Emily Murgia
Education Programs Specialist
Smithsonian's National Postal Museum
Smithsonian Staff
I joined the National Postal Museum in the spring of 2013. Prior to NPM, I worked at several DC institutions including the Smithsonian’s National Zoo, Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery, the International Spy Museum, and the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. These varied opportunities continue to inspire me in my pursuit to provide outstanding interdisciplinary programs for all audiences. As the manager of public programs at NPM, I work on the frontline to create “ah-ha” moments for every visitor.
I graduated from Wheaton College, Massachusetts with a degree in Art History before earning a Masters’ in Museum Education from The George Washington University.
Emily Murgia's collections
Review Activity: Biomes
A teaching guide for a review activity featuring biomes. In this hands-on and engaging activity, students sort and select postage stamps that represent the seven biomes then defend their choices.
Emily Murgia
13
Activity: Cloud Classification
Students learn and review cloud classification in this independent activity. Students first watch a short video, produced by NASA, before identifying properties of clouds depicted in photos. Students then observe, describe, and identify the clouds outside.
Emily Murgia
21
Assessment Tool: Persuasive Writing and Stamp Design
A teaching guide for an interdisciplinary assessment technique or research project using creative and language arts. In this hands-on and engaging activity, students explore postage stamps as symbols of American history before designing a commemorative stamp; defending their subject selection and artistic choices through presentation and persuasive essay writing.
Activity challenges should feature current studies and relevant classroom goals (ex. heritage month themes, explorers, authors, characters) for cross-subject exploration.
Emily Murgia
15
Stamp Stories: The Civil War
A resource demonstrating a fun and engaging teaching strategy, Stamp Stories.
Postage stamps are not simply a means to send a letter but can serve as windows into the history and cultures of the world. Every stamp tells a story. Simultaneously a primary and secondary source; the subject depicted on a stamp presents opportunities for innovative teaching strategies that appeal specifically to visual learners.
In this lesson, students build their own stamp collections to show what they’ve learned and debate why the stamps they've chosen reflect the given theme.
This specific collection features the Civil War but the technique may be applied to any subject or theme as an assessment, review tool, or ice breaker.
Emily Murgia
14
Black History: Black Heritage Stamp Series
A topical collection featuring African-American leaders, inventors, activists, sports figures, and culture-shapers whose lives changed history. Teaching Tips can be found in "notes."
These stamps are part of the Black Heritage Stamp Series. U.S. postage stamps were in use for nearly a century before Booker T. Washington became the first African American to appear on one. A handful of additional black history-related designs appeared between 1940 and 1978, when the U.S. Postal Service introduced the Black Heritage series. USPS continues to issue a stamp featuring a notable Black American every February in conjunction with Black History Month and at other times during the year. Today the Black Heritage issues are the longest-running U.S. stamp series.
Emily Murgia
38
Stamp Stories: The Revolutionary War
A resource demonstrating a fun and engaging teaching strategy, Stamp Stories.
Postage stamps are not simply a means to send a letter but can serve as windows into the history and cultures of the world. Every stamp tells a story. Simultaneously a primary and secondary source; the subject depicted on a stamp presents opportunities for innovative teaching strategies that appeal specifically to visual learners.
In this lesson, students build their own stamp collections to show what they’ve learned and debate why the stamps they've chosen reflect the given theme.
This specific collection features the Revolutionary War but the technique may be applied to any subject or theme as an assessment, review tool, or ice breaker.
Emily Murgia
14
