<p>The West has always held a special place in American culture. In 1893, Frederick Jackson Turner wrote what is known as the "frontier thesis," arguing that our sense of democracy and hard work has been shaped by experience of survival and growth along the frontier. More than a century later, Americans still idolize the cowboy image and are fascinated by the train robbers, saloons, and violence of the era. How accurate is our mental picture of the "Wild West"? What were the realities of life on the frontier in the late 19th and early 20th century? What was lost and what was gained as America closed out the frontier? Most importantly, why has the West continued to fascinate Americans and play such a prominent role in popular culture?</p> <p>This learner resource includes images, artifacts, and movies that deal with the concept of the American West.  Students will want to read Turner's essay and answer the attached questions. Then, they will focus on choosing images and ideas to include in a movie trailer or poster advertisement that presents a more accurate image of turn of the century western life.</p>

The Tuskegee Airmen were the first African-American fighter pilots in the United States military. This collection describes their work and training during an era of segregation, as well as their contributions to World War Two, through videos, photographs, art, and poetry. At the end of the collection, students are asked to write a poem of their own using one of the artifacts as inspiration.

<p>This collection includes a brief overview of Daoism, Confucianism, and Buddhism. It focuses on the story of Laozi and his ideas about the Dao and the balance between yin and yang. It includes two short passages from the Dao de Jing, assessment questions throughout, and a final task where students create their own collection about Daoism.</p><p>Tags: Dao, Confucius, Tao, Buddha, Laozi, China, religion, philosophy</p>

<p>This collection of photographs provides insight into the Scopes Trial in 1925. "Marcel C. LaFollette, an independent scholar, historian and Smithsonian volunteer uncovered rare, unpublished photographs of the 1925 Tennessee vs. John Scopes “Monkey Trial" in the Smithsonian Institution Archives. The nitrate negatives, including portraits of trial participants, and images from the trial itself and significant places in Dayton, were discovered in archival material donated to the Smithsonian by Science Service in 1971."</p><p>"Science Service is a Washington, D.C.-based organization founded in 1921 for the promotion of science writing and information about science in the media. Watson Davis (1896-1967), the Science Service managing editor, took these photographs when covering the Scopes trial as a reporter. In the 1925 trial, John Scopes was tried and convicted for violating a state law prohibiting the teaching of the theory of evolution. William Jennings Bryan served on the prosecution team, and Clarence Darrow defended Scopes."</p><p>Collection users might consider the following questions:</p><p>-How effective are court cases at swaying popular opinion? Can you think of other examples of this?</p><p><span></span>-How did this trial reflect the changes in mass media, science, and religion occurring in the 1920s?</p><p>-It is said that Bryan "won the case, but lost the argument." What is meant by that statement?</p><p>-How do these archival photographs challenge previously held conceptions of the case?</p><p>Source for text in quotes throughout collection: Smithsonian Institution Archives. Web. Accessed 16 Aug. 2016 <a href="http://siarchives.si.edu/research/scopes.html">http://siarchives.si.edu/research/scopes.html</a>.</p>

This collection includes artifacts, stamps, political cartoons, portraits, and videos representing various long-term and short-term causes of the Civil War. Students could use the collection as the basis for a sorting activity: Which causes are long-term and which are short? Which represent economic, social, or political differences between the North and South? Can they be put in chronological order? Which show attempts at compromise and which show that violence was difficult to avoid? Additional teaching ideas are listed in the Notes to Other Users section.

<p>This is a topical collection about American life and politics in the 1950s. Resources in this collection might be helpful to students and teachers working on projects about the decade. It is not meant to be completely comprehensive, but rather includes highlights of the Smithsonian's collection spanning art, popular culture, social trends, leadership, and technology. </p><p>Teachers and students might copy and adapt this collection to suit their needs; highlighting a specific aspect of life in the 1950s and adding annotations and additional resources. </p>

<p>This teaching collection and student activity includes the resources necessary to teach an EDSITEment lesson on the Ramayana where students read closely to find examples of the Hindu concept of dharma. </p><p>Guiding questions are:</p><ul><li>What is <em>dharma</em>?</li><li>How does the <em>Ramayana</em> teach <em>dharma</em>, one of Hinduism's most important tenants?</li></ul><p>tags: Hinduism, Hindu, India, dharma, Ramayana, rama, epic, Vishnu</p>

<p>This topical collection contains resources related to the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Pittsburgh_Survey" target="_blank">Pittsburgh Survey</a>, a groundbreaking Progressive Era research study of the living and working conditions in turn-of-the-century Pittsburgh. This study, published in books and magazines, led to the passage of worker-safety laws and encouraged other Progressive Era reforms. The images, readings, and links to archival materials in this collection can be used to support exploration of the questions below.</p><p>Guiding Questions:</p><ul><li>In what way did the Pittsburgh Survey reflect Progressive Era concerns, strategies, and achievements?</li><li>How did Progressive Era beliefs about social change differ from those held previously?</li></ul><p>Tags: Progressives, child labor, worker safety, scientific management, muckrakers, reform movement, Lewis Hine, Paul Kellogg, Crystal Eastman. Joseph Stella, Homestead, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania</p>

This learner resource includes artifacts and archival documents regarding the 1980, 1984, and 1988 Olympics. Students will explore these materials in order to develop an understanding of how the Olympics were used as a platform for the United States and the Soviet Union to display political ideals during the Cold War. Comprehension and analysis questions are embedded throughout. Tags: Wilson Center, Cold War, Olympics, hockey, Miracle on Ice, boycott, Afghanistan, Soviet Union, USSR, Communism

The purpose of this collection is to have students consider the causes and consequences of the Mexican-American War. Students will analyze each item in the collection and determine whether it represents the time period before the war, during, or after. Then students will answer a set of broad questions about the war. While most items in the collection have accompanying text, students may need to consult their textbooks or outside resources in order to answer some questions.

<p>This student activity includes a set of archival documents from the United Shoe Machinery Corporation. These documents can be used as resources to help students investigate the relationship between industry, education, and immigration in the early 20th century. </p><p>As students explore the collection, they should consider how each document helps them answer the following questions:</p><p>-Is it in the best interests of business to encourage citizenship and education? Why or why not?</p><p>-What do these materials say about what it means to be considered "American" in the early 20th century?</p><p>tags: school, learning, English, language, migration, Ellis Island, manufacturing, Progressives</p>

This collection includes many videos, in English and Spanish, and resources showing how the Mayan people living today have preserved their traditions while adjusting to modern life. Students can use the collection to learn about the values and traditions that remain important in Mayan life today. Those who want to learn more about the ancient Maya should view this collection: https://learninglab.si.edu/collections/the-achievements-of-ancient-mayan-civilization/Cb7G8r7LdVF6mGqm