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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

NOVA Sneak Peek, Jan. 29: Polar Extremes

Join us for a free, exclusive screening of clips from an upcoming NOVA television special about the scientific quest to explore the secrets of the poles. Stay for a Q&A discussion with Kirk Johnson (the film's host, paleontologist, and Sant Director of the museum), the filmmakers, and scientists featured in the film.
Polar Extremes
Ornithologist Sahas Barve standing in front of several mountain ridges in the Himalayas

Webcast: How Birds Stay Warm

Join Ornithologist Sahas Barve on Feb. 6 as he explores how birds generate body heat, especially in the Himalayas.

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
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
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