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Teacher's Guide to "What I did for my Summer Vacation" Interactive



"What I did for my Summer Vacation" takes students back in time to explore Montana's past through the collections of the Montana Historical Society. Students select a family and experience a visit to the family's home. Before returning to their own home, students get to select objects to take home with them. When they return home, students write a story about why they brought home each of the objects. After submitting their story, it might be chosen by the Montana Historical Society to be posted on the website for others to read.

This interactive provides students an opportunity to learn about the past through photographs, documents, and artifacts. It teaches them reading and writing skills, as well as visual analysis skills for investigating photographs and artifacts. For recommendations for books and other sources of information and additional topics for discussion, see our "Learn More About It" page.

Further Activities

Become A Collector(from the Smithsonian National Museum of American History)

Conducting a Genealogical Survey (from the Smithsonian National Museum of American History)

Diary of a Journey West and Letters Home

Primary Sources and How to Use Them