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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.
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. 

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.

Resources for Educators

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