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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

For Families, Dec. 14: World & Me

Join us for "Prehistoric Creature Features." Read a book about dinosaurs and other prehistoric creatures and then create your own wearable art.
A group of children and adults wearing craft costume pieces, such as hats and masks, to look like prehistoric creatures.
A female paleontologist digs with a small pick axe in a dry, rocky area. A photographer is next to her, filming her working.

Film: The Bearded Lady Project

Join us Dec. 16 for a free screening followed by a Q&A discussion exploring art as social commentary and the journey of women in paleontology.

Two teenage girls with blue gloves on holding human pelvic bones and examining them.

After-School Programs

Explore the world of natural history science in fun and interactive ways! High school students who are interested in science and museums should apply now for our winter 2020 sessions, which begin Jan. 14. 

A Q?Crew teen volunteer sitting by a microscope, talking to a visitor.

Teens: Apply to Be an Intern or Volunteer

A museum educator holds up two models of human skulls during a school program in Q?rius.

School Field Trip Programs

Learn about our free, onsite school programs led by museum educators for students in grades K-12. Registration is now open for the 2019-2020 school year.

Students examine Museum collection objects as part of a Q?rius school program. Photo by Jennifer Renteria, Smithsonian.

Get Q?rius

Created for teens and tweens, Q?rius is a science education center that brings the museum’s science, researchers, and collections out from behind the scenes.

Two young girls in white lab coats use a hand lens to examine models of fossils at a table in Q?rius jr. – a discovery room.

Q?rius jr.

Children in grades K-5 get a chance to practice their scientific inquiry skills as they interact with items from the museum's collections. Q?rius jr. is now located in Q?rius, The Coralyn W. Whitney Science Education Center.

Resources for Educators

Geologist Elizabeth Cottrell gestures with her hands while sitting at a table talking to two students.
Search Our Teaching Resources
Looking down at a beige skeleton of a boy that is partially excavated in a pit in the ground.
Forensic Anthropology
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
Geologist Ben Andrews and Maggy Benson at a table doing a demonstration with a tray of dry ice while wearing protective glasses.
Smithsonian Science How Webcast Archives
Smithsonian forensic anthropologist points out area of interest in a piece of bone to students.
Written in Bone
A green plastic frame in the shape of a cube sitting in the woods on top of some leaves and a log.
Biocubes: Exploring Biodiversity