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A More Perfect Union: Japanese Americans and the U.S. Constitution
tells the story that began during World War II, when nearly 120,000 Japanese Americans were forced from their homes into detention camps established by the U.S. government. Many spent... (Smithsonian Institution) |
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African Voices
explores the diversity of Africa's cultures and their influence on work, family, and community. Sculptures, textiles, interviews, proverbs, prayers, folk tales, and songs are included... (Smithsonian Institution) |
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America on the Move
tells how transportation changed America. A classroom activity guide looks at foods and families on the move (1880s), workers and products (1920s), early highways (1930-40s), suburban... (Smithsonian Institution) |
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Arctic Studies Center
provides resources on museum exhibitions, including Viking expeditions, the Kennewick man controversy, masks and dances of the various Indian groups, and native animals... (Smithsonian Institution) |
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Binding the Nation
examines the history of mail service in America from colonial times through the 19th century. Learn why people thought the system was needed (to ensure the free flow of information... (Smithsonian Institution) |
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Campfire Stories with George Catlin: An Encounter of Two Cultures
takes students on a virtual journey with the artist and ethnologist to meet Native Americans of the 1830s. His portraits, scenes of American Indian life, and writings depict cultures... (Smithsonian Institution) |
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CivilWar@ Smithsonian
examines the Civil War through collections of artifacts. Topics include slavery and abolition, Abraham Lincoln, the first Union officer killed, soldiering, weapons, leaders... (Smithsonian Institution) |
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Decoding the Past: The Work of Archaeologists
introduces students to archaeology -- the study of material remains to learn about past human experiences. This lesson (Grades 3-8) discusses various challenges of an archaeologist... (Smithsonian Institution) |
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Department of Anthropology
offers guidebooks and source directories on many topics in anthropology, with special concentrations on archeology and Native Americans. The site also contains directories of... (Smithsonian Institution) |
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Digging for Answers
offers interactive quizzes that draw interesting historical facts from the Smithsonian's collections. Topics include dogs, horses, insects, stars, famous women, clothes, food, brain... (Smithsonian Institution) |
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Dinosaurs
helps students answer questions about dinosaurs: What makes a dinosaur "a dinosaur"? Where did they live? What caused their mass extinction? Students can participate in a virtual... (Smithsonian Institution) |
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Dinosaurs: Ancient Fossils, New Discoveries
updates what we know about dinosaurs from recent studies of their tracks, how they moved, and their unusual body parts (e.g. spikes, armor). "Extinction" examines the mass extinction... (Smithsonian Institution) |
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Edison Invents
examines several of his inventions—the telegraph, telephone, phonograph, and electric light bulb. Students learn about his life and how to create their own light bulb... (Smithsonian Institution) |
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Encyclopedia Smithsonian
is an index of 140 topics for which the Smithsonian Institution offers online resources: American history, art, automobiles, butterflies, canines, cats, clocks, computers, dinosaurs... (Smithsonian Institution) |
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Establishing Borders: The Expansion of the United States, 1846-48
offers geography and history activities showing how two years in history had an indelible impact on American politics and culture. Students interpret historical maps, identify... (Smithsonian Institution) |
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Eyes on the Sky and Feet on the Ground
provides hundreds of hands-on astronomy explorations for Grades 2-6. Topics include earth's rotation and orbit, earth's tilt, shadows, seasons, time zones, the moon, calendars, maps... (Smithsonian Institution) |
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Freer and Sackler Galleries: Education Programs
feature two online activities about Asian Art, curriculum materials that can be purchased through the Freer and Sackler Galleries museum shop, and other resources that can be retrieved... (Smithsonian Institution) |
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Geologic Time: The Story of a Changing Earth
examines the history of Earth. Learn about the formation of Earth, dating the age of rocks, geologic time, plate tectonics, climate change, ocean circulation, evolution, extinction... (Smithsonian Institution) |
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George Washington: A National Treasure
takes an in-depth look at the famous Gilbert Stuart portrait of our first president. Explore the symbolic, artistic, and biographic meanings of the sword and books by clicking on... (Smithsonian Institution) |
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Hall of Presidents
offers a selection of portraits of U.S. presidents. Each portrait is accompanied by a brief description of the president and his accomplishments... (Smithsonian Institution) |
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History Explorer
is a timeline of stories from exhibits, collections, and programs of the National Museum of American History... (Smithsonian Institution) |
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HistoryWired: A few of our favorite things
offers a virtual tour of selected objects not on display in the National Museum of American History. Artifacts are presented in a dozen categories, including the arts, commerce, home... (Smithsonian Institution) |
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Interact
is a collection of self-guided explorations of American art and the work of artists. See slideshows on Joseph Cornell, Ruth Duckworth, and angels in American art. Visit an artist's... (Smithsonian Institution) |
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Invention at Play
examines how play -- the ordinary work of childhood -- connects with the creative impulse. Read about inventors of the ski, sailboard, surgical robot, unfolding structures, water... (Smithsonian Institution) |
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Jamestown, Quebec, Santa Fe: Three North American Beginnings
commemorates the 400th anniversary of these three lasting settlements founded in North America between 1607-1609. See rare European and Native American artifacts. Learn about the... (Smithsonian Institution) |
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Lakota Winter Counts
offers the world's largest database of Lakota "winter counts" -- pictures drawn on cloth or buffalo hide to remember each year's key events (1701 to 1905). Ten Lakota bands' winter... (Smithsonian Institution) |
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Let Your Motto Be Resistance: African American Portraits
presents photos of 100 famous and influential African Americans, from with Frederick Douglass and to Wynton Marsalis. Each portrait includes a brief biography... (Smithsonian Institution) |
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Lewis and Clark as Naturalists
presents flora and fauna as they described it on their 3,700-mile journey launched in St. Louis in May 1804. Follow the Lewis and Clark trail using an interactive map, or browse the... (Smithsonian Institution) |
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Lewis and Clark: Mapping the West
features maps of the famous expedition. The Corps of Discovery collected 30 maps from Indians, trappers, and traders, and prepared 140 maps -- most of them drawn or compiled by Clark... (Smithsonian Institution) |
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Life of a Vertebrate Fossil
traces the journey of fossils from discovery to display. Find out what paleontologists do in each stage a vertebrate fossil's life. Learn about digging up fossils, getting them to... (Smithsonian Institution) |
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Lizards and Snakes Alive
explores the world of squamates. Learn how chameleons and iguanas rely on vision while other lizards, such as geckos, depend on smell (using their tongues). See boas, mambas, cobras... (Smithsonian Institution) |
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Making Friends with Franklin
introduces students to the world of Ben Franklin and other "natural philosophers" at a time when the word "science" had not yet entered our language. Portraits of Franklin's... (Smithsonian Institution) |
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Mathew Brady Portraits
survey the life and work of this pioneering photojournalist and portraitist best known for his photographs of the Civil War. Visitors can read about Brady's contributions toward... (Smithsonian Institution) |
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Minerals, Crystals, and Gems: Stepping Stones to Inquiry
introduces students to mineral science and the scientific process -- observing things, forming hypotheses, and drawing conclusions. Students watch crystals grow, go on a scavenger... (Smithsonian Institution) |
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Mirror Molecules
helps students see the importance and uses of "stereoisomers" -- molecules that are mirror images of each other... (Smithsonian Institution) |
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National Museum of African Art
presents images from more than 30 exhibitions -- embroideries, textiles, pottery, jewelry, sculptures, palace doors, chairs, headrests, pipes, cups, drinking horns, bowls, drums... (Smithsonian Institution) |
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National Postal Museum
has developed curriculum guides that explore stamps and postal history, and encourage students to write letters. Topics include historic letters and stamps from American wars; stamps... (Smithsonian Institution) |
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Ocean Planet
features a Smithsonian exhibit on the world's oceans. Visitors can see an overview of the exhibition, find lessons and marine science activities, and read a final report documenting... (Smithsonian Institution) |
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One Life: The Mask of Lincoln
celebrates the bicentennial of the birth of one of our greatest presidents, Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865), with an online exhibit of 30 portraits aimed "to show the changing face that... (Smithsonian Institution) |
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Plants and Animals, Partners in Pollination
helps students see how plants and animals interact to accomplish pollination. Students (Grades 3-8) identify plant and animal parts involved in pollination, connections between... (Smithsonian Institution) |
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Portraits, Visual and Written
features Louisa May Alcott and Samuel Clemens. See excerpts from Alcott's girlhood journal and Little Women. Read Clemens' explanation of his white suit in Mark... (Smithsonian Institution) |
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Reviled and Revered: Toads, Turtles, Snakes, Salamanders, and Other Creepers and Crawlers
examines misconceptions about herps (the collective name given to reptiles and amphibians), how herps have been viewed throughout history, and how reptiles and amphibians are similar... (Smithsonian Institution) |
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Science and Technology
offers 11 lesson plans for Grades 3-8 on minerals and gems, Ben Franklin, spiders, archaeology, oceans, pollination, reptiles and amphibians, and more... (Smithsonian Institution) |
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September 11: Bearing Witness to History
offers objects, images, and personal stories from September 11: a stairwell sign and tourist souvenirs from the World Trade Center, a Pentagon rescuer's uniform, a Pentagon locator... (Smithsonian Institution) |
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Smithsonian Education
offers more than 1,200 education resources aligned with standards of learning in every state. Simply enter your state into the search engine to find lesson plans, virtual exhibitions... (Smithsonian Institution) |
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Smithsonian Kids: Collecting
invites kids to start a collection of rocks, shells, postcards, posters, or something else that interests them. Three Smithsonian collections are sampled. "Rocks and Minerals"... (Smithsonian Institution) |
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Smithsonian National Zoological Park
provides fact sheets and photos for many of the 2,400 mammals, birds, reptiles and amphibians, fish, and invertebrates at the National Zoo and the Zoo's Conservation and Research... (Smithsonian Institution) |
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Smithsonian Source: Colonial America
offers primary sources and tools for using them in the classroom. Watch an anthropologist examine skeletons for clues to daily life in Jamestown. Find lessons on the Boston Massacre... (Smithsonian Institution) |
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Smithsonian: Art and Design
features modern portrait drawings, historical portraits of famous Americans, African and Asian art, modern Japanese prints, works of Latino artists, illustrated manuscripts of Persian... (Smithsonian Institution) |
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Smithsonian: History and Culture
examines the history of transportation in America, early history of mail service, the Civil War, West Point, profiles of U.S. presidents, Lakota "winter counts," Lewis and Clark as... (Smithsonian Institution) |
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Smithsonian: Science and Technology
explores the Apollo 11 mission to the moon, Arctic wildlife, migratory birds, stars and black holes, sky watching, the Galapagos Islands, invasive species, living fossils of the... (Smithsonian Institution) |
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Stephen Ambrose: Victory in Europe: May 1945
presents the audio of an hour-long lecture in which Stephen Ambrose reviews the Allied strategy to end World War II in Europe. Ambrose, a leading expert on this period, evaluates... (Smithsonian Institution) |
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Teacher and Student Resources at the National Museum of American Art
offers the "Pueblo Indian Watercolors" teachers guide on interpreting the meaning of artistic images, an interactive guide on one of America's most powerful African-American painters... (Smithsonian Institution) |
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The American Presidency: A Glorious Burden
examines the job of a president, the balance of power with the Supreme Court and Congress, and ways presidents have communicated with the public. Features include the battle sword of... (Smithsonian Institution) |
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The Dinosaur Homepage
displays featured bones from the Museum's large collection. Each photograph may be enlarged and comes with a text. The bones can be viewed by dinosaur type and by time period. The site... (Smithsonian Institution) |
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The Global Volcanism Program (GVP)
presents documentation of the eruptions of all volcanoes during the past 10,000 years. Visitors can review volcanic activity reports, view geographic and geologic information for all... (Smithsonian Institution) |
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The Joseph Henry Papers Project
documents the life of Joseph Henry (1797-1878), the most revered American scientist of his times and the first Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution. Henry's pioneering work in... (Smithsonian Institution) |
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The Lemelson Center
explores the exciting world of invention. It features virtual exhibits and in-depth explorations of the electric guitar, the Quartz watch, the light bulb, and other inventions... (Smithsonian Institution) |
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The Online Academy
highlights artifacts, scholars, collectors, and preservers of African American history. Features include the inventor of the multiple effect vacuum process for producing sugar, the... (Smithsonian Institution) |
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The Price of Freedom: Americans at War
features a timeline of America's wars, from the Revolution to Iraq. Watch an interactive presentation on each war -- slideshows and movies, text and photos, and dozens of artifacts... (Smithsonian Institution) |
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The Star-Spangled Banner
recounts the story of the flag that inspired our national anthem. Learn about the design of the U.S. flag, how Francis Scott Key's song changed how Americans viewed the flag, and the... (Smithsonian Institution) |
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The Wright Brothers & The Invention of the Aerial Age
celebrates the centennial of flight with a thorough presentation of Wilbur and Orville Wright's biography, their technical achievements and the cultural impact of their breakthrough in... (Smithsonian Institution) |
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Tracking the Buffalo: Stories From a Buffalo Hide Painting
puts students in the role of historians as they examine a buffalo hide painting and click on areas that reveal clues to the painting's story. The story helps students understand the... (Smithsonian Institution) |
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Under the Spell of ... Spiders!
looks at physical features and unusual habits of these arachnids -- their two main body parts, their eyes, senses, sensitivity to vibrations, silk webs, how they catch and eat their... (Smithsonian Institution) |
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Vote: The Machinery of Democracy
looks at the history and variety of voting methods in the U.S. -- the voice vote, "party ticket" (paper ballots listing candidates from just one party), Australian ballot, gear and... (Smithsonian Institution) |
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Way to Go, Einstein
is a fun introduction to the thinking of a man who influenced all modern scientists. Learn about Einstein's revolutionary conceptions of space and time, light, matter, and energy... (Smithsonian Institution) |
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West Point in the Making of America, 1802-1918
looks at the history of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, its contributions to American history, and accomplishments of selected West Point graduates. Proposed by George... (Smithsonian Institution) |
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Within These Walls
tells the stories of five families who lived in one house in Ipswich, Massachusetts, over a 200-year period. The 10-room Georgian-style house was built in the 1760s by a wealthy... (Smithsonian Institution) |
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You Be the Conservator
invites students to play the role of a museum conservator, discovering clues about an historical object in order to preserve or restore it. In the featured activity, the object is a... (Smithsonian Institution) |
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You Be the Historian
invites students to examine clues and determine what life was like for a family that lived in New Castle, Delaware, during the 1700s. Students also discover what historians in the... (Smithsonian Institution) |
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