Smithsonian Learning Lab is a free web platform for finding Smithsonian digital materials, building learning activities, and sharing them. Its library includes millions of images, recordings, texts, and videos spanning history, art and culture, and science. Educators and subject experts group resources into collections; users can copy those collections, upload resources, add annotations and hotspots, and create quizzes and assignments. Collections can be shared online, embedded in other websites, or assigned to learners, with responses and progress tracked. Collections begin as private; publishing makes them public and searchable. A guide lists document, image, spreadsheet, presentation, and text uploads, with a 4 MB maximum file size. Assignment and Roster tools are available only for students aged 13 or older, and responding students need Learning Lab accounts. The Lab covers grade levels from PreK-2 through 9-12 and subjects including history, language arts, social studies, engineering, art and culture, and science. Free professional development programs model teaching with digital museum resources.
Who it is for
It suits teachers, students, and lifelong learners looking to use Smithsonian digital resources in learning activities. Educators can organize collections and assign them to learners, subject to the age and account requirements.
What is good
- Free access to Smithsonian digital resources and Learning Lab tools
- Millions of images, recordings, texts, and videos
- Collections support quizzes, assignments, annotations, and hotspots
- Collections can be embedded in other websites
- Free professional development is open to anyone
What to know first
- Assignment and Roster tools require students to be 13 or older
- Responding students each need a Learning Lab account
- Uploads are limited to 4 MB
- Publishing makes collections public and searchable
Verdict
Learning Lab combines a large Smithsonian resource library with tools for creating and sharing instructional collections. Its assignment features have age and account requirements, and published collections are public and searchable.
Smithsonian Learning Lab plans and pricing
All plansCompared on teacher resource libraries
- Free plan
- Yes
- Resource formats
- digital images; texts; videos; audio recordings; websites; primary source documents; lesson plans; instructional strategies
- Grade levels
- PreK-2; 3-5; 6-8; 9-12
- Subject coverage
- history; art and culture; science; language arts; social studies; engineering; STEM
- Editable files
- Yes
- School licensing
- No
- Access model
- mixed
