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National Postal Museum Education

Smithsonian Staff

To see the National Postal Museum's collections, please visit our Group Page.  

Located in the historic D.C. City Post Office next to the restored Union Station, the Smithsonian’s National Postal Museum showcases the largest and most comprehensive collection of stamps and philatelic (stamp) material in the world—including postal stationery, vehicles used to transport the mail, mailboxes, meters, cards and letters, and postal materials that predate the use of stamps. Visitors can walk along a Colonial post road, ride with the mail in a stagecoach, browse through a small town post office from the 1920s, receive free stamps to start a collection and more. 

National Postal Museum Education's collections

 

Exploring Abolition through the Mail

<p><em>How have abolition and civil rights activists used the postal service as a tool to educate and fight for freedom and social justice? </em>This lesson plan supports students in exploring this question through primary and secondary sources connected to abolition, civil rights, and the mail. </p> <p></p> <p>For educators, this learning lab is designed to compliment your classroom lessons, resources and assignments. You can utilize this collection to guide students through learning about the impact and work of abolition and civil rights activists through a unique postal lens. This lesson plan has a warm up, vocabulary, guided primary and secondary source analysis, a conclusion, and suggestions for learning extensions. This lesson plan is recommended for students in grades 6-12 but educators should feel empowered to adapt, scaffold, and use this collection as their own to fit the unique needs of their students. Be sure to read all image descriptions in advance of sharing the collection with students. Sometimes, an object may have more than one image associated with it, so click through the additional images. This option is in the lower right corner of each square.</p> <p></p> <p>For students, this is an activity that you can use to explore and learn about the topic of abolition and the mail on your own! You can use this collection to build context and practice analyzing primary and secondary sources. If you have questions, you can ask an educator or other adult in your life to help as needed. Take your time and read through each image description as you explore the objects in this collection. Sometimes, an object may have more than one image associated with it, so click through the additional images. This option is in the lower right corner of each square.</p>
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Stamps of Celebration: Exploring Lunar New year Through Philately

<p>Also known as the Spring Festival in China, Lunar New Year is a fifteen-day celebration marked by many traditions and celebrated in a variety of countries and cultures, including Korea, Vietnam, Taiwan, and Mongolia.</p> <p>In this Learning Lab from the National Postal Museum, you’ll explore the history and art of Lunar New Year postage stamps. Then you’ll have the opportunity to expand your learning through digital and tactile learning activities you can do at home. </p>
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