2017 Year in Review Seasons Greetings and Happy New Year from the Learning Lab team here in Washington, D.C., at the Smithsonian Center for Learning and Digital Access! We are so inspired by the thoughtful and creative ways in which you, and the other 20,000 registered users of the Lab have mixed and mashed the resources of the 19 museums, 9 research centers, libraries, archives, and the National Zoo, that make up the Smithsonian. We hope, in the year to come, that ...

American Indian Heritage Month: An Opportunity to Try New Ways of Educating about Native Americans by Edwin Schupman, Manager of National Education, National Museum of the American Indian Are you tired of the same old lessons about ancient American Indian food, clothing, and shelter? Why not use this year’s American Indian Heritage month to try something new and different from the National Museum of the American India...

New Resources for National History Day 2018: Conflict and Compromise in History By: Tess Porter, Education Support Specialist, Smithsonian Center for Learning and Digital Access We wanted to let you know about some great new resources available for National History Day to help your students investigate this year’s theme: Conflict and Compromise in History.  You may know the challenges of helping students brainstorm exciting and relevant topics for which th...

Top 8 Reasons Why and How We Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month by Emily Key, Education Programs Manager, and Adrián Aldaba, Associate to the Director and Programs, Smithsonian Latino Center Every year across America communities gather together to celebrate National Hispanic Heritage Month, which is observed September 15 to October 15. Starting in July, Smithsonian educators receive phone calls and emails inquiring...

Breaking the Ice By: Ashley Naranjo, Manager of Educator Engagement, Smithsonian Center for Learning and Digital Access    Here’s a fresh way to start the school year: Use Smithsonian Learning Lab to get to know your students and introduce them to each other. The best part? You’ll also be incorporating digital media skills that will set the foundation for the school year!  My Smithsonian Closet: The idea behind this activity came fro...