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Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History
Three students at a microscope in Q?rius. They are looking at an enlarged display on a monitor.
Department of

Education

Education
We are dedicated to inspiring people of all ages to better understand the natural world and our place in it, by instilling a sense of wonder and responsibility through exhibitions, programs, and online resources.
Featured Content

Seminario web en español: Historia Natural en Casa

Familias: Acompañanos el domingo 17 de enero para aprender más sobre los pueblos indígenas que habitaron diferentes islas del Caribe. Aprende más y regístrate.
Standing stone slabs with human figures etched into them
Christina Balentine

How Humans Thrive in Extreme Places

Join us for a live webinar January 21, when Christina Balentine will share research into how humans thrive in extreme environments.

Montage of four images: Kyle Miller holding a Komodo dragon; a clouded leopard; sea anemones on a coral reef; and a walking leaf.

Science How Live Webinars

Smithsonian Science How is teaming up with the National Zoo to connect students to the Zoo’s science experts. Next up: Join us January 22 to visit the Coral Lab to learn about corals and why they are important.

Webinar Series

Smithsonian Science How (for Grades 3-5)

Natural History at Home (for families)

After Hours Programs for Adults
Composite image of a young girl working on a drawing activity while looking at a webinar on a tablet; a picture of a frog; a picture of a coral reef; and a picture of a grasshopper.

Digital School Programs

We are offering live, online video Digital School Programs aligned with standards for Grades K-12.

blue and yellow virus detail of Jiro Wada

Online Exhibit: Outbreak

The content of our exhibition, "Outbreak: Epidemics in a Connected World," is now available online. Read and explore to gain some context for the current pandemic we are confronting.

Geologist Ben Andrews and Maggy Benson at a table doing a demonstration with a tray of dry ice while wearing protective glasses.

Science How Webcast Archives

These videos feature Smithsonian experts and are aligned with national standards. There are 52 shows about topics in Earth Science, Life Science, Paleontology, and Social Studies.
 

Geologist Elizabeth Cottrell gestures with her hands while sitting at a table talking to two students.

Search Teaching Resources

Featuring more than 200 options, our collection includes science worksheets, videos, and literacy resources. 

A blue and orange mandarinfish, or Synchiropus splendidus

Featured Collections

Practice your science skills: See how comparing collection specimens can lead to new discoveries. Check out our new collection, "What Makes Things Blue?"

Two biocubes - one made from aluminum tubes painted green, the other made out of rolled up magazines.

Biocube at Home

Investigate biodiversity just outside your home! Get instructions to do this biology project with materials you have at home.

 

Resources for Educators

Volcano erupting with lava streaming down the side. A forest is at its foot and the eruption is reflected in a dark lake.
When Volcanoes Erupt
Dark rock with lighter embedded swirls
Extinction Over Time
Looking down at a beige skeleton of a boy that is partially excavated in a pit in the ground.
Forensic Anthropology
Illustration of animals near the ocean floor 510 million years ago. A large squid-like creature hovers over smaller organisms.
Early Life on Earth - Animal Origins
Smithsonian forensic anthropologist points out area of interest in a piece of bone to students.
Written in Bone
Colorful world map showing areas of seismic activity
Video: Plate Tectonics
A girl and an adult sitting at a table, looking at a laptop computer.

Smithsonian Distance Learning

See all the digital education resources from Smithsonian, including Learning Lab, resources for District of Columbia Public Schools, national resources, and more.