| Smithsonian in Your Classroom: Portraits, Visual and Written |
| Lessons introduce students to the lives and works of Louisa May Alcott and Samuel Clemens through portraits as well as through their writings. Students come away with a better understanding of how the events of one’s life can be an inspiration for creative writing. |
| Provider: Smithsonian Center for Learning and Digital Access |
| State Standards: View state standards for this resource |
| Grade(s): 4–8, 9–12 |
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| One Life: Walt Whitman, a Kosmos |
| Online exhibition celebrating the life and work of Walt Whitman. Presents a timeline of his life, highlighting important events and peers with portraits, a reading of “Leaves of Grass”, Walt Whitman's own reading of “America,” an essay on his work, and a look at his artistic heirs. |
| Provider: National Portrait Gallery |
| State Standards: View state standards for this resource |
| Grade(s): General audience |
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| A Jules Verne Centennial: 1905-2005 |
| Online exhibition on the writings of Jules Verne, considered the “father of science fiction.” Verne was the first person to recognize that the new world of 19th-century scientific discovery offered a framework for adventure novels where the science of the day played an important role. Find images from early editions of Verne's works with the original engraved illustrations that made his works so popular. Since the original woodcuts and early printing plates are long gone, all that remains are these images from the early books. |
| Provider: Smithsonian Institution Libraries |
| State Standards: View state standards for this resource |
| Grade(s): General audience |
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| A Visual Journey: Photographs by Lisa Law 1965-1971 |
| Online photo exhibit of Lisa Law's photographs, which provide glimpses into the folk and rock music scenes of the 1960s, California's blossoming counterculture, and the family-centered and spiritual world of commune life in New Mexico. Examine themes of the 1960's counterculture through the eyes of someone who lived, witnessed, and recorded life on the frontier of cultural change. Also included is a “What Else Was Happening” timeline of pivotal events in American history and popular culture from 1963 to 1973. |
| Provider: National Museum of American History |
| Grade(s): 9–12 |
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| George C. Marshall: A Soldier of Peace |
| Online exhibit presents the life and career of American general and statesman George C. Marshall (1880-1959) through portraits and photos. Marshall is perhaps best known as the foremost author of the Marshall Plan, which provided billions of dollars of aid to war-torn Europe after World War II. |
| Provider: National Portrait Gallery |
| State Standards: View state standards for this resource |
| Grade(s): 9–12 |
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| Judging a Book by Its Cover |
| Through this lesson plan, students explore the relationship between the form of books and the content inside. They “author and publish” a book using binding techniques that relate to the content of their writing. The techniques are both ancient and modern. |
| Provider: Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum |
| State Standards: View state standards for this resource |
| Grade(s): PreK–3, 4–8 |
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| Legendary Beauties |
| Online exhibit telling the story of how Theodore Roosevelt and the famous artist Augustus Saint-Gaudens worked together to redesign America’s money. Reveals how this collaboration transformed traditional coinage into unprecedented works of art symbolizing Roosevelt’s progressive ideals and led to the design of what many regard as the most beautiful American coin every produced. Visitors can rotate and zoom in on objects for detailed examination and a glossary helps visitors understand challenging vocabulary. |
| Provider: National Museum of American History |
| Grade(s): 4–8, 9–12 |
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| Making the Star-Spangled Banner Homepage |
| Parent's guide designed to teach children the story of the flag that inspired the national anthem. Includes hands-on activities and a list of recommended readings. Targets grades K-5. |
| Provider: National Museum of American History |
| Grade(s): PreK–3, 4–8 |
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| Oh Freedom! Teaching African American Civil Rights through American Art at the Smithsonian |
| Interactive website that offers fresh ways of teaching about the Civil Rights Movement by making connections between history and art. It includes nearly 40 artworks, from a 1908 portrait of Booker T. Washington to the “Hope” portrait of President Obama. Web 2.0 tools bring teachers together to discuss the materials and to share lesson plans and activities. |
| Provider: Smithsonian American Art Museum |
| Grade(s): 4–8, 9–12 |
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| Our Journey/Our Stories |
| Online exhibition featuring prominent Latin American artists, writers, physicians, scientists, and athletes. Provides biographical information, personal stories about their heritage, and audio quotes. |
| Provider: Smithsonian Latino Center |
| State Standards: View state standards for this resource |
| Grade(s): General audience |
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