Special Report
Education During Coronavirus
Students, teachers and parents around the globe are navigating another challenging school year. Smithsonian magazine has compiled a collection of coverage dedicated to virtual tours, digitized museum collections, downloadable resources from the Smithsonian Institution and other educational opportunities on the web to support all those involved.
Holy Mola! Watch This Colossal Ocean Sunfish Swim With Paddle Boarders Off the California Coast
Also known as a mola, the fish are harmless to people but are extremely curious and will approach divers
Need a Creative Boost? Nap Like Thomas Edison and Salvador Dalí
Waking up just after dozing off seems to be a science-backed source of inspiration
Winnie-the-Pooh, an Ernest Hemingway Classic and a Massive Library of Sound Recordings Will Enter the Public Domain on January 1
Works newly available to copy, republish and remix in 2022 also include poems by Langston Hughes and Dorothy Parker
Eight Digital Education Resources From Around the Smithsonian
The newly launched #SmithsonianEdu campaign highlights 1.7 million online tools geared specifically toward students and teachers
Seventy-Five Scientific Research Projects You Can Contribute to Online
From astrophysicists to entomologists, many researchers need the help of citizen scientists to sift through immense data collections
Twenty-Four Ways to Turn Outdoor Passions Into Citizen Science
Heading into the new year, consider collecting scientific data while skiing, hiking, surfing, biking and partaking in other adventures
Science
Watch the Total Solar Eclipse From Your Home With These Live Streams Online
Not in the path of totality? See the moon blot out the sun, revealing its magnificent corona, from your computer or phone
Watch First Time-Lapse Footage of a Rare Moonflower Cactus Blossoming
The rare Amazonian cactus blooms only once a year for 12 hours
How to Keep Up With NASA’s Perseverance Rover as It Explores Mars
Follow along as the new rover sends incredible data and images back to Earth
Ten Research-Backed Tips on Parenting in a Digital Era
With screen time at a high during the Covid-19 pandemic, two educators offer some advice
Twenty-Four Ways to Turn Outdoor Passions Into Citizen Science
Heading into the new year, consider collecting scientific data while skiing, hiking, surfing, biking and partaking in other adventures
Arts and Culture
How Opera Singing Is Helping Long-Haul Covid-19 Patients Recover
Developed in the United Kingdom, ENO Breathe is a virtual program that rehabilitates patients through the art of song
Explore the Newly Digitized Archive of Alexander Calder, Famed ‘Sculptor of Air’
A new online trove from the Calder Foundation offers fans endless avenues to learn about the artist’s life and work
New Online Portal Chronicles the Culinary Legacy of the African Diaspora
“Feast Afrique,” a digital tool created by food historian Ozoz Sokoh, features nearly 200 texts spanning 1828 to the present
The World’s First Entirely Virtual Art Museum Is Open for Visitors
VOMA—the Virtual Online Museum of Art—is a free and fully immersive art experience
Stanford University Students Flock to a Virtual Campus
A new digital platform allows students to explore campus and connect in Zoom rooms during the school’s Covid-19 shutdown
History
These Free Online Resources Tell the Story of 9/11 and Its Aftermath
Browse 12 archives, databases and portals that help users deepen their understanding of the attacks
How the Public Helped Historians Better Understand What Happened at Tulsa
A century after the massacre of a prosperous Black community, Smithsonian volunteers transcribed nearly 500 pages of vital records in less than 24 hours
Watch 150 Years of Asian American History Unfold in This Documentary
The five-part PBS series chronicles the community’s story through archival footage, interviews
This Exhibition Lets Visitors ‘Chat’ With a WWII Veteran Who Liberated Nazi Camp
Interactive installation at the National WWII Museum encourages people to ask Staff Sgt. Alan Moskin about his wartime experiences
You Can Now Explore 200 Years of Chinese American History Online
The Museum of Chinese in America launched the digital platform one year after a fire devastated its archives