K-12 Classroom Resources

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K-12 Classroom Resources

Design has the power to change the world. Explore lesson plans and activities to help you empower your students to view the world with optimism and apply design literacy in their daily lives. Also visit Professional Development Resources for strategies and approaches on how to integrate design in your classroom. For information on Design Field Trips, visit School Programs.

 

Related to recent exhibitions

Check out resources related to recent exhibitions, including Acquired! Shaping the National Design Museum, An Atlas of Es Devlin, and Give Me A Sign: The Language of Symbols. Visit often to find out what’s new.

The Language of Symbols: Video Series

Grades: 1-7
These videos explore symbols as vital communication tools in our daily lives, constantly evolving to meet new needs and users.

I Saw Your Light and it was Shining: Imaginative Sight

Grades: 7-12
In this Learning Lab 5-part collection, consider how we might use creativity and critical thought to respond to the objects around us.

An Atlas of Es Devlin: A Creative Curriculum

Grades: 8-12
Inspired by the ways Devlin sustains and adapts her artistic process, this 8-part curriculum is designed to foster creative thinking.

Design Process & Principles

Learn and practice the steps of the design process from flexing your creative muscle and brainstorming, research and observation, to prototyping.

Design it Yourself: Design A Prototype for a user

Grades: 2-5
Learn to think like a designer by prototyping a solution engineered for a specific user.

Design it Yourself: Practice Design Observation

Grades: 2-5
Follow along to practice observation, used in design, art, and science.

The Design Process

Grades: 2-12
A simple step-by-step outline of the design process.

Design Spotlight: Climate & Environmental Design

Get ready for New York Climate Week (September 22-29, 2024)! Explore self-guided field trips and activities that prompt students to explore nature in their communities and design everything from landscapes to community spaces.

Self-Guided Design Field Trip | Design + Climate Change

Grades: 3-6
Explore climate change through a hands-on design challenge and learn how you can take action in your community.

Design A Green Roof

Grades: 4-7
Follow along to design a green roof or roof garden that will help keep a city or building cool.

A Creative Curriculum: June Perspective Shift

Grades: 8-12
Take part in activities that encourage you to explore the nature around your school or neighborhood.

Explore more on Smithsonian learning lab

Discover more activities to try in your classroom on the Smithsonian Learning Lab. This digital platform inspires creativity and exploration with enriching materials. Access over 2 million images, recordings, and texts from the Smithsonian’s 19 museums, 9 major research centers, the National Zoo, and more.

Designing for Identity and Inclusion in Your Community

Grades: 2-6
Explore icons, symbols, and logos to create a design of your own to represent a community you belong to.

Design a Zine: Family Cornerstones

Grades: 6-8
Inspired by the way zines have amplified diverse voices, this activity explores how to craft a zine in celebration of our communities and identities.

LGBTQ+ Histories: Graphic Design

Grades: 7-12
Learn about ways that diverse LGBTQ+ communities have used graphic design to communicate ideas, to protest, and to celebrate their identities.