Courtesy of Alma Thomas

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Collections by Grade

Explore some of our most popular Learning Lab Collections. Use them as a springboard to continue your exploration of the many collections available on the site.

15 items
Alma Thomas: Breaking Barriers
Smithsonian Transcription Center
Grades PreK-2

This collection looks at the work of American artist, Alma Thomas. It provides primary sources such as paintings, transcriptions of Thomas's letters, and articles about Thomas and her work. Student can consider the question: How did abstract painter Alma Thomas break gender and racial barriers in the art world?

These sources are provided as inspiration for further research into topics such as American Art, U.S. History, and Women's History.

#NHD2020 #NHD #BecauseOfHerStory

Based on a National History Day 2020 collection by Phoebe Hillemann

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15 items
Alma Thomas: Breaking Barriers
Smithsonian Transcription Center
Grades 3-5

This collection looks at the work of American artist, Alma Thomas. It provides primary sources such as paintings, transcriptions of Thomas's letters, and articles about Thomas and her work. Student can consider the question: How did abstract painter Alma Thomas break gender and racial barriers in the art world?

These sources are provided as inspiration for further research into topics such as American Art, U.S. History, and Women's History.

#NHD2020 #NHD #BecauseOfHerStory

Based on a National History Day 2020 collection by Phoebe Hillemann

Learn More
34 items
Presidents and Precedents: The New Nation
National Museum of American History
Grades 6-8

In this playlist you will learn about how three of the first presidents shaped the executive branch of the United States government.

Start by clicking on the first tile in the upper lefthand corner.  Then move through the playlist by clicking on the  ">" symbol at the bottom of the page.  Look for the information and paperclip icons to provide more information about selected resources. 

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Educator Programs

Cultivating Learning is a development series where Smithsonian educators model teaching techniques for using digital museum resources to support student learning.. This year’s series celebrates America at 250. Programs are free and accessible to anyone.

Celebrating America at 250

Join Briana Zavadil White, head of education and public programs at the National Portrait Gallery, for an engaging look at the Lansdowne portrait of George Washington by Gilbert Stuart. Together, we’ll practice close-looking strategies that help students uncover meaningful details and symbols within the painting. These techniques can spark rich conversations about...

Register
Unpacking Symbol and Story in Gilbert Stuart’s Portrait of George Washin...

Join Briana Zavadil White, head of education and public programs at the National Portrait Gallery, for an engaging look at the Lansdowne portrait of George W...

Register
Defining Freedom Amongst Ideas of Liberty

Join the National Museum of African American History and Culture to explore how the concept of liberty and freedom manifested for African Americans in the Revolutionary and New Nation eras. Together we will discover individual and community actions against sla...

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