Apr
08

Wonder & Awe: Announcing our latest collaboration with USA Today

The Office of the Under Secretary for Education and the Office of Communications and External Affairs are pleased to announce the release of Wonder & Awe, our eleventh educational activity guide in an ongoing series produced in collaboration with USA TODAY.

Graphic showing cover of activity guide Wonder & Awe against pale blue background

Created by Smithsonian educators and staff Laura Hansen (Affiliations), Ashley Naranjo (OUSE), Julia Orr (NASM), Tracy Scott Forson (Smithsonian Magazine), Carol Wilson (SAAM), and Erika Wright (SAO) and featuring the work of many contributors across the Institution, this guide will reach 1.3 million print subscribers nationwide on Sunday, April 7. In this premium edition 12-page guide, readers will learn about the upcoming eclipse and how to enjoy it safely.

The timely guide also features tips for exploring objects in the sky, examines technology that helps us better understand the universe, and explores ways culture and the arts have used the cosmos to stimulate our imaginations—all through the lenses of art, culture, history, and science.

Through interdisciplinary stories, this unique Smithsonian guide spotlights connections to the story of the Smithsonian’s sunburst logo and the graphic designer Crimilda Pontes who created it; how artists including Alma Thomas, Margaret Nazon (Gwich’in Tsiigehtchic, Northwest Territories), and Preston Singletary (Tlingit), have been inspired by celestial objects; ongoing research and data collection from the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory and its partners; and pathways for students to learn more about astronomy through programming and research opportunities.

Our sincere thanks and congratulations to everyone who contributed to this edition. It can be accessed and downloaded on the Smithsonian Learning Lab website and in the online Smithsonian Voices section of Smithsonian Magazine on Sunday, April 7.

We invite you to share this tremendous activity guide with learners of all ages who are interested in learning more about our place in space, starting on Monday, April 8.

Related posts:

Stilt walker2019 National Docent Symposium Animated gif of Greenaway drawingDon’t burst our bubble–It’s almost spring, isn’t it? decorative OUSE bannerNative American narrative: Ensuring history, culture and contemporary life are integral in classrooms Composite of three objects on black backgroundTen Objects That Will Help You Understand Latinx History

Posted: 8 April 2024
About the Author:

Alex di Giovanni is primarily responsible for "other duties as assigned" in the Office of Communications and External Affairs. She has been with the Smithsonian since 2006 and plans to be interred in the Smithson crypt.

2 Responses to Wonder & Awe: Announcing our latest collaboration with USA Today
    • Dan
      April 9, 2024 at 10:21 am

    • Is that a typo? “She has been with the Smithsonian since 2006 and plans to be interred in the Smithson Crypt”
      How much room is in the Smithsonian Crypt?

      • Alex di Giovanni
        April 9, 2024 at 10:41 am

      • It’s true that the crypt is designed to hold only one. Perhaps they’ll place my urn at the Master’s feet when the time comes.