Our Democracy: A National Youth Summit civic education series Over the course of the 2022–2023 school year, we'll release classroom resources that address the driving question, "How do the stories we tell about our past shape our democracy?" Each case study uses museum objects and artifacts,

This "Solar System" quilt was made by Ellen Harding Baker of Cedar County, Iowa, in 1876. The wool top of this applique quilt is embellished with wool-fabric applique, wool braid, and wool and silk embroidery. Included in the design is the appliqued inscription, "Solar System," and the embroidere

This panel from the AIDS Memorial Quilt honors activist Roger Lyon, who died of AIDS in 1984. Shortly before his death, Lyon testified before Congress to appeal for funding to combat the growing epidemic. One of the greatest challenges in the fight against AIDS was changing public

Make your own constellation commemorating an American woman, like Maria Mitchell. Many cultures have used constellations to remember the stories of heroes, like the Greeks and some American Indians. Included in an OurStory module from Smithsonian's National Museum of American History entitled

This bassinet quilt with a framed center design is made of high quality plain blue and white cotton feed sack fabrics. Mrs. Dorothy Overall of Caldwell, Kansas, a contestant in many sewing events in the 1950s and 1960s, pieced and appliquéd this quilt on a Pfaff sewing machine she had won in a c

Life on America's farms in the 1920s and 1930s meant hard work and frugal habits. Farm families were used to "making do" with what they had, wasting nothing that could be recycled or reused. With feed sacks and flour bags, farmwomen took thriftiness to new heights of creativity, transforming the

Discover America's favorite pastimes, sports and hobbies through the use of brief articles, images, video and audio clips, trivia questions and an interactive game entitled "Batter Up." Students will gain a unique perspective of American history by using this resource from the Library of Con

Students can learn about the Caldwell's and the anti-slavery movement by investigating a room from their house, a newspaper article from 1839, and artifacts from the period. Josiah and Lucy Caldwell believed in the moral power of home and family, and their beliefs inspired a radical mission.

This OurStory module, entitled Great Women of Our Pasts, includes links to hands-on activities and a list of recommended readings related to the topic of women's history. OurStory is a series of modules designed to help children and adults enjoy exploring history together through the use

Quilts do more than just keep us warm; they preserve history by telling us stories about the people who made them. In this hands-on activity, students will learn about women's history by studying quilts. They will then make a quilt square in honor of a person who is important to them. It is inclu