Preservation and STEM activities at The Source include analysis of Jefferson draft
Summary
Smith described STEM activities developed with the preservation directorate, including scientific analysis that revealed earlier wording beneath scratch-outs in a draft of the Declaration of Independence.
Monica Smith highlighted a STEM cart developed with the preservation directorate that offers hands-on activities related to conservation science. She described one activity that examined Thomas Jefferson's draft of the Declaration of Independence and the scientific work that revealed earlier wording beneath scratch-outs.
Smith said preservation staff used scientific techniques to read underlying text in the draft and cited the change from "our fellow subjects" to "citizens" as an example of how scientific research can change understanding of historical documents. She also mentioned film preservation and pigment-identification projects conducted with teachers and an Albert Einstein fellowship.
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