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Smithsonian Institution - Smithsonian

Grades
K to 12
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The Smithsonian Institution website is a valuable resource for educators, offering access to a vast collection of digital exhibitions, lesson plans, and interactive learning tools....more
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The Smithsonian Institution website is a valuable resource for educators, offering access to a vast collection of digital exhibitions, lesson plans, and interactive learning tools. Teachers can explore history, science, art, and culture topics through virtual tours, online activities, and curated educational materials from Smithsonian museums, research centers, and libraries. The site includes resources for all grade levels, including printable worksheets, videos, and inquiry-based lesson plans designed to engage students in critical thinking and discovery. It is an excellent tool for supplementing classroom instruction with high-quality, museum-based learning experiences. The videos are hosted on YouTube. If your district blocks YouTube, then they may not be viewable.

tag(s): aircraft (26), critical thinking (193), inquiry (38), museums (56), space (252), virtual field trips (150)

In the Classroom

Explore historical innovations on the National Air and Space Museum or Smithsonian Science Education Center websites and challenge students to design and build a model inspired by a historical invention (ex., a Wright brothers' airplane or a Mars rover). Three-dimensional models can be created online using Delightex (formerly CoSpaces) reviewed here or Tinkercad, reviewed here. Have students explore a Smithsonian virtual exhibit, such as the National Museum of Natural History, and provide a scavenger hunt list with key artifacts, asking students to find and describe their significance. Select a primary source or artifact from the Smithsonian Learning Lab or a digital collection and have students analyze the object. Students can present their findings in an infographic using Canva Infographic Creator, reviewed here or make a mini-documentary using Adobe Express Video Maker, reviewed here.

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