Science Education | Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History

Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History

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.

Upcoming Video Webinars

Explore land use and climate change in a Teen Tuesday program on August 18. Then learn why humans’ bone density has decreased over time in a Human Origins Today program on August 19. Get info and register.

Sequence of illustrations of early humans shown above images of their bone density

Students ask questions about elephant fossils

Programa de verano

Participantes: Obtenga el horario diario para ¡Descubre la historia natural! (3-7 de agosto).

Two girls smiling, looking at a tablet while standing in a garden with tall shrubs.

Summer Explorations

The first two sessions have ended, but you can watch the webinar videos and do the activities anytime!

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 130 options, our collection includes science worksheets, videos, and literacy resources.

$Plastic cast of a male modern human right femur. The cast displays the pathology of an unset healed fracture. Catalog number EO401737.$

Featured Collections

Practice your science skills: See how comparing collection specimens can lead to new discoveries.

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

Image of large plume of dark ash emerging from the top of a volcano.

Video: What Is Volcanic Ash?

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.