Conservation Classroom
Conservation Classroom is a collection of FREE monthly lessons for K-5 students. Each lesson has four elements: wonder, engage, act and connect. Please note: Some elements for each program are available now. Any missing pieces for each program will be available by the first day of the month in which that program occurs.
- Wonder: Pre-program videos that introduce the monthly topic.
- Engage: Live, 45-minute virtual program with a Zoo educator.
- Act: Synchronous and asynchronous activities to extend the lesson.
- Connect: Videos that connect students to staff with "unZOOsual" careers.
Programs and materials support Next Generation Science Standards. Programs are designed for a variety of students to join and learn together, from small groups and home-school students to large groups or schools. Programs take place on Zoom in webinar format. In this format, audio and video is disabled but students can actively participate using polls, emojis, Q&A and chat.
Accessibility features:
- Wonder: I Wonder videos are available is both spoken English and Spanish. They include English and Spanish captions.
- Engage: Programs include spoken English, spoken Spanish (simulcast), American Sign Language interpretation, and live English captions.
- Act: Activity sheets are compatible with screen readers, and many can be filled out electronically.
- Connect: Career Connections videos are available in spoken and captioned in English.
*A note about our Spanish language videos and activity sheets: many of these are new additions and will be available by the first day of the month in which the program they are offered in conjunction with occurs.
Summer Opportunities for Educators
Calling All Educators!
As our 2024-2025 school year programs are nearing an end, the National Zoo is changing gears to focus on teachers. We are now accepting applications for two in person summer educator professional development opportunities.
Upcoming Programs
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
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
See the Education Programs Calendar for a list of all programs.
Past Programs
What Makes a Habitat a Home?
From deserts to rainforests, what makes a habitat a suitable animal home? What Makes a Habitat a Home explores habitats around the world and some of the animals that live in these habitats.
K-5
Supports NGSS K-LS1-1, K-ESS2-2, K-ESS3-1, 3-LS4-3
habitat, animals, survival, four basic needs, adaptations
cause and effect, systems and functions
Free
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
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
Valen-TINY Mammals
What makes an animal a mammal? Valen-TINY mammals gives students an up-close look at mammal traits from some cute and tiny zoo animals.
K-5
Supports NGSS K-LS1-1, 1-LS1-2, 1-LS3-1, 3-LS1-1, 3-LS3-1, 3-LS4-3, 4-LS1-1, 5-PS3-1, 5-PS3-1
Mammals, animal groups, adaptations
Patterns, cause and effect, energy and matter
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
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
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
Cause and effect, systems and system models, structure and function, and stability and change
Free
Exploring Ecosystems with Otters
What is an ecosystem and how does otter poop tell us how healthy an ecosystem is? Join us as we visit the Smithsonian’s Environmental Research Center to explore otters who live in the Chesapeake Bay.
K-8
Supports NGSS K-LS1-1, K-ESS2-2, K-ESS3-1, K-ESS3-3, 2-ESS2-2, 3-LS2-1, 5-ESS3-1, MS-LS2-1, MS-LS2-4, MS-ESS3-3
ecosystems, habitats, adaptations, waterways, aquatic mammals, food webs
patterns, cause and effect, systems and systems models, structure and function, stability and change
Free