Resources available to teachers, parents, students and others include lessons, activities and interactive games that can be searched by grade level, keyword and historical era. Learning activities feature objects selected from the more than 3 million artifacts in the museum’s collections and draw on the expertise of the museum’s renowned curatorial staff making “Smithsonian’s History Explorer” a unique educational experience.

Students can sharpen their critical thinking skills by exploring objects such as a Native American buffalo hide painting, taking electronic behind-the-scenes field trips with museum curators to learn how exhibitions are produced, or playing online matching games where they can discover the seven roles of the President or how to build a sod house.

Teachers will find a wealth of standards-based classroom activities, interactives, media clips and museum objects that can easily be integrated into any K-12 curriculum, as well as professional development opportunities that will help them bring history to life for their students.

“Smithsonian’s History Explorer” was developed under the guidance of a teacher advisory group and made possible by a grant from the Verizon Foundation. The site is accessible at http://historyexplorer.americanhistory.si.edu or via http://www.thinkfinity.org.