What is conservation? Why is it important? Caring About Conservation explores the meaning of "conservation," some of the animals Smithsonian scientists are trying to save, and what we can all do to protect wildlife.
This virtual school program is part of Conservation Classroom, a collection of monthly lessons for K-5 students. Each lesson has four elements: wonder (video), engage (live virtual program), act (activities), and connect (video). Follow along with all four parts or pick and choose the videos and activities you want to explore.
Recording Passcode: i*!Y89NJ
K-5
Supports NGSS K-LS1-1, K-ESS2-2, K-ESS3-1, K-ESS3-3, K-2-ETS1-1, K-2-ETS1-2, 2-LS4-1, 3-LS2-1, 3-LS4-3, 3-LS4-4, 3-5-ETS1-2
conservation, sustainability, animals, wildlife, science
Free
Wonder
I wonder... what is conservation? Bring your curiosity along on an adventure to discover what conservation means and what it has to do with animals.
Engage
In this free, live virtual program, students learned about wildlife conservation and met some of the animals Smithsonian scientists are working to save. Access the recording to enjoy the program that aired on September 20, 2023. Recording includes English captions, as well as Spanish and ASL interpretation.
Recording Passcode: i*!Y89NJ
Act
During the program, follow along with a conservation actions matching activity. Then, complete the post-program drawing activity to reveal how you will be a conservationist. Teachers and adults, send your students' drawings to the Zoo's education team at nzp-education@si.edu.
Hojas de actividades disponibles en español: Accionesde conservación. Comparta sus dibujos con nosotros en nzp-education@si.edu.
Connect
Meet Mel, a conservation biologist who uses spy-like technology to study animals and discover how we can protect them.
For Educators
Educator's Materials
Conservation Classroom: Caring About Conservation s best suited for grades K-5. The full lesson consists of two videos, a live program, and two activities. Refer to the Smithsonian Learning Lab collection to help teach this lesson.
Letter to Guardians
After participating in the live program, print or send the following letter to guardians, explaining what their student learned in this lesson and how they can continue to engage from home.
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2-8
Supports NGSS 2-PS1-2, 2-LS2-2, 2-LS4-1, 3-LS1-1, 3-LS3-1, 3-LS3-2, 3-LS4-3, 4-LS1-1, 5-LS2-1, MS-LS1-4, MS-LS1-5, MS-LS2-A
birds, migration, observation, tracking, bird banding
Patterns, Cause and Effect, Interdependence of science, engineering, and technology
Free