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Tracie Spinale

Learning Programs Manager
Smithsonian Institution
Middle School (13 to 15 years old), High School (16 to 18 years old), Post-Secondary
Teacher/Educator, Curriculum Coordinator, Parent, Museum Staff
Language Arts And English, Science, Social Studies, Arts, Special Education, Career and Tech Ed, Other : Museum Studies
Smithsonian Staff

Hi there! I am the Learning Programs Manager at the Office of the Under Secretary for Education (OUSE) where I focus on positive youth development programs.

Enjoy!

Tracie Spinale's collections

 

Smithsonian Career Connections

<p>Check out the wide variety of careers available at the Smithsonian and Smithsonian-adjacent fields. From Art to Zoology and everything in-between--if you have a passion and interest--there's a STEAM career for you!</p>
Tracie Spinale
88
 

Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGCA) Guide to the Smithsonian // Activities

<p>The content in this Guide, along with the accompanying online resources and activities in the Smithsonian Learning Lab, features people, places, and things of the Smithsonian Institution around the Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGCA) themes of: </p> <ul><li>DEMOCRACY & CIVICS </li><li> DIVERSITY, EQUITY, ACCESS & INCLUSION</li><li> STEM, HEALTHY LIVING & ENVIRONMENT</li><li>SOCIAL IDENTITY</li><li>CAREERS</li></ul> <p>With over 157.2 million objects and specimens in our collections, we’ve selected <em>some</em> of the most relevant and interesting content the Smithsonian has to offer for BGCA youth and teens based on these topics on or near the National Mall in Washington, D.C. during the Summit for America's Youth. <br></p> <hr> <p>BONUS: <a href="https://learninglab.si.edu/q/ll-c/xBNvZo0yH1st2hrY" target="_blank">Smithsonian Career Connections</a></p>
Tracie Spinale
138
 

Access Series: Flying Things

<p>This topical collection of airplanes, hot air balloons, space craft, and other things that fly, was originally used in a collage art activity (printed out; using paper, glue, and art materials). It was used as a discussion prompt in an informal learning activity with a group of teens with cognitive disabilities during a summer camp program--as pre-museum visit preparation to artifacts that would be found at an airplane museum. </p> <p>Other suggested uses beyond collage and discussion prompts would be a writing exercise, "If you could fly anywhere, where would you go and what would you do?" Use the visible thinking routine, "See|Think|Wonder" as a starting point for the writing prompt, and the images for inspiration. There is a suggested lesson plan included which can be adapted to a visit to an air and space museum.</p> <p>Tags: decision-making, self-determination, student empowerment, disability, all access digital arts program, teens in museums, teens, teenagers, after school, out of school learning, informal learning</p>
Tracie Spinale
94
 

Museums, Activism, and Social Justice

<p><br>How can museum exhibitions engage with teens to foster dialogue surrounding challenging questions about social justice? This learning resource contains an in-gallery activity related to the <em><a href="http://nmai.si.edu/nationtonation/" target="_blank">Nation to Nation: Treaties Between the United States and American Indian Nations</a></em> exhibition--that has been adapted for online use. The activity examines the important relationship between the United States Government and tribal Nations. It examines the 1851 Horse Creek Treaty and links to present-day activism by the people of the Standing Rock Sioux tribe and their supporters.<br></p><p>Teens are encouraged to discuss: <em>When people ask you where you are from, what do you say? Why do you respond that way? Can you remember the first time you witnessed or experienced an injustice? Can we ask a nation to sacrifice development opportunities in the service of protecting the environment / treaty rights / tribal rights? What is your role in carrying on the maintenance of this relationship between tribes and the U.S.? How can museums respond to issues of social justice in the community? What should the Smithsonian do to share this story? How can we involve teens in sharing this story?</em></p> <hr> <p>KEYWORDS: student engagement, teen council, American history, DAPL, exhibition tour, inquiry-based learning, questions, Native American, Dakota, activism, manifest destiny, sovereignty</p>
Tracie Spinale
29
 

Senses Series - Taste

<p>How do we taste what we taste? This collection is about the kinds of tastes that the human tongue experiences. Background information from the website Neuroscience for Kids provides an overview of how the tongue and taste function. Included are experiments to try, as well as examples of the kinds of tastes: sweet, salty, sour, hot and bitter. The collection closes with a cross-cultural examination of tongue function and tastes from Tibetan monastics—who recognize thirty-six different tastes!<br /><br />Based on exhibition project work through <a href="http://scienceformonks.org/">Science for Monks</a> and <a href="http://scienceformonks.org/world-of-your-senses-web-tour/" target="_blank">The World of Your Senses</a> Exhibition (2010).</p>
Tracie Spinale
14
 

ACCESS SERIES | Through the Lens of Curiosity

<p><strong>IMPORTANT: Click on the "i" for information icon and the paperclip icons as you move through the collection.</strong></p> <p>All Access Club Explores the Microscopic World. If you cannot see something, does that mean that it is not there? Nope! Just lurking under the surface of common, everyday objects is an entire world that we normally cannot see. People just like you can use microscopes to discover things that need magnification in order to view.  The collection is part of an activity series that explores this mysterious microscopic world.<br><br><strong>EDUCATORS | </strong>For the LESSON PLAN of the original "Through the Lens of Curiosity"  ><br><br>In this collection you will:</p> <ul><li>Find out about the world through the use of microscopes and magnifiers</li><li>Take on the role of detective as you embark on a quest to solve 5 mysteries -- by making observations about up-close objects and reading clues, can you figure out what the whole object is?</li><li>In the game <em>A Part of the Whole</em>, use your power of observation to consider the structures and functions of up-close objects to guess what they might be. Again, you will look at part of an object--photographed up-close--to guess at the whole.</li></ul> <p>If it is possible to set-up a hand's-on experience with microscopes along with the online activities -- the tactile portion will enhance the online activity. Teens can also view a video about scanning electron microscopes by a young scientist in the 'extension section'.</p> <p>Keywords: decision-making, self-determination, access, disability, accessibility, neurodiversity, special education, SPED, out of school learning, informal learning, cognitive, social skills, engagement, passion, creativity, empowerment, All Access Digital Arts Program, teens in museums, teens, teenagers, after school, out of school learning, informal learning</p>
Tracie Spinale
85
 

Shelley's "Ozymandias" Poem: Museum Objects and Inspired Art

<p>How have museum objects and antiquities inspired arts and literature? Read and listen to a famous poem written two hundred years ago by English author Percy Bysshe Shelley, "Ozymandias." Then, view artworks which in turn were inspired by the poem. View the environmental landscapes and settings in ancient Egypt which inspired the original poem about the colossal sculpture of a famous ruler from over three thousand years ago. The collection concludes with a link to view a draft of the poem. Will Shelley's work inspire the creation of your own poem or artwork about a place you've traveled, or an object you've seen in a museum?</p> <p>For a hand's-on paper-craft activity for younger students, visit <a href="https://learninglab.si.edu/q/ll-c/8MmERhz4keCesAxN"><strong>Nile, Nile Crocodile</strong></a> collection</p> <p>keywords: sonnet, Ancient Egypt, Rameses II, Thebes, impermanence, cultural patrimony, distance learning, poetry, object-based learning</p>
Tracie Spinale
23
 

Access Series: Collage

<p>This topical collection of artworks is all about collage. Collage is a technique that uses other pieces of artwork assembled into a new artwork. </p> <p>The collection was originally used in a collage art activity to provide inspiration examples of the art of collage-making, based upon personal interests. It was used with a group of teens with cognitive disabilities during a summer camp program. <br><br> Descriptors: Decision Making, Disabilities, Self-Determination, Self-Efficacy, Student Empowerment, teens in museums, teens, teenagers, after school, out of school learning, informal learning</p>
Tracie Spinale
29
 

Access Series: Great Face! Portraits and Photo Composition

<p>Taking a great portrait is more than just taking a quick snap of a face. It requires thoughtful contemplation and a variety of choices by the photographer. This is a collection of photographs that illustrate various principles of portrait photography: angles (eye-level, high angle, low angle, and bird's eye), light and shadow, framing, and shot length (long-shot, medium-shot, close-up, & extreme close-up); As well as mood--capturing a feeling or emotion in a photograph; scale--how big or small subjects look; and sense of place--capturing the feeling of a place. Click into each photo and on the "paper clip" annotation icon to read more information and complete challenges.</p> <p>Tags: portrait photography, decision-making, self-determination, student empowerment, disability, All Access Digital Arts Program, teens in museums, teens, teenagers, after school, out of school learning, informal learning</p>
Tracie Spinale
21
 

Access Series: Photo Quest in a Sculpture Garden

<p>Get out on a sunny day and enjoy an art sculpture garden with friends...Wander with a purpose. In this teen group quest, teams use close-up photo prompts to find artworks in a sculpture garden, and then use tablet devices to take team photos with the sculptures. This activity was originally used in the Hirshhorn Sculpture Garden in Washington, D.C. with the All Access Digital Arts Program as a photo scavenger hunt. Example PDFs of photo details are provided. To turn the photo hunt into a more formal learning experience, the answer section shows the entire sculpture with information and discussion prompts to elicit questions about teen identity and self-expression.</p> <p>With some prep work, this activity could be adapted to other sculpture gardens settings, or permanent collection galleries in a museum. Make sure to confirm the sculpture locations prior to your groups visit--Even heavy sculptures sometimes get relocated or go out for conservation and cleaning.</p> <p>Tags: decision-making, self-determination, student empowerment, disability, All Access Digital Arts Program, teens in museums, teens, teenagers, after school, out of school learning, informal learning, emotions, socio-emotional</p>
Tracie Spinale
34
 

Access Series: Fantastic Creatures

<p>This topical collection of artworks is based upon "fantastical creatures." It was originally used in a collage art activity (printed out; using paper, glue, and art materials); and as a discussion prompt in an informal learning activity with a group of teens with cognitive disabilities during a summer camp program. <br></p> <p>Other suggested uses beyond collage and discussion prompts would be a writing exercise, utilizing the "See|Think|Wonder" visible thinking routine or the “Conversing with an Object” discussion prompt as writing inspiration. You could also pair the collection with popular young adult fantasy novels, and ancient myths and legends. Or draw your own fantastic creature.<br><br> Descriptors: Decision Making, Disabilities, Self-Determination, Self-Efficacy, Student Empowerment, All Access Digital Arts Program, teens in museums, teens, teenagers, after school, out of school learning, informal learning</p>
Tracie Spinale
41
 

Color Series - Purple

<p>This topical collection of the color purple is part of a color series and was originally used in a collage art activity (printed out; using paper, glue, and art materials) with a group of teens with cognitive disabilities during a summer camp program. I was inspired to create the series after a few of our students mentioned their passionate interest in specific colors, and how they thought in colors.</p> <p>Tags: color series, decision-making, self-determination, student empowerment, disability, All Access Digital Arts Program</p>
Tracie Spinale
30