Presidential inauguration: “Teaching the 57^th U.S. Presidential Inauguration” is an online conference series being launched by the Smithsonian Center for Education and Museum Studies. Participation is free, and it’s opened to students, teachers, and the general public. According to a recent news release, it will focus on “the historical and contemporary significance of the inauguration ceremonies” and it will offer “context and information for student groups that will be traveling to Washington for inaugural events as well as for classes that will be viewing these activities through various forms of media.”

There are two parts to the conference. On Monday, January 7, 2013 at 4pm EST, there will be a 50 minute teacher preview session during which educators at the Smithsonian will highlight relevant museum resources and discuss teaching strategies to prepare students to participate in the main online conference to be held on Thursday, January 10th starting at 1pm. These three 50-minute sessions will have a Q&A format with Smithsonian curators and a moderator providing information and answering questions sent to them by students.

The website also features a virtual exhibit hall that includes museum website links, interdisciplinary resources, and activities for students to engage in before, during and after the online sessions. Among those resources are a video, “The Curators’ Tour of Inaugurations Past,” and an online exhibition that examines the history of the American presidency, “The American Presidency: A Glorious Burden.” For more information and to register, visit the conference website.