Visit Project

Project Details

Pathways Through American History is a series of inquiry-driven, thematic guides to some of the diverse history and heritage on NPS.gov. Each Pathway highlights digital resources about historic people and places that are associated with four themes: Making a Democracy, Making a Living and Making a Life, Every Place Has a History, and Everyone Has a History.

The project seeks to convey the usefulness of historical thinking and understanding the past. The Pathways are structured using inquiry questions to spark curiosity and encourage reflection. They offer examples of courage, resilience, and inspiration as well as conflict and adversity. Asking users how these stories relate and what they may take away, the project aims to help users identify whatever they need from American history.

Subjects or Themes

Cultural Heritage, Public History, American History, Place-based Learning, American Democracy, Voting Rights, Civil Rights, Civics, Labor History, economic History, Cultural History, Art, Entertainment, National Parks, Historic Preservation, Cultural Resources, Historic Sites, Memorials, Monuments, Social History, Archaeology, Storytelling, Race and Ethnicity, LGBTQ+ History, Women’s History

Project Language(s)

English

Time Period

Geographic Location

Project Categories

Content Type

Images, Text, Teacher Resources

Target Audience(s)

Creators

National Park Service

Year(s)

2021

Host Institution / Affiliation / Project Location

National Park Service Cultural Resources Office of Interpretation and Education

Software Employed

  • CommonSpot

Labor and Support

The content for this project was developed over 400 hours (10-week summer internship). The digital portion of the project (design and web-building) was completed over the course of 40 hours. The project was created in fulfillment of the National Park Service Cultural Resources Diversity Internship Program.

Project Cost

Partnerships, funding sources, or grant-funding acknowledgement

This project was completed in fulfillment of the National Park Service Cultural Resources Diversity Internship Program (CRDIP), a partnership program between the National Park Service and American Conservation Experience. CRDIP is an innovative, experiential learning program designed to introduce undergraduate and graduate students from under-represented communities to career opportunities with the National Park Service and other institutions focused on cultural resources and historic preservation. The project was funded by the National Park Service.