Exploding Objects: Cellphones and Unseen Connections | Cultivating Learning

Join Museum educators and experts from the National Museum of Natural History to discover how the full history of an object can be unpacked using an inquiry-based technique called exploding objects. We will explore how anthropologists use this framework to interrogate cultural objects to think about materials, makers, and processes, and how it can be transferred to the classroom to inspire deep engagement. The session will feature one of the most impactful cultural objects of our time, the cellphone, with a focus on middle and high school age learners, but we will discuss and brainstorm how the routine can be used for any object across subjects and grade levels.

Program Details:
This is a Zoom webinar with automatic captioning. You’ll be able to participate using the chat and Q&A, and your camera and mic will be disabled. We’ll record and post the webinar on the Smithsonian Learning Lab’s Events page approximately 72 hours after the session ends.

For general questions, or if we can provide additional accessibility services to support your participation, please email us at learninglab@si.edu. Please make your accessibility request as far in advance as possible—preferably at least one week before the program date.

Thumbnail Image: YouTube thumbnail for an upcoming webinar that reads “Cultivating Learning: Exploding Objects: Cellphones and Unseen Connections,” overlaid on a photograph of students participating in a Smithsonian school program, engaging in hands-on learning activities.