The Object of History: Behind the Scenes with the Curators of the National Museum of American History
The Center for History and New Media at George Mason University and the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of American History are pleased to announce the launch of The Object of History http://objectofhistory.org. The website features six artifacts from the Museum’s collections, related high school curriculum materials, and opportunities for students to participate in live online forums with Smithsonian curators.
Schedule of Featured Objects:
March 2007 — Greensboro Woolworth's Lunch Counter (Civil Rights)
April 2007 — Cesar Chavez’s Family’s Short-Handled Hoe (Immigration and Farm Worker Organizing)
September 2007 — Desk on which Thomas Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence (Founding and the New Nation)
October 2007 — Mary Todd Lincoln’s Dress (Slavery and Civil War)
November 2007 — Gold Nugget that launched the Gold Rush (Westward Expansion)
February 2008 — 1898 Standard Voting Machine (Progressive Reform)
Each featured Object Lesson includes the following resources:
Materials for Students:
- guide to doing history with objects
- two minute introductory movie
- Quicktime virtual reality version of the object to examine
- curator interview clips
- large collection of associated primary sources to explore
- brief and extended thematic tours
- links to related web resources
- opportunities to create virtual exhibits
- opportunity to submit questions for curators and historians to answer during live audiocasts
Additional Materials for Teachers http://objectofhistory.org/teachers/:
- introductory material on how to use this site in the classroom
- three activities designed to teach about the featured objects
- notes on where the curriculum materials fit into the standards of learning
- links to related web resources
Four Live Audiocasts with each object http://objectofhistory.org/forum/:
Submit questions http://objectofhistory.org/forum/questions/ about the featured object for curators and historians to answer during the audiocasts streamed live on the web.
Comments or Questions? Contact us: teachers@objectofhistory.org
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National Council for the Social Studies
