Student activity collection analyzing the work of two very different Mexican American artists, identifying aspects of culture and exploring expressions about Latino experiences in art. Included in this collection, are five paintings highlighting Latino families, paired with observation and analys

Whether convenient, fast, organic, processed, gourmet, ethnic, or local—the foods available to Americans have never been more plentiful and diverse, or more ripe for discussion. Coupled with big changes in who does the cooking, where meals are consumed, and what we know (or think we know) about

Civil rights legend Robert Moses, Marshall Ganz, activist and professor at the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University, students, and others participated in a panel discussion about Freedom Summer, the 1964 youth-led effort to end the political disenfranchisement and educational inequa

Use this guide to actively read Julia Morgan Built a Castle, a picture book about one of America’s first female architects. Part of an OurStory module entitled Building Beautiful Buildings, this activity includes discussion prompts, a glossary, and background information.

In this webcast, a historian of 19th century slavery and slave literature, the Ambassador of the Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons at the US Department of State, the great-great-great grandson of Frederick Douglass, and a high school student activist joined together with high sc

Explore the American presidency and elections in these four activities from Smithsonian Education’s Art to Zoo. Each of the four activities focuses on a different skill in social studies: examining maps, using timelines, studying collections, and using primary sources. The activiti

Believe it or not, some plants can grow without soil.  This type of gardening is called hydroponics. Here's how you can get started growing green. This activity from Spark!Lab includes step-by-step directions, discussion questions, and ideas for extending your learning. Spark!Lab activities

DNA is inside the cells of every living thing, including you. This experiment lets you see the long, twisting molecules of DNA inside cells. This activity from Spark!Lab includes step-by-step directions, a worksheet for documenting the experiment, discussion questions, and ideas for extending you

Thomas Edison changed our world with electric lights and an entire system that produced and delivered electrical power. Try your hand at making your own light bulb. This activity from Spark!Lab includes step-by-step directions, a printable chart to record the experiment, and discussion questions.

A polymer is made up of tiny molecules in long, repeating chains, like paper clips hooked together. Polymers are all around us—even in our own bodies! Here's how you can make your own. This activity from Spark!Lab includes step-by-step directions, discussion questions, and ideas for extending y