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Lesson Plans

Smithsonian Resources

1930s and 1940s Highway Classroom Activity Guide
Highways and roads are an integral part of many summer vacations. In these classroom activities, developed for the National Museum of American History exhibition America on the Move, students will use visual, analytical and interpretive skills to examine primary sources including a historical map and photography by Dorthea Lange and answer questions about them to investigate road travel and the role of highways played in the 1930s.

A Deep Dive into the Plans to Take Tourists to the Titanic
Read this Smithsonian magazine article to learn about a daredevil inventor who—for a handsome price—will bring you aboard his groundbreaking submarine to put eyes on the most famous shipwreck of all.

How Alcatraz Has Changed Throughout History
Alcatraz has gone from a ‘place of evil spirits’ in native American lore, to a military prison, to a federal lockup. Today, it’s a tourist attraction that draws people from across the globe. Watch this Smithsonian Channel video to learn more about Alcatraz, an unlikely tourist attraction.

Indonesian Village Turns into a Rainbow to Attract Tourists
Every house and business in Kampung Pelangi is painted in bright rainbow colors. Read this Smithsonian magazine article to see the structures for yourself and to learn about the impact this project has had on the village.

Smithsonian’s Nature of Science: Expedition to Arctic Volcanoes
Some sites are little-known and visited because they are remote. Others because they are dangerous. And some, like the active volcanoes of Alaska’s Western Aleutian Islands, are both. Invite students to join geologist Dr. Elizabeth Cottrell in this video from the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History as she explores these active Arctic volcanoes, searching for evidence of how the continents formed.

Monday Morning Ready

Why Utah might be your next favorite snorkeling destination

Why does every American graduation play "Pomp and Circumstance"?

Ocean heat waves are threatening marine life, biodiversity

Edgar Allan Poe invented the detective story

A new look at Anne Frank