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Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History

Distance Learning

Montage of four images: Kyle Miller holding a Komodo dragon; a clouded leopard; sea anemones on a coral reef; and a walking leaf.
Smithsonian Science How video webinars in 2021 have included a virtual tour of the museum's O. Orkin Insect Zoo, where you might see a walking leaf (bottom left); and virtual visits to the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute to see and learn about reptiles, clouded leopards, and coral reefs. Photo credits, clockwise from top left: Courtesy of Kyle Miller; Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute; Photo Collection of Dr. James P. McVey, NOAA Sea Grant Program; Rosa Pineda, Smithsonian.

Smithsonian Science How

Bring a Smithsonian Scientist into your classroom with Smithsonian Science How! Preview our formats by watching a program from our video archives.

Video Webinars

Connect your students to Smithsonian science experts with Smithsonian Science How, a weekly series of free live, interactive webinars. Hosted by Smithsonian educators, this series will connect your students to authentic science, discoveries, and collections while inviting them to participate in live polls and ask and answer questions throughout.

Thematically aligned with NMNH Digital School Programs, the webinars serve as excellent extension activities. Each webinar will be aligned with core content from the Animal Adaptions, Insect Survival, or Reefs Unleashed school programs, but is an independent experience. 

  • Optimized for students in Grades 3-5, but open to everyone 
  • Scientists take your questions 
  • 45 minutes long, followed by an extended Q&A for 15 minutes 
  • Aligned with national science standards 
  • Aligned with the museum’s Digital School Programs
  • Real-time captioning

Schedule

Registration is requested, but not required. All times are Eastern Daylight Time.

Wednesday, May 12, 2021, from 1:00 - 2:00 p.m. ET:
Discovering and Documenting Biodiversity, One Fly at a Time

Torsten Dikow sitting at a desk, holding up a case of pinned fly specimens
Torsten Dikow holding a case of asiloid fly specimens. Photo by Jennifer Renteria, Smithsonian.

Join NMNH Entomologist Torsten Dikow to learn about the special adaptations of assassin flies. These predatory flies are capable of hunting other insects while flying, thanks to a modified proboscis, or mouth part, that is shaped like a spear. Torsten will discuss the importance of discovering life on Earth, including flies, and keeping a record of it so we can learn more and make informed choices to protect it. Register

Students will learn about:

  • Adaptations of fly mouth parts and what those mouth parts can reveal about a flies food source and feeding behavior
  • How museums help us understand life on Earth now and in the past, and can help us keep collections safe so they can be studied with new tools and technology in the future
  • Tips for students to make observations and nature using photography and the Seek app

About the Webinar

  • This webinar is designed for students in grades 3-5. It will be approximately 45 minutes with interactive polls and Q&A, followed by a 15-minute Q&A.
  • This webinar complements the Insect Survival school program and can be used as an extension resource.
  • The primary goals of this webinar are to help students find value in studying the natural world, build their interest and personal connections to science, and learn about science careers. 
  • This program will be presented via Zoom video webinar. Click this link to join: https://zoom.us/j/97767870379

 

Wednesday, May 19, 2021, from 1:00 - 2:00 p.m. ET:
Tracking Coral Health in the Caribbean Sea

A woman scuba diving near a coral reef while holding a clipboard and pole.
Marine biologist Leah Harper will share how she monitors corals and the important reef ecosystems they support. Photo by Zach Foltz, Smithsonian.

Join MarineGEO's Leah Harper to learn about her important work studying the health of coral reef ecosystems throughout the Caribbean Sea. Leah will share how MarineGEO monitors corals and the important reef ecosystems they support, assesses fish and invertebrate biodiversity, and tracks a contagious coral disease, Stony Coral Tissue Loss Disease, that has been moving throughout the Caribbean.  She will explain how her work is part of MarineGEO's larger effort to understand how corals, fish, and invertebrates interact to maintain diverse and thriving tropical marine ecosystems. Register

  • This webinar is designed for students in grades 3-5. It will be approximately 45 minutes with interactive polls and Q&A, followed by a 15-minute Q&A.
  • The primary goals of this webinar are to help students find value in studying the natural world, build their interest and personal connections to science, and learn about science careers.
  • This program will be presented via Zoom video webinar. Click this link to join: https://zoom.us/j/91911938131

 

Previous Programs in 2021

Video Archives

We've produced 52 Smithsonian Science How webcasts over the last seven years. They feature Smithsonian experts, are aligned with standards, and cover specific topics in the disciplines of Earth Science, Life Science, Paleontology, and Social Studies. Since March 2020, we have also produced many Smithsonian Science How video webinars; these recordings are also linked from the Video Archives page. 
Browse the video archives.

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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.
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