(s):
Primary Sources, Interactives & Media, Lessons & Activities, Worksheets
Duration:
12 minutes
Date Posted:
4/2/2012
Olaudah Equiano’s first-person account recalls his terrifying journey as an 11-year-old captive aboard a slave ship from Africa to Barbados in 1756. Listen to a dramatic reading of his narrative, and then study the supporting primary sources to answer the discussion questions. This resource is
