Lesson Plans
For secondary school teachers, the Smithsonian Office of Education has prepared three integrated classroom activities for grades 9 through 12 based on this exhibition.
The curriculum materials offered here are based on selected themes of the exhibition From Smithson to Smithsonian. Lessons are designed for upper division students in grades 9 through 12 and emphasize linking the past to the present through a series of object–based activities. All three lesson plans are available individually below or as a single file here.
These lesson plans require the use of the Adobe Acrobat Reader 3.0 (or higher).
Lesson Plan 1: Evaluating Historical Sources
In Lesson Plan One, students will identify methods historians use to study the past and will learn the relative strengths of a variety of primary source materials.
Lesson Plan 2: Who Was James Smithson?
In Lesson Plan Two, students will learn of the circumstances surrounding James Smithson's generous gift to the United States and examine primary source materials from Smithson's life.
Lesson Plan 3: Making the Connection - From Smithson to Smithsonian
In Lesson Plan Three, students will explore the national debate surrounding the acceptance of Smithson's gift, identify the divergent views of members of Congress, and examine the role of compromise in the American legislative process.