Songs played an important role during the civil rights movement. In this activity, students will listen to freedom songs and then make their own version of one of the songs. It is included in an OurStory module entitled Students Sit for Civil Rights. OurStory is a serie

In this activity, children will learn about the power of light by comparing what happens to paper that has been left in the sunlight with paper that has been left in the dark. They will use a chart to write a prediction ("hypothesis") and compare it to the results of the experiment. They will the

Use this guide to actively read The Little Chapel that Stood, a picture book about September 11, 2001. Part of an OurStory module entitled September 11, 2001, this activity includes discussion prompts, a glossary, and background information. OurStory is designed to help children

September 11, 2001 was a shocking day in American history. By using this OurStory module from the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History, children and adults can start discussing the events of that day through children's literature, museum objects, and hands-on activities. Focused arou

Find out about your local government through planning a short field trip, and then think about how you could make a difference in your community.  The activity guide also includes tips for reviewing the experience once you're back at home or in the classroom. Included in an OurStory module f

In this activity, students will learn how to make their own fish kites, called koinobori. Koinobori are an important expression of Japanese culture that became an important part of life for children in Japanese American internment camps during World War II. This resource is included in an OurStor

Students Sit for Civil Rights is an OurStory module that includes activities based on reading Freedom on the Menu, a work of children's literature about the Greensboro sit-ins that played an important role during the civil rights movement. OurStory is a series

Historians gather information about the past by looking at primary sources. In this activity, students will practice using primary sources by to learn about slavery and the Underground Railroad by analyzing newspaper advertisements regarding runaway slaves from the Charleston Mercury. It is inclu

Learn how firefighters' gear help them do their jobs, then imagine your own special gear that would help you help others in your community. Part of an OurStory module entitled September 11, 2001, this activity includes photographs of a firefighter’s gear in the Museum’s collections,

This useful reading guide will help engage young readers as they read Lemonade in Winter: a Book About Two Kids Counting Money, a children's book based that tells the story of two siblings who decide to spend an otherwise snowy winter's day opewning a lemonade sta