<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>

<p>This collection explores yoga's roots in ancient India and how its practice has changed as it has migrated to the West. There are questions embedded throughout the collection, which includes readings, images, links to outside websites, video, and a podcast. </p><p>Essential questions ask:</p><p>What are the roots of the practice of yoga? </p><p>Who claims to have invented it and what were the original goals?</p><p>How did it make its way to the western world and how has it changed through that process?</p><p>Tags: Hindu, Hinduism, India, religion, exercise</p>

<p>This collection includes different perspectives and information about Andrew Carnegie. Students are challenged to build an argument supporting one position or the other: Robber-Baron or Captain of Industry--using the resources as evidence. <strong>Was Carnegie an industrialist who desired to get rich and promote himself regardless of the effects on his workers? Or was he an example of the American dream, an industrial leader who improved the nation and helped its people?</strong></p> <p>Investigate the items in this collection while thinking about those questions. After an initial review of the collection, complete the sorting activities at the end to test your understanding of the issue and begin to develop an argument reflecting your answer to the question above. </p>

<p>This is a collection of photographic plates from Alexander Gardner's Civil War Sketchbook that can be used for teaching about the Civil War in a number of ways. Students can explore the collection and look for images that help them learn about one of the following themes:</p><p>1) Technology</p><p>2) Military Strategy</p><p>3) Life in Military Camps</p><p>4) Death and Destruction</p><p>5) Photography as Art and Communication</p><p>The plates are in order as they appeared in the book, although some have not been included in order to limit the size of the collection. Note that some of the images have additional information linking to external websites with lesson ideas or simply more background on the particular photograph. In addition, be aware that each plate has two images, the first showing the photograph and the second showing Gardner's caption. The three final photos are not from the sketchbook, but show some of Gardner's more famous images and reveal more about the man himself.</p><p>WARNING: Some of the images in this collection include pictures of the dead on the battlefield, which some viewers may find disturbing. Please carefully consider whether use of this collection is appropriate for your specific audience.</p>

There are a number of lesson plans devoted to anthropology available from the Smithsonian. This collection links to several of the best lessons and teaching resources and, where necessary, provides short summaries of what each are, so teachers can easily use them in their own classrooms. It is focused on lessons and resources appropriate for middle and high school classrooms. The last four resources reference the case of Ishi, originally described as "the last Yahi Indian," and an example of flaws in the early approach to anthropology. The Smithsonian housed his brain, which had been donated to science by the University of California, from 1917 to 2000, when it was repatriated to his tribe.

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>The clippings, paintings, and other items here will all help you develop an understanding of William H. Johnson's life and growth as an artist. First, read the biography in the first resource. Then, try to order the remaining collection items from earliest to latest, using clues from the informational text and the style and subject of each work. Once finished, review the progression you have created. How would you describe the evolution of Johnson's art? Can you connect changes in his art to world or personal events?</p><p>tags: Harlem, Federal Art Project, sorting, folk art, African-American, painter</p>

For each of the images in the collection, determine which New Deal organization it is representing. Think about whether that organization is a good example of relief, recovery, or reform. Some images can be used in more than one way, so be prepared to defend and explain your answers to the class.

This collection includes items representing various forms of slave resistance and rebellion. Students should determine what kind of actions are pictured in the case of each item and use them to create a robust definition of slave resistance. Guiding Questions: What does it mean to "resist" slavery? How did white slave-owners respond to such actions? Is maintaining a distinct cultural heritage a form of resistance? Why or why not? How do religion, art, and music encourage resistance?

This collection includes artifacts, lesson plans, and teaching ideas about Andrew Jackson, including his role in the War of 1812 and his presidency.

<p>This is a collection of teaching resources about sacred texts used in a variety of religions. Judaism, Christianity, and Islam are all featured in many artifacts, but there are also some examples from Hinduism, Buddhism, and Daoism. Ideas for teaching and questions are located throughout the collection on the notebook tab. </p><p>Some overall guiding questions to consider using with your students might be:</p><p>-Are the texts treated as revelations? Are they inerrant? You may want to define these words with your students and ask them to research the answers. </p><p>-How do different religions treat their texts? Are there special objects or rituals used in conjunction with the texts?</p><p>-Why was it important for religious texts to be written down? How can the form of a text change who has access to the religion's teachings?</p><p>-What kinds of decorations are used in and on the texts? Why do you think that is?</p><p>Tags: Christianity, Jesus, Bible, Judaism, Torah, Old Testament, Islam, Quran, Muhammad, Hindu, Buddha, Daoism, China, India, religion, belief, philosophy, compare contrast</p>

<p>This collection includes artifacts and images that represent the Five Pillars of Islam. Students should complete the chart (included as the final resource) by first explaining what each pillar is. Then, after looking through the collection, they should identify an artifact that represents each one and explain why.</p><p>Tags: Islam, Muslim, religion, Muhammad, object analysis, practice, pilgrimage, hajj, fasting, Ramadan, Shahadah, zakat, tithe, salat, prayer</p>