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Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History

Discovering Dinosaurs

Cast skeleton of an Edmontosaurus annectens dinosaur
Edmontosaurus annectens, a hadrosaurid dinosaur. Credit: Department of Paleobiology, Smithsonian Institution.

Live Video School Program for Grades K-2

During this museum-educator-led program, students will make observations of dinosaur characteristics, discover how paleontologists learn about ancient animals by studying fossils, and practice some of the same scientific skills used by museum scientists!

Formats

Designed to accommodate classes, grades, or groups with 15-1,000 students. Students will not be visible to the museum educator or other students, but they will be able to submit questions in writing through the Q&A, and interact through polls.

Designed to accommodate classes of 15 - 35 students. Students will be visible to the museum educator and their classmates, and will have the ability to raise their hand to ask and answer questions. In order to participate in this format, those registering will need to provide proof of parental permissions to participate in onscreen programs. If you would like to register for more than 35 students you will need to book a second slot.

Designed to accommodate individual students or small groups with less than 15 students. Students will not be visible to the museum educator or other students, but they will be able submit questions in writing through the Q&A, and interact through polls. Homeschool Days available the first Monday of the month, October 4, November 1, and December 6, 2021; and January 3, February 7, March 7, April 4, May 2, and June 6, 2022.

Register

  • Registered programs, 10:15 a.m. and 11:45 a.m. ET, from October 4, 2021, to June 17, 2022. DCPS teachers please contact us if classes need to be scheduled at alternate times.
  • Registration is now open for all classes, groups, and homeschool participants from October 4, 2021-June 17, 2022. Register for Digital School Programs

Supplemental Video

This video has background music, but no spoken words.

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A Tour of the Fossil Prep Lab
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Tylosaurus Story Time
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Kids, you are just like scientists!

Upcoming Science How Live Webinars

Bring Smithsonian and other scientists into your home and classroom with Smithsonian Science How, a series of live video webinars that connect science experts with students. These new webinars will connect your students with the core content of the Discovering Dinosaurs school programs and provide students with an opportunity to extend their learning in the content area.

There are no relevant Science How webinars scheduled at this time.

Follow along with two of the world’s top paleoartists, Bob Walters and Tess Kissinger, as they teach you how to sketch your own dinosaur (or reptile) drawings! As you sketch, they describe how they use scientific evidence to create their art.

Life in the Late Cretaceous

This Learning Lab activity was originally created as an extension for the Museum's virtual family program, Natural History at Home: Tylosaurus Story Time, to help facilitate co-learning in families with children ages 5-10, but can also be used by educators!

In this Learning Lab, your learners can practice making observations of fossils from ancient Late Cretaceous life. Paleontologists can learn information from fossils about ancient life. Paleontologists can learn about the size, how the animal moved, and even what the animal ate by making close observations of the fossils! What information can you learn about these ancient Late Cretaceous life forms?