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Lesson Plans

Smithsonian Resources

If We’re Going to Climb Mountains, First the Earth Needs to Make Them
It takes time—lots of time—to make a mountain. Watch the video in this Smithsonian magazine article to explore the processes that affect mountain evolution.

The Views of the Olympic Mountains Are Truly Godlike
In 1788, a British mariner passed by the majestic, snow-covered mountains of northwest Washington. The peaks seemed the perfect dwelling place for Greek gods, so he named them the Olympic Mountains. Watch this Smithsonian Channel video to learn more about this mountain chain.

The Wilderness Road
In 1775, the now-legendary frontiersman Daniel Boone blazed a trail through the Cumberland Gap—a notch in the Appalachian Mountains located near the intersection of Kentucky, Virginia and Tennessee. The trail, known as the Wilderness Road, then passed through the interior of Kentucky and to the Ohio River. Use this collection materials from the Smithsonian Learning Lab to learn more about Boone’s pioneering path.

This Account is Reclaiming the Indigenous Names for Mountains One Geotag at a Time
Read this Smithsonian magazine article to learn about the Navajo climber who is leading a social media campaign to spread awareness of the indigenous names of peaks.

Interview with Sir Edmund Hillary: Mountain Climbing
On May 29, 1953, Edmund Hillary scaled the peak of Mount Everest, becoming an instant celebrity. Invite students to listen to these snippets from a Smithsonian Folkways interview with Hillary to learn more about this great mountaineer and his expeditions.

Monday Morning Ready

Step inside Spain's glittering mountain of salt

How centuries-old dice reveal changing attitudes about fate

The farmboy who invented television

World hunger is on the rise for the third year in a row

This 12-year-old girl built a robot that can find microplastics in the ocean