What things make you special and unique? What connects you to others? Watch the recorded program to explore different kinds of families and communities in nature with Asian elephants Kamala, Swarna, and Rani. Then check out fun and easy activities to help your young learners celebrate their identities and connect with their communities from the National Postal Museum, the National Museum of American History, National Portrait Gallery, and the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden!
Identity and Community
National Postal Museum, National Museum of American History, National Portrail Gallery, Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden
Supports Head Start ELOF Goals P-SCI-1; P-SCI-2; P-SCI-3
Classroom Activities
Music Playlist
Put on your dancing shoes! Find all the songs you loved in the field trip, plus more songs from Nick the Music Man about families and community inspired by Me, You, and Elephants Too in this musical playlist.
Mail Connects Communities
Mail is an important way to stay connected with our family and friends -- our communities -- both near and far. Help your young learners explore, create, and send mail with this engaging activity from the National Postal Museum!
What Makes My Neighborhood Special?
Who are the people in YOUR neighborhood? The National Museum of American History and the National Portrait Gallery use Sesame Street to inspire young children to explore and celebrate their own neighborhoods with these fun activities!
Pictures of Me
What makes you who you are? It’s important for young learners to feel good about themselves and their futures. Grab some paper, small objects and scissors and get ready to explore identity and create a collage self-portrait with the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden.
Celebrating Differences with Elephants
Elephants live together in communities called herds. Each individual elephant in the herd has her own personality and things that make her special, just like we do! Join the National Zoo to learn more about elephants and how to celebrate the differences that make us all special!
Explore More Programs
Fancy Food
What do animals eat? What do humans eat? Are animal diets and human diets similar, different, or both?
Food
Red ruffed lemur, California sea lion
National Museum of African American History and Culture; National Museum of American History; National Museum of Asian Art; National Museum of Natural History
Suited for Survival
Suited for Survival explores animal adaptations from prehensile-tailed porcupines to super soft chinchillas. Students will learn how unique adaptations help animals survive.
K-5
Supports NGSS K-LS1-1, K-ESS2-2, K-ESS3-1, 1-LS1-2, 2-LS4-1, 3-LS3-1, 3-LS3-2, 3-LS4-3, 4-LS1-1
mammals, survival, adaptations, animal traits, animal behavior
patterns, structure and function
Free
Caring About Conservation
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.
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
Healthy Teeth
Why do animals need teeth? How do they use their teeth? And how do they keep them healthy just like we do?
Teeth
Supports Head Start ELOF Goals
Wild Medicine
What happens to a seal who has a toothache? How does an orangutan get a checkup? Wild Medicine invites students to Join our team of veterinarians and other animal health professionals to explore how animals go to the doctor, just like us!
K-5
Supports NGSS K-LS1-1, 3-LS1-1, 4-LS1-1
Health, animal care, veterinary medicine
Patterns, cause and effect, systems and system models, structure and function
Free
Explore the Rainforest
Fly, leap and swim along on an adventure through the Amazon Rainforest to explore the sights and sounds of plants and animals living in this unique ecosystem.
K-5
Supports NGSS K-LS1-1, K-ESS2-2, K-ESS3-1, K-ESS3-3, 2-LS2-2, 2-LS4-1, 3-LS1-1, 3-LS2-1, 3-LS4-3, 3-LS4-4, 4-LS1-1, 5-LS2-1
Amazon, rainforest, biodiversity, rainforest layers, animals
Patterns, cause and effect, scale proportion and quantity, and systems and system models
Free
Colorful Creatures
What animals are colorful and why?
Color
Supports Head Start ELOF Goals P-SCI-1; P-SCI-2; P-SCI-3
Saving Endangered Species
What does it mean when an animal is endangered and what can we do to help? Meet one of the National Zoo’s most endangered species and learn how staff care for these special animals.
K-5
Supports NGSS K-LS1-1, K-ESS3-1, 1-LS1-2, 2-LS4-1, 3-LS3-1, 3-LS3-2, 3-LS4-3, 5-ESS3-1
endangered species, conservation
Free
Discovering Amphibians
Join us as we celebrate Amphibian Week. Learn about amphibians, get an up-close look of some of them and chat with an amphibian expert.
K-5
Supports NGSS K-LS1-1, K-ESS2-2, K-ESS3-1, 1-LS1-2, 2-LS4-1, 3-LS3-1, 3-LS3-2, 3-LS4-3, 4-LS1-1
amphibians, adaptations, habitats, life cycles
Free
Let's Celebrate!
Help us celebrate Head Start's 60th birthday by throwing a party with different Zoo animals!
Celebrations
Supports Head Start ELOF Goals
Exploring Neighborhood Birds
Birds are everywhere! Learn about some of our neighborhood birds and the techniques used to study them from a migratory bird scientist.
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