While Touring

To make the most of your students’ time through the exhibition, consider doing the following:

Set the context

Your students will have a more meaningful visit if they have had the opportunity to do some thinking about its themes and historical content beforehand. We offer a variety of resources and activity suggestions to introduce students to the history and to stimulate their thinking about key themes of justice, belonging, exclusion, and solidarity. If you do not have sufficient class time for the activities in this guide, consider prompting students with an inquiry question to help focus their learning as they tour the exhibition. 

Before they begin their tour (at school, on the way to the exhibition, or at the exhibition venue), gather the students and explain that the exhibition helps us think about the inquiry question: “Who is an American?” If possible, give students a few moments to jot down or share their first thoughts about that question. Then, explain that the exhibition will explore this question by telling the story of how the U.S. government imprisoned 125,000 Japanese Americans, most of whom were citizens, during World War II.

Have students "journal" their experience

The Student Experience Journal is most appropriate for students of all grades with only a brief exhibition experience and for students in grades 4-6. It provides two activities that prompt students to reflect more broadly on the connections and takeaways they experience while exploring the exhibition.

For students in grades 7-12 and for groups with an hour or more to tour the exhibition (in person or online), consider using the Extended Student Experience Journal instead. This version includes separate activities for each of the exhibition’s six thematic sections.  

Regardless of the version, if your students don’t complete the journal during their in-person visit to the exhibition, you might have them use the online exhibition resources to complete the activities during class time or for homework. 

Team up students in groups of two or three

While you should organize the visit according to your experience with what works best for your students, we have designed these materials with interaction and collaboration between visitors in mind. The activities prompt deep thinking, connections, and analysis, which often work best when two or more people are in conversation with each other. We recommend allowing your students to tour the exhibition in pairs or trios, if possible.