In this activity, students will enlist and experience the life of a young sailor aboard USS CONSTITUTION during the War of 1812. Students will scrub the deck, haul on lines, steer the ship, work the guns, tell tall tales, and perhaps sneak a gam

In this thematic unit, students will use USS CONSTITUTION as a vehicle to explore a wide range of disciplines including language arts, reading, math, science, art, and social studies. The content scope of the curriculum is wide and var

In the early nineteenth century, lighthouses in the United States were considered inferior to those in France and England. American mariners complained about the quality of the light emanating from local lighthouse towers, arguing that European lighthouses were more effective at shining bright be

Students will learn how commerce on the Great Lakes, canals and rivers played an important role in the development of the country in this section of On the Water: Stories from Maritime America, an online exhibition. The country's vast system of rivers and lakes has helped

This interactive collection search contains objects that are featured in the exhibition On the Water: Stories from Maritime America. Representing a broad sweep of American maritime history, these objects were collected over more than a century and reflect broad patterns of technological,

Field trips are great ways to learn about life on the water. In this activity, students will find and explore a local maritime area-a river, seashore, or another place related to the water, and share the experience with others.  The activity guide includes printable tip sheets tailored to he

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

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

What kinds of food do you eat? How do the foods you eat today compare to the types of foods that sailors ate during long voyages of the past? In this activity, students will cook one or more historical maritime recipes and then compare the foods they eat to what was served on ships in the past. I

Students will understand the importance of maritime activity throughout the United States' history. Objects from the Museum's collections, audio and video clips, oral histories and narrative accounts provide a unique look into the maritime history of the United States. An interactive collections