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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

Family Workshop, May 11: Dino-fy Yourself!

Create prehistoric animal costumes, wearable art, and accessories informed and inspired by the animals that will be featured in the new Fossil Hall, which opens this summer. This program is designed for ages 8 and up.
A mom helping her daughter make a bird-themed craft on a cardboard tube.
Advait Jukar holds a tool while standing in front of a fossil elephant skull near shelves in a collection storage area.

Webcast: Fossil Elephants

Go back in time with Paleobiologist Advait Jukar on May 17 to learn about elephants from the distant past, see real fossils, and understand how elephants evolved.

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