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Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History

Homeschool Days

Programs for Grades K to 12

Homeschool Days are available the first Monday of the month from October through June.

  • Registration is open for fall 2025 for programs from October through December.
     

Online Homeschool Day Zoom Webinars 

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 are available the first Monday of the month. 

Programs by Date

Get information, times, and registration links.

Grades K to 2

Animal Adaptations

Monday, October 6, 2025, 10:15 – 11:00 a.m. ET
During this museum educator-led program, students compare and contrast animal specimens from our virtual collections to discover how different adaptations help animals survive in their habitat. Students will explore the different kinds of adaptations for animals who live on land, water, and in the air. Register for This Online Program

Grades 3 to 5

Insect Illustration  

Monday, October 6, 2025, 11:45 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. ET
Did you know that insects have more species and live in more places than any other animal? During this museum educator-led program, students virtually explore what makes an insect and why they are so successful. Through the scientific skills of observation and illustration, students will investigate and identify the survival techniques of one extraordinary insect, the Tobacco Hornworm. Register for This Online Program

Grades 6 to 12

Reefs Unleashed

Monday, October 6, 2025, 1:15 – 2:15 p.m. ET 
During this museum educator-led program, students explore biodiversity on a coral reef using the same methods as Smithsonian scientists. Students will practice science skills of observing, classifying, and quantifying organisms living on coral reefs using real data collected by field scientists with Autonomous Reef Monitoring Structures (ARMS). They will use their observations to understand how biodiversity is related to ecosystem resilience, and how humans are impacting these vital ocean habitats. Register for This Online Program

Grades K to 2 

Discovering Dinosaurs

Monday, November 3, 11:45 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. ET
During this museum educator-led program, students make observations of dinosaur characteristics, discover how paleontologists learn about ancient animals by studying fossils, and practice some of the same scientific skills used by museum scientists! Register for This Online Program

Grades 3 to 5 

Urban Habitats

Monday, November 3, 1:15 – 2:00 p.m. ET 
During this museum educator-led program, students 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. 
Register for This Online Program

Grades 6 to 12 

Hot Potato: Climate Change, Food Systems, and You

Monday, November 3, 10:15 – 11:15 a.m. ET 
During this museum educator-led program, students will investigate the connections between their lives and climate change through the lens of food! This interactive virtual program offers an opportunity to explore agricultural systems, review data, and learn about the relationship between climate change and potatoes. Register for This Online Program

Grades K to 2 

Budding Botanists  

Monday, December 1, 1:15 – 2:00 p.m. ET 
During this museum educator-led program, students will practice science skills by identifying patterns to help them classify and group plants like the museum’s botanists. Through the use of digital collections, including specimens from the National Herbarium, students explore why it is important to collect and study plants. Register for This Online Program

Grades 3 to 5 

Rocks and Minerals

Monday, December 1, 10:15 – 11:00 a.m. ET 
During this museum educator-led program, students gain a better understanding of rocks and minerals, their uses, and how they are formed. Join us for an immersive exploration of some of Earth’s treasures in the Hall of Geology, Gems, and Minerals while using problem-solving skills to unlock the mysteries of these unique museum specimens.
Register for This Online Program

Grades 6 to 12 

Human Origins: What does it mean to be human? 

Monday, December 1, 11:45 a.m. –  12:45 p.m. ET 
During this museum-educator-led program, students will explore what it means to be human through an investigation of Turkana Boy, a 1.6-million-year-old fossil hominin from Kenya. By examining virtual museum collections, students will gain a better understanding of paleoanthropology, human evolution, and how scientists reconstruct human prehistory.
Register for This Online Program

Questions?

Contact School Programs at NMNHschoolprograms@si.edu.