Providing free education tools and materials for teachers, interpreters, students, and lifelong learners inside and outside the National Park Service is one important way we support the agency's mission. The value of America's cultures and diverse heritages may be lost if it's not passed on to the next generation or experienced by the present one. Want to inspire young people to grow into responsible citizens? Looking for more resources to craft interpretation or educational programming plans? See the related resources below or visit our Education &Training page for more.
The National Park Service offers free online lesson plans through its Teaching with Historic Places series and, of over 160 offered, some feature historic sites where art, artists, and American culture took root. These lessons align with national curriculum standards and each lesson contains primary and secondary sources, including readings, maps, and images, and recommended activities. Art and culture lessons from TwHP include,
- Chesterwood: The Workshop of an American Sculptor
Learn about the life and work of the sculptor, Daniel Chester French, and about the important role public sculpture played in turn-of-the-20th century America.
- Embattled Farmers and the Shot Heard Round The World: The Battles of Lexington and Concord
Walk the road where the "shot heard 'round the world" sparked the American Revolution, and investigate how works of art both depicted and shaped our memory of these dramatic battles.
- Saint-Gaudens National Historic Site: Home of a Gilded Age Icon
Meet one of America's premier artists, a creator of public monuments, and evaluate the importance of art and sculpture in society.
- Chicago's Columbus Park: The Prairie Idealized
Learn about a famous landscape artist and his efforts to promote conservation and an appreciation for the native plant life of the United States.
- Roadside Attractions
Follow the highways of the 1920s and 1930s, exploring the whimsical, extravagant architecture that came with American auto culture.
Last updated: March 8, 2016