Last week, on October 21, 2011 over 2,500 teachers from around the United States attended the Smithsonian’s annual Teachers’ Night at the National Museum of the American Indian. Over thirty Smithsonian units exhibited programs and resources that teacher could utilize in their classrooms. The Smithsonian Institution Archives History Division and Field Book Project participated in the event. Our staff spoke with teachers about the Archives and its vast resources, including a host of interesting collections now online on our new website. Additionally, teachers received information about new K-12 lesson plans that cover how to use primary sources in the classroom and how to use observation in science; as well as classroom activities ranging from understanding how the Civil War affected Washington, DC, to coloring book activities featuring the Smithsonian Castle.

We wanted to make sure that any teachers out there who were interested also had access to these new resources, so here they are:

• Education Resource Package from the Smithsonian Institution Archives
• "Create Your Own Field Book Activity and Lesson Plan" from the Field Book Project

We hope you enjoy these and the other resources on the Archives’ Education page.