John Mix Stanley [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons
Aug 15, 20172017-08-15
Digital Learning • Learning Support
Videoconferences Exploring American History Through Art
Students can explore US history and culture through Artful Connections, freeinteractive videoconferences provided by the Smithsonian American Art Museum. The Artful Connections programs promote collaboration, critical thinking, creativity, and communication via discussion. The programs are highly interactive, inquiry-driven, object-centered lessons appropriate for grades 3 and up. They are offered Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. (ET) on a flexible schedule. The sessions last from 45 to 60 minutes. The topics align with national curriculum standards and 21st century skills, which are linked within the program descriptions. The Artful Connections Tours focus on Looking at Art (“To See Is to Think,” “America’s Signs & Symbols,” “Found Object Artworks,” “Contemporary Craft Works”); Exploring History (“Young America,” “Lure of the West,” “A House Divided: Civil War”); and Celebrating Heritage (“African American Artists,” “American Indians,” “Latino Art and Culture”).
On “Freedom’s Eve,” or the eve of January 1, 1863, enslaved and free African Americans gathered in churches and private homes all across the country awaiting news that the Emancipation Proclamation had taken effect.
At the stroke of midnight, prayers were answered, as all enslaved people in Confederate States were declared legally free. Union soldiers, many of whom were Black, marched onto plantations and across cities in the South reading small copies of the Emancipation Proclamation, spreading the news of freedom in Confederate States. Only through the Thirteenth Amendment did emancipation end slavery throughout the United States.
Civic Life Project partners with educators to teach civics through a unique digital storytelling curriculum. In collaboration, Civic Life Project and National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS) have launched Compelling Interviews for Civic Engagement, a civics inquiry unit to help students develop informed, diverse perspectives on social issues they care about.
Where does our food come from? Who has access to healthful food? How is climate change affecting our food? How is climate change affecting our food? ProjectS.O.W. (Seeds of Wonder), a freecurriculum developed by Cornell University’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS), gives teachers ways to explore these issues with young people aged 13–19.