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Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History

Urban Habitats

A girl on a city sidewalk, squatting next to a grassy area and taking notes in a notebook.
Photo by Gale Robertson, Smithsonian.

Live Video School Program for Grades 3-5

During this museum-educator-led program, students will become sidewalk naturalists and meet both iconic and underappreciated plant and animal residents of the nation’s capital. We will discover how organisms survive and thrive in urban environments while we practice field ecology skills and reflect on the ways in which our cities are part of the natural world.

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.

Register

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

Supplemental Video

More Videos

Manuela Dal Forno standing next to a tree
Finding Lichens in Washington, D.C., with Scientist Manuela Dal Forno

Extension Resources

Field books are original records of scientific discovery. They are scientific tools to make and record observations. Anyone can use field books, not just scientists! This field book activity provides a field book template to use or copy, an overview of what a field book is, and guidance for facilitating the use of field books for your learners.

  • Use this hands-on activity to help your learners connect with the natural world while practicing scientific thinking and science skills.

Visit the National Arboretum online to view a live, 24/7 nest camera (https://naeaglecam.org/) of Mr. President and The First Lady, a mated pair of bald eagles who have made their home in Washington, D.C. Watch their story unfold!

If your learners have found a cool plant or animal in their neighborhood but don’t know what it is,  they can use the "Seek by iNaturalist" app to figure it out! "Seek by iNaturalist" is a kid-friendly app that uses image recognition technology to identify wildlife without collecting location data.