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

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

Runaway Robot is an exciting new cross-curricular digital game for secondary classrooms from the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History. Anchored in content from the museum’s exhibition Discovery a

Watch and discuss a 12-minute video of a theater presentation about the Star-Spangled Banner, the flag that inspired the National Anthem. During the presentation, Mary Pickersgill (a historical figure with a fictional monologue) is working on a garrison flag to fly over Baltimore's Fort McHenry.

Examine one or more of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s letters or speeches and turn powerful words and phrases into word art using the online Wordle tool. Included in an OurStory module entitled Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Nonviolence, this activity is designed to help children and adults enjoy

When bad things happen, community helpers are there to keep people safe! Find out who helps in your community and celebrate them with a special certificate. Part of an OurStory module entitled September 11, 2001, this activity includes a photograph of a certificate in the Museum’s

Find out about the sky through a field trip!  In this activity, children will determine the best way to observe the night sky (through a visit to a planetarium, using a telescope, or a trip outside in the evening) and discuss what they see.  The activity guide includes printable tip she

Watch and discuss a 22-minute video of a Museum theater presentation. During the presentation, a fictional composite character from 1960 is conducting a training session for people interested in joining a student sit-in to protest racial segregation. The student speaks about the recent protests i

In this activity, children will create their own family flag using colors and pictures that have personal meanings. They will then explain why they chose those colors and pictures and their meanings. This resource is included in an OurStory module entitled Making the Star-Spangled Banner

Take a close look at two newspaper articles and a children's book telling the story of an escaped slave-compare the stories they tell to uncover the perspectives they represent. Part of an OurStory module entitled Full Steam to Freedom, this activity includes transcripts of two Civil War