In this blog post, students will learn some of the ways in which Americans learned about Mexico from some examples in the Archives Center's collections. In the years prior to World War II, most Americans had limited first-hand experience of Mexico. Mexico primarily was known as a place for Americ

In this post, students will learn about the interdependence and interconnectedness of Mexico and the U.S., especially during the late 19th and early 20th century and its impact on the Mexican Revolution. The Revolution spanned twenty years, involving two nations and several colorful pub

In this post, students will learn about the work the Museum is doing to preserve the history from September 11, 2001. Students will hear an insider's perspective on the decision-making process, and discover what it's like to sort and collect important objects that will help tell the story for gen

In this post, students will learn about the concept of eco-cities (cities designed to be in balance with nature) and their impact on the sustainability movement. Written by Art Molella, Jerome and Dorothy Lemelson Director of the Lemelson Center for the Study of Invention and Innovation, thi

In this post, students will learn about the thousands of American women who volunteered in World War I through their uniforms. Most of the women's uniforms in the Museum's collections from WWI belong to civilian relief and welfare organizations, like the Salvation Army, not to the armed forc

This post helps teachers understand how to both memorialize September 11 and contextualize the history of the day through five essential questions. Targeted toward secondary students, the questions can help teachers and students compare aspects of September 11 to other events in American his

In this post, students will learn about the origins of the holiday known today as Halloween, and the history of its celebration in the United States, including trick-or-treating and costumes. All-Hallows-Even (that is, evening) is the night before All Hallows Day. The apostrophe in the earlier sp

In this post, students will learn the story of Mary Pickersgill, the woman who created the Star-Spangled Banner. Mary Pickersgill learned the art of flagmaking from her mother, Rebecca Young, who made a living during the Revolution sewing flags, blankets, and uniforms for George Washing

In this post, students will learn how trading cards were used to educate those who could not be reached through more traditional methods during the AIDS epidemic. In 1993, comic book publisher Eclipse Enterprises released a set of 110 AIDS Awareness trading cards. The cards feature a va

In this post, students will read an interview with Marcia Quackenbush, a social worker in San Francisco in the early 1980s. She wrote one of the early textbooks for K-12 teachers, Teaching AIDS. Interviewer John O’Keefe is a guest assistant curator of the showcase displa