Distance Learning Resources
Resources, training, and support to assist caregivers, teachers, and students as they face new learning challenges.
Everything Under the Sun*
*Well...maybe not everything... but the Smithsonian Learning Lab puts the treasures of the world's largest museum, education, and research complex within reach. The Lab is a free, interactive platform for discovering millions of authentic digital resources, creating content with online tools, and sharing in the Smithsonian's expansive community of knowledge and learning.
Discover
What will you find in Smithsonian Learning Lab?
Millions of Smithsonian digital images, recordings, texts, and videos in history, art and culture, and the sciences
Thousands of examples of resources organized and structured for teaching and learning by educators and subject experts
Millions of Smithsonian digital images, recordings, texts, and videos in history, art and culture, and the sciences
Thousands of examples of resources organized and structured for teaching and learning by educators and subject experts
Who uses the Learning Lab?
In short... it's people like you. We created the learning lab so anyone can quickly discover and adapt authorative subject-relevant resources.
Browse individual resources by type
Browse model collections on different topics
Create
Create collections of resources to engage learners, or freely adapt ones already made by Learning Lab users like you.
Use Learning Lab tools to customize and enhance your collections.
Copy a Collection
Adapt exemplars to personalize them for your learners.
Upload
Upload aids and resources you already use and value.
Annotations and Hotspots
Make a collection student-friendly, with information, focus, and interactivity.
Quizzes and Assignments
Build in guidance and supports for students.
Browse ready-to-use model collections by educational use
Browse ready-to-use model collections by learning strategy or theme
Learn
Grow your skills and stay connected with the
Learning Lab Community
Grow your skills and stay connected with the Learning Lab Community
News and Teaching Tips
12/13/21
New Tool: Create a Canvas
11/02/21
Jumping into Innovative ThinkingProfessional Development and Events
Distance Learning with the Smithsonian
The Smithsonian is committed to supporting teachers and their students around the globe as they face unprecedented new learning challenges.
Visit our Distance Learning Page for resources, trainings, and a full calendar of live events hosted by experts from across the Smithsonian.
Recurring Live Help Sessions
In Getting Started, explore the basics of using the Lab to support learning with digital museum resources. In Creating Collections, learn how to create and personalize collections of digital museum resources to support your teaching. We’ll answer any burning questions you have for the Learning Lab team in the second half of both sessions. Need help finding a resource or using one of the Lab’s tools and features? Just want to say "hello"? Take a minute to tune in!
Thursday, January 13, 2022
4–5 PM, ET
Monday, January 24, 2022
5–6 PM, ET
Recent Events
Thursday, January 20 5–6 PM, ET
Cultivating Learning: Deconstructing Text with Critical ReadingJoin Ashleigh Coren, the Women’s History Content and Interpretation Curator at the National Portrait Gallery and the Acting Head of Education at the Smithsonian American Women's History Initiative, to learn techniques to help students build skills to navigate complex issues, construct their own answers, and more with primary source documents.
Create a Free Smithsonian Learning Lab Account

