As COVID-19 deaths spiked in 2020, Suzanne Firstenberg’s public art installation "In America: How could this happen…"
Protest and Civic Action
Examine collections of the Museum's key resources on major themes in American history and social studies teaching. Additional resources can be found in the main search areas of the website.
Explore how Americans have used protest and civic action to affect change and address public issues.
This image is of a student protest t-shirt made during the Harvard University student anti-war protest and sit-in of the administration building, 1968–1969.
Activism through Art
These three activities are designed as follow-up materials for the National Youth Summit on Freedom Summer, but can be modified for any content.
Reframing History through Graphics: Creating Historic Graphic Novels
- This activity is designed to allow students to either reflect on a Freedom Summer newsletter and create a graphic comic strip based on ideas/content contained in the newsletter or depict how the National Youth Summit helped to shape/inform their understanding of self, society, civil rights, freedom, etc.
Final Product: Youth on the Move: Social Activism through Art
- Students will have an opportunity to briefly familiarize themselves with artist/activist Candy Chang’s work, which has been seen worldwide. Afterward, they (like Chang) will have an opportunity to create a social justice “word wall” and make images of their work available to the public.
Got the Vote?: Voter Registration Design & Advertisements
- Students will have an opportunity to examine advertising strategies and historical voter registration propaganda. Afterward, they will have an opportunity to create their own voter registration slogans and/or advertisements in an attempt to encourage their increased participation in school, community, local, and/or national elections.
American Democracy: A Great Leap of Faith
What happens when a people decide to govern themselves? America’s national treasures come to life in this compelling exhibition that examines the bold experiment to create a government “of the people, by the people, and for the people.”
American Democracy: A Great Leap of Faith explores the history of citizen participation, debate, and compromise from the nation’s formation to today. Through objects such as Thomas Jefferson’s portable desk, used to draft the Declaration of Independence; the inkstand Lincoln used to draft the Emancipation Proclamation; and the table on which Elizabeth Cady Stanton wrote the Declaration of Sentiments, the exhibition focuses on the changing political ideals and principles of the nation, citizenship in a pluralistic society, and political participation and engagement.
Blog Post: Guest Post: 3 Objects from the 1913 Woman Suffrage Parade
In this post, readers have the chance to see and learn more about a few objects from the Sewall-Belmont House and Museum collection. The Sewall-Belmont serves as the historic home for the National Woman’s party and so has a rich connection with the history of the woman’s suffrage movement. Written by Elspeth Kursh of the Sewall-Belmont House and Museum, this post is published on the Museum's "O Say Can You See?" blog.
First Amendment
This historical investigation is aligned with the C3 Framework and is from C3teachers.org.
This inquiry leads students through an investigation of students’ rights and the First Amendment to the United States Constitution. By investigating the compelling question, students consider the ways in which their rights provide a unique perspective on learning about the First Amendment and the extent to which schools are “special areas,” in which various courts have made rulings that may be seen as limiting students’ First Amendment rights.
Join the Student Sit-Ins Classroom Videos
In this series of five short videos, students can watch a museum theater presentation. During the presentation, a fictional composite character from 1960 is conducting a training session for people interested in joining a student sit-in to protest racial segregation. The student speaks about the recent protests in Greensboro, North Carolina, and coaches members of the audience in the philosophy and tactics of non-violent direct action.
March on Washington DBQ
Using documents and historical background from the exhibition Changing America: Emancipation Proclamation 1863, March on Washington 1963, students will develop an argument around the following question:
Scholars of the modern civil rights movement have debated the relative importance of grassroots organizing and so-called ‘charismatic leaders’ in the movement. Is the March on Washington evidence of the power of grassroots organizing or of charismatic leadership?
A guide for teachers is available here.
March on Washington Handbill
The March on Washington, August 28, 1963, was the largest civil rights demonstration the nation had ever witnessed. One hundred years after the Emancipation Proclamation, 250,000 Americans of all races gathered to petition the government to pass meaningful civil rights legislation and enforce existing laws establishing racial equality. The March for Jobs and Freedom was conceived by A. Philip Randolph, leader of the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters, coordinated by Bayard Rustin, and supported by almost all the major civil rights organizations and many labor unions and religious organizations. Its speakers included Randolph, John Lewis, James Farmer, Walter Reuther, and Martin Luther King Jr., whose "I Have a Dream" speech invoked the hopes of all Americans seeking racial justice.
This handbill was donated in 1964 by Rev. Walter Fauntroy, a principle organizer and chairman of the Washington, D.C., coordinating committee. It is one of many items in the Museum's civil rights collection that helps document and preserve this pivotal event in American history.
Use this Investigation Sheet to guide students through describing the object and analyzing its meaning.
National Youth Summit: Teen Resistance to Systemic Racism
We will host a panel discussion connecting stories of teenagers in the past fighting to address systemic injustice to those of the present. The 2020 annual summit will be centered on the case study of Claudette Colvin—a 15-year-old Black student in Montgomery, Alabama, in 1955. Colvin refused to give up her seat on a segregated bus and testified in the legal case that brought an end to segregated busing in Montgomery. The summit will set aside time for students to discuss on the guiding question through facilitated conversation with their teachers, peers, and families. During this time, they will create recommendations for themselves, their peers, communities, and the nation about the power of teenagers to shape our present and future.
Patriotism
This historical investigation is aligned with the C3 Framework and is from C3teachers.org.
This inquiry is focused on the compelling question “Is protest patriotic?” The question challenges the notion that protest against authority is unpatriotic and asks students to consider whether America’s democratic institutions are strengthened through occasional opposition to American leadership. This inquiry deals with the Vietnam War era (1964–1973), focusing primarily on the national and international challenges America faced during the presidential administrations of Lyndon Johnson and Richard Nixon. Students have an opportunity to learn about the reasons for and against the antiwar protests of the Vietnam War era, the methods used to protest the Vietnam War, and the ways in which America’s towns, schools, and families were divided over war policy. In investigating the compelling question, students grapple with issues related to message versus method: Could one agree with the message of antiwar protesters while disdaining the methods of protest? Could one support Nixon’s goal to stem the spread of communism while protesting the bombing of Vietnamese and Cambodian villages? This inquiry challenges students to examine their own views on patriotism and evaluate whether a soldier with a rifle and a protester with a bullhorn can be equally patriotic.
Poster in Korean stating “Today we march, tomorrow we vote”
The May 1, also known as May Day, celebrates workers’ rights and is often marked by public marches. Constantly being adapted, May Day has seen many evolutions since its start at the Haymarket Square in Chicago in 1886. One demonstration of great significance is the May Day marches of 2006, in which immigrant rights organizers adapted that symbolic day to call upon the working conditions and contribution of immigrant workers. Beginning in February and culminating on May 1, an estimated 3.5 to 5 million people participated in the marches that were a response to the Border Protection, Antiterrorism and Illegal Immigration Control Act of 2005, which if passed would affect millions of undocumented immigrants by increasing interior enforcement and re-verification of workers throughout the country. An estimate of 73 mobilizations took place across the United States on May 1, with Los Angeles and Chicago seeing the highest number of participants (an estimated 650,000 in each city). Its goal was to raise awareness of immigrant laborers working conditions, to show their economic contribution to this nation by striking and students walking out from school and brought in new people (families and older generations) to the political stage. Considered one of the largest immigrant rights demonstrations to have taken place in U.S. history and put right front in center immigrants from all backgrounds, and especially Latinos, as political participants of their own causes. Poster in Korean stating “Today we march, tomorrow we vote.”
Protest Signs
Protest signs are a powerful and important way for people to express their feelings. In this activity children will compare two protest signs from the civil rights movement and then create their own expressive chalk art or poster. It is included in an OurStory module entitled Students Sit for Civil Rights. OurStory is a series of modules designed to help children and adults enjoy exploring history together through the use of objects from the Museum's vast collections, quality children's literature, and engaging hands-on activities. Ideal for afterschool use, OurStory resources allow children to think critically, to be creative, and to achieve academic standards both in and out of the classroom.
The Suffragist
The Smithsonian's National Museum of American History presents a filmed version of its on-the-floor program, The Suffragist.
This set of three classroom videos examines the actions taken by suffragists in 1917 as they fought to win the right to vote. Students meet Rebecca, a historical character from Takoma Park, Maryland, who is grappling with the decision of whether, and if so how, she will join the movement. Through this, students analyze and discuss the suffragists’ arguments and strategies, and investigate the guiding question: What did it take for women to win the vote?
The educators' guide for these videos, which can be downloaded here, contains critical thinking questions, discussion prompts, and links to a collection of primary sources at Smithsonian’s Learning Lab. These resources guide students to explore how the suffragists used the first amendment freedoms provided for citizens within the Constitution to take action, affect change, and reshape their democracy.
Film Segments:
Joining the Movement: https://vimeo.com/258091287 In this video, Rebecca examines the history of the woman suffrage movement and decides whether or not to join the Silent Sentinels in their picket of the White House.
Votes for Women: https://vimeo.com/258089443 In this video, Rebecca speaks at an open air meeting to argue why women should have the right to vote.
Silent Sentinels: https://vimeo.com/258090364 In this video, Rebecca discusses the Silent Sentinels' picket at the White House and the public reaction to their protest.
All segments: https://vimeo.com/258816882
To March or Not to March
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 of American History entitled Martin's Big Words, this activity is designed to help children and adults enjoy exploring history together through the use of children's literature, everyday objects, and hands-on activities.
United Farmworkers Poster
Cesar Estrada Chavez, the founder of the United Farm Workers of America, is one of the most recognized Latino civil rights leaders in the United States. A Mexican American born in Yuma, Arizona, his family lost their small farm in the Great Depression (1930s). Like many Americans, they joined the migration to California and worked for low wages in its great agricultural fields. The agricultural industry in the West was a modern, market-driven phenomenon. In 1965, the United Farm Workers of America, led by Cesar Chavez and Dolores Huerta, began its five-year Delano grape strike against area grape growers for equal wages for foreign workers. Filipino and Mexican Americans who labored in California vineyards were suddenly visible in the eyes of American consumers. The movement to boycott table grapes mobilized students and educated consumers across America. The text on this poster, printed around 1970, describes Chavez's vision of political and economic emancipation for farm workers. La Causa, or The Cause, as it was known among Mexican Americans, was the political and artistic touchstone of the Chicano movement.
Use this Investigation Sheet to guide students through describing the object and analyzing its meaning.
Universal Access Lap Blanket
The American flag is a powerful symbol of freedom and independence for many activist groups who wish to claim full rights as citizens . This commercially marketed lap blanket was altered by hand to include the universal access symbol made up of stitched stars.
Who Represents You?
Use three Web sites to gather data about the people that live in your home state and those who represent you in Congress. Then use an online tool to make comparing this information easy! Included in an OurStory module entitled Winning the Vote for Women, this activity is designed to help children and adults enjoy exploring history together through the use of children's literature, everyday objects, and hands-on activities.
Working with the Short-Handled Hoe: Organizing Farmworkers after World War II
This teacher's resource challenges students to think about the short-handled hoe and its connection to agriculture and the organizing of Latino farm workers after World War II. It includes a preliminary activity intended to introduce students to doing history with objects and 3 lesson plans focused on Cesar Chavez and the struggle of Latino farm workers for social justice. Also included are annotated links to other online resources that are related to farm workers, Cesar Chavez and the bracero program.
This resource is incluced in The Object of History, a cooperative project between the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History and George Mason University's Center of History and New Media.
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