Participants in this online course will discover the wealth of web-based primary research and active learning resources available to social studies teachers of all grade levels. They will explore an array of primary and secondary resources including collections of original documents, vast reservoirs of secondary historical information, and online resources designed to support social studies teachers in curriculum development. They will consider effective research strategies and engage in critical analysis of web resources. In addition, they will learn to develop a personal collection of web-based resources for curricular use, as well as create preliminary plans to enhance a curriculum unit.

Today a common beverage worldwide, tea was once a precious imported commodity. This presentation will introduce the geographic and botanical origins of tea, the role of trade in bringing tea from China to Western consumers, the social and cultural role of tea in 18th-century New England, and the period equipment and furnishings commonly used to prepare and serve tea in a place such as Deerfield, Massachusetts. The day includes a presentation, a tour of the new exhibition "Stimulating Beverages: Tea, Coffee, and Chocolate Wares at Historic Deerfield," a house tour, and a serving of tea.

This workshop will be structured to enhance teacher knowledge of Abraham Lincoln's significance in American history and will include pedagogical skills. It will include morning lectures by Thomas Krannawitter, of Hillsdale College and author of Vindicating Lincoln, and afternoon sessions, by John Rodahl of the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History, devoted to strategies for lesson planning, classroom activities, and student engagement.

What are the goals of hands on learning? How do museum educators come up with activity ideas? How do they test ideas to make sure things work, and what happens when something fails?

Visitors will see prototypes and finished "products" of activities used successfully in Spark!Lab, and then will have the opportunity to prototype and give feedback on a new activity under development.

This month's prototyping activity is on electrical history. This is being developed to allow visitors to explore electrical science via the works of inventor and electrical engineer Nikola Tesla (1856–1943). Tesla is best known for his many revolutionary contributions in the field of electricity and magnetism in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Tesla's patents and theoretical work formed the basis of many modern technologies now taken for granted, including fluorescent and neon lighting, automation, radio-controlled toys and guided missiles, and wireless transmissions that earned him the name "father of radio."

The Smithsonian Early Enrichment Center is offering a one-day training seminar to examine how educators can use collections to enrich classroom experience. Young children are natural-born collectors. Toys, dolls, coins, or nature's treasures such as rocks and shells appeal to young children and help them understand the world around them. Educators can develop this innate curiosity by creating collections and exhibits that combine literature, art, and objects to introduce children to the magic of museums. Through hands-on experiences and museum visits, this one-day seminar will show educators how to use collections to help children develop skills to sort, classify, observe, and analyze. Participants will learn to enhance their teaching by developing collections that incorporate math, science, history, and language arts.