Rocks and Minerals

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.

Virtually explore the Janet Annenberg Hooker Hall of Geology, Gems, and Minerals.

We will not be covering volcanoes, earthquakes, or plate tectonics during our digital school program, but NMNH has several related resources to support your teaching. 

• Video: Volcanoes and Pyroclastic Flows – Join Geologist Dr. Ben Andrews to explore volcanoes and pyroclastic flows — the super-heated gas and ash that is erupted during explosive volcanic eruptions. Ben describes how these eruptions happen, what causes ash and other materials to explode, and how scientists like him study active volcanoes and pyroclastic flows.
• Video: How Volcanic Eruptions Send Materials Up and Out – This video features Dr. Ben Andrews, a geologist at the National Museum of Natural History. He studies volcanoes to get a better understanding of how eruptions happen. What causes ash and other materials during violent "pyroclastic" eruptions to spew out the way they do? Explore the physics of explosive eruptions. Reflect on the hazards scientists face in studying active volcanoes. Visit Ben's volcanology lab to see how he uses his simulator — a giant tank, talcum powder, lasers, and cameras — to model how erupted materials travel. Understand why research on volcanoes is important for our safety.
• Video: Plate Tectonics – See how mapping the location of volcanic eruptions and earthquakes can tell us where tectonic plate boundaries are. Dr. Elizabeth Cottrell explains how the plates interact and how volcanic eruptions actually cause earthquakes.
• Video: Volcano Geochemistry: Windows to Earth's Interior – This video features Dr. Elizabeth Cottrell, a geologist at the National Museum of Natural History. Explore volcanoes as windows into the Earth's interior. Understand how you are connected to the interior of the Earth. Uncover the evidence about geologic events contained in volcanic glass. Think about how plate tectonics have gotten us to where we are today.

Featured Collection: All Sorts of Quartz – Quartz is one of the most abundant minerals in the Earth’s crust and is found on all continents. It exists in a variety of forms and colors, and has many uses. In this collection of museum specimens, you’ll explore the diversity of quartz.