I was really impressed with this activity because it shows the objects to size. I know that with working with Kindergarteners they need to be able to tell the difference between fiction and nonfiction and this is a wonderful way to introduce that concept along with the concept of size. My favorite slide was of the toy truck. I think the children will really benefit from seeing that children in Africa share some of the same interests as we do here in the United States. The children also will learn a lot about another place which is always good for introducing map skills. I think that there are a wide variety of uses for this activity in the classroom.

This is a wonderful resource for teachers. I am currently an Art Education student and I know when I start teaching, I will be using your site often. Thank you.

I love how this site integrates art, geography, and culture into the concept development of "big" and "small." I appreciate how the site makes a connection to
a child's personal experience through statements such as, "Is there a mother or grandmother in your neighborhood who always has after school snacks no matter how many kids come by?" The quality of the objects chosen and the photographs themselves is excellent. Young children may need additional instruction in order to understand the use of scale in the relative sizes. Overall, this is an excellent resource for parents, caregivers, and teachers to share with children.

It’s all about food and family! Who cannot relate? Lots of food is prepared and people come together to share and celebrate. Showcasing multiculturalism in a broader context of world cultures is as important as understanding our differences. To be able to see past the differences and into the unifying factors of what makes us human is the basis of showcasing multiculturalism. This exhibit does that.
The wish of having children is central to most cultures. While this is a Yoruba ceremony, it is also representing a wider global celebration of life, family and children. Even though the students will be learning about this particular aspect of Yoruba culture, they will in many cases find traces of their own cultures in the celebration, particularly in the poem. As an educator, I would use the poem to look at cultural values of other peoples, what we wish for, what we find important, what we abhor or pray wont happen, particularly in other parts of the world and not just Africa.

The guide was very organized, simple to understand and follow. It not only gave a good look into the Wolastoqewiyik culture in Canada, but also helps the student understand common ground between them and other cultures. Very well rounded unit.

Exceptional resource - adaptable to any age group. Wish it would explain the difference between winter count name and name of the year. Disagree (strongly) that teachers should avoid comparing "white" history with Lakota - though topic would have to be done with sensitivity, comparison of two groups could encourage wonderful discussions on ethics, culture, concept of history.

Some students will never get the chance to go to an aquarium or museum or even the ocean for that matter. How cool is it that we have wonderful online resources like this one to expose them to so much more than they could ever experience!?!

This is a wonderful unit with excellent primary sources. I've used this for the last couple of years with my students. This is a very complete unit and is easy to build upon. My students have chosen a count and presented it in teams, and also have created their own counts. They love this!!

As a homeschool educator for over 20 years now, I have always catered each of my children's educations to their specific interests. When I found this site, it was like finding gold! I clicked on http://folkways.si.edu/magazine/index.aspx and from there, went to the link here http://folklife.si.edu/ What a wonderful resource!!! We are interested in learning more about WW2, so I clicked on the link there. I had no idea of the wide variety of songs popular during that time...songs that rallied the troops, encouraged patriotism, and songs that show us the heritage of that era. I can't wait to share this with my music-loving high school senior!

I am part Chinese and my Chinese grandparents died when I was too young to ask questions. This will help me.

This site had so much information to use so. I picked Discovering Our Delta about the Mississippi Delta (Mississippi and Louisiana) This resource had so many tools for all age groups. I would use this for 4th grade through college students learning about cultural history and art. There were so many ideas to better understand a culture and be able to appreciate that and your own.Cooking Methods of the Delta and Folk art were very interesting. So much can be applied to a learning environment. These ideas can be used in Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts too.

This article provides a clear and concise history of the Mayan civilization and its decedents. I work in a school that uses the Student Enrichment Model (SEM), where students chose a grade appropriate history topic and extend their learning and understanding of that topic. Essentially, the students drive their instruction but the teacher helps facilitate their learning. In my SEM group, that focuses on Latin American Civilizations, I would use this resource as a research tool for my students. Based on questions they have developed, they would research this publication and answer their questions. This "webquest" will guide them in the culminating project (an essay, a research paper, an art base project, etc.) This publication also provides an integral link between the past and the present by providing information about the current decedents of the Mayans, a topic which is rarely discussed in elementary history books.

This article was very informative. It talked about the past and the present. It follows the Sna Jtz'ibajom production company in their strive for equality for their people, the Mayans. While the text was a little jumpy at times the over all effect was very good. I especially liked the plays that were added in, that showcase the point in modern times.

I liked this site, however, I feel the information is a bit thin. I would like more background information on everything.

The examples are wonderful, but I would like more background information on the symbolization of some of the animals used in the textiles.

This is a great source for listening to African music, considering most people aren't familiar to this type of music.

I really enjoyed surfing the National Museum of African Art website. There are more resources pertaining to Western, Northern, & Eastern Africa than there are pertaining to Central & Southern Africa.

This exhibition has some very stark and thought provoking images which make a nice addition to a PowerPoint or Picture Walk about Apartheid. I like the background on the photographer, which includes information on the portfolio exhibition that she did particularly for Paton's novel, called "Go Well, My Child."

This is a wonderful resource showing the artistry of the Ojibwe people. Canoes continue to be used by the Ojibwe in wild rice harvesting. This resource is knowledge that is valuable and thankfully will never be lost.

The Kanaka Maoli, indigenous peoples of Hawaii have a lot in common with the American Indian People. Many tribes come to share their culture every year with the local people.

The case studies were too specific. They should involve more generalized situations. Furthermore, I did a search for materials in the grades 4-8 range. This would be appropriate for high schoolers, not elementary students.

Studying titled head dresses from Africa is an interesting and beautiful way to teach about values and aesthetics from the particular areas the hats are from. A simple introduction on how different cultures see and define beauty can be used as an introduction when viewing all the head pieces. The entire exhibition can complement a lesson on art, world history and science. A nice science lesson can include the different materials used to make the hats. This exhibition can supplement materials in history, geography and science.
For particular topics such as royal history, the botolo can be used in a lesson teaching about the various crowns found around the world; what separates them, materials used, similarities. The isicholo hat can be used to explain how society genders aesthetics and the different fibers used in male versus female gear. The guro hat can be used when discussing the various different things so...

This site was very helpful for me, I found all of the information that I needed in a matter of minutes. Keep up the good work my fellow Smithsonians!!

This was a great resource for teaching kids how to think and reason like an anthropologist!
Easy to prepare, follow and present!

I have used lesson plan #3 of this resource for several years now. My students love to discover what the "found" objects really are. Each time they are astounding to find that they are simple everyday items.