In this classroom activity, students will create posters that will help them identify the role of Howard University as an African American cultural center, the emergence of black lawyers as civil rights leaders, the importance of the NAACP and the roles of Charles Hamilton Houston and Thurgood Ma

In the classroom activity, students will be able to explain the difference between primary and secondary sources, and explain how the value of using primary sources is important to history. By using primary sources to answer a series of questions, they will see that, much like detectives, histori

Cartoons are great documents that can tell both funny and serious stories. In this activity, children will first read Mr. Lincoln's Whiskers. Then they will use what they have learned about Abraham Lincoln and their critical thinking skills to add a scene to the story in the form of a co

Explore a local train-related site with safety and discussion tips for kids and families. Part of an OurStory module entitled All Aboard the Train!, this activity includes strategies for selecting a train-related field trip in your area (such as train stations, train tracks, or train mus

In these electronic field trips produced by the National Museum of American History, viewers are given a 20 minute tour by the curators of the exhibition Separate Is Not Equal: Brown v. Board of Education, followed by a 30 minute videotaped question and answer session about the Brown v. Board of

This activity will encourage children to look for math in their everyday activities, and introduce science concepts behind the game of baseball. In this activity, students will use discussion prompts to make the most of their visit. This activity is part of an OurStory module entitled Life in

Encourage children to recognize a woman role model in their lives by creating a special symbolic pin. Part of an OurStory module entitled Winning the Vote for Women, this activity includes a hand out that encourages discussion of the women's suffrage movement and instructions for choosing effecti

Use artifacts and historical literature to bring the War of Independence to life for elementary students.  By playing the "Who's in camp?" card game, students develop a deeper understanding of the many civilian and military roles that supported the War of Independence, then use their knowled

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

Kick-off a research project on gender roles on the World War II home front with two brief video clips and a selection of primary sources. Once students have analyzed the photographs and wartime advertisements, begin a research project on women during World War II. This lesson plan (which includes