Field trips to a theater or dance studio are great ways to learn about performing arts in your neighborhood.  In this activity, students will use discussion prompts and extension activity ideas to make the most of their visit. This activity is part of an OurStory module entitled An Ameri

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 activity, children will analyze a primary source document–Grace Bedell's letter to Abraham Lincoln–and look for hints about Grace and her family. They will then draw a picture to represent the information they found in this activity, part of an Ou

In this activity, children pretend to be an American during 1963 and decide whether or not to join the March on Washington. Children base their choice on information gathered through guided observation of a handbill from the march. Included in an OurStory module from Smithsonian's National Museum

In this episode of the History Explorer podcast, students can hear from civil rights activist Zoharah Simmons about her experiences in the 1964 Freedom Summer project.  This interview is from a program presented at the Museum in 2000 called Fighting for My Rights. The 

Use three Web sites to gather data about the people that live in your home state and those who represent you in Congress. Then use an online tool to make comparing this information easy! Included in an OurStory module entitled Winning the Vote for Women, this activity is designed to help children

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.

Take a close look at a famous picture of Martha Graham, then grab your camera and make your own dance photo with a friend or family member. Part of an OurStory module entitled An American Story in Dance and Music, this activity includes a primary source photograph, guided looking questio

Although many children are already familiar with what money looks like and with how and when their families use money, it is important that they also understand how money itself works. The money we use, coins and currency, has very little value on its own. Coins and bills only h

Protest signs are a powerful and important way for people to express their feelings. In this activity children will compare two protest signs from the civil rights movement and then create their own expressive chalk art or poster. It is included in an OurStory module entitled Student