Menarche, or the onset of menstruation, generated much advice and many attempts to manage girls' bodies in a public w
Lessons & Activities
Grade Range:
5-12
Resource Type(s):
Interactives & Media, Lessons & Activities
Duration:
135 minutes
Date Posted:
8/3/2012
In this lesson, students will examine the difference between history and memory by debating the legacy of Benedict Arnold. Using video clips of an actor playing Arnold, students are invited to debate his actions and determine how history should remember him.
Grade Range:
8-12
Resource Type(s):
Interactives & Media, Lessons & Activities
Duration:
135 minutes
Date Posted:
8/3/2012
In this lesson, students will examine the difference between history and memory by debating the legacy of John Brown. Using video clips of an actor playing Brown, students are invited to debate his actions and determine how history should remember him. The video segments are also avai
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 an 1898 Standard Voting Machine, the fight against voting fraud and the extension of voting rights in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Students will learn how voting technology was used to democratize the voting process in the
Grade Range:
K-4
Resource Type(s):
Lessons & Activities, Worksheets
Duration:
30 minutes
Date Posted:
5/21/2009
Do you live near the water? There is probably a body of water closer than you think! In this activity, students will use Google Maps to first find their school, and then locate and learn about the closest body of water to their school. Included in an OurStory module entitled Li
Grade Range:
4-6
Resource Type(s):
Reference Materials, Primary Sources, Lessons & Activities
Duration:
40 minutes
Date Posted:
3/18/2011
Take a close look at two newspaper articles and a children's book telling the story of an escaped slave-compare the stories they tell to uncover the perspectives they represent. Part of an OurStory module entitled Full Steam to Freedom, this activity includes transcripts of two Civil War
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:
3-5
Resource Type(s):
Primary Sources, Interactives & Media, Lessons & Activities, Worksheets
Duration:
25 minutes
Date Posted:
1/5/2010
In this activity, children pretend to be an American during 1963 and decide whether or not to join the March on Washington. Children base their choice on information gathered through guided observation of a handbill from the march. Included in an OurStory module from Smithsonian's National Museum
Grade Range:
K-4
Resource Type(s):
Reference Materials, Lessons & Activities
Duration:
50 minutes
Date Posted:
11/30/2010
Explore a local train-related site with safety and discussion tips for kids and families. Part of an OurStory module entitled All Aboard the Train!, this activity includes strategies for selecting a train-related field trip in your area (such as train stations, train tracks, or train mus
Grade Range:
6-12
Resource Type(s):
Reviewed Websites, Reference Materials, Primary Sources, Lessons & Activities
Duration:
60 minutes
Date Posted:
8/9/2022
The Smithsonian Transcription Center, the National Museum of American History, the Smithsonian Center for Learning and Digital Access, and Smithsonian Enterprises collaborated with five secondary teachers from the greater Washington, D.C., metro area to create
Grade Range:
9-12
Resource Type(s):
Reviewed Websites, Primary Sources, Lessons & Activities
Duration:
90 minutes
Date Posted:
10/13/2016
This historical investigation is aligned with the C3 Framework and from C3teachers.org.
The compelling question “Can peace lead to war?” offers students an opportunity to explore the historic cont
