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.

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. 

Grades:

K-5

Standards:

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

Topics:

Amazon, rainforest, biodiversity, rainforest layers, animals

Crosscutting Concepts:

Patterns, cause and effect, scale proportion and quantity, and systems and system models

Cost:

Free

Wonder

I wonder... what are the layers of a rainforest? Discover the layers of the Amazon Rainforest and the animals that call it home as we explore the Zoo's Amazonia exhibit.

 

Me pregunto... ¿cuáles son las capas de una selva tropical? Descubra las capas de la selva amazónica y los animales que la habitan mientras exploramos la exhibición Amazonia del zoológico.

Engage

March 6, 2024 at 10 a.m. ET

In this free, live virtual program, explore the sights and sounds of plants and animals living in this Amazon Rainforest. Program is hosted in Zoom webinar. Recording will be made available approximately 48 hours after the live program. Please note: audio and video are disabled for participants but students can still engage via polls, chat, Q&A and emojis.

Language & Access: English, Spanish (simulcast), ASL interpretation and live English captions.

Act

During the live program, follow along with rainforest bingo. After the program, create a rainforest layers comic strip. Share your comics with us at nzp-education@si.edu.

Hojas de actividades disponibles en español: Bingo de la selva tropical. Comparta sus dibujos con nosotros en nzp-education@si.edu.

Connect

Meet Craig, Curator of Horticulture at the Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute. Learn more about horticulture and how Craig cares for plants at the Zoo. 

For Educators

Educator's Materials

Conservation Classroom: Explore the Rainforest i­­s 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.

Carta para el tutor

Después de participar en el programa en vivo, imprima o envíe la siguiente carta a los tutores, explicando lo que su estudiante aprendió en esta lección y cómo pueden continuar participando desde casa.

Explore More Programs

May 8, 2024 at 2 pm ET

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.

Grades:

K-5

Standards:

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

Topics:

amphibians, adaptations, habitats, life cycles

Cost:

Free

May 16, 2024 at 2 pm ET

Happy Birthday, Head Start!

Happy birthday, Head Start! How do animals keep their bodies healthy year-round? Join the Smithsonian's National Zoo to learn about animals at our Kids' Farm with special resources from the National Portrait Gallery and other Smithsonian museums.

Content Unit:

Our Bodies and the Five Senses

Standards:

Supports Head Start ELOF Goals P-SCI-1; P-SCI-2; P-SCI-3

Cost:

Free

Languages:

English, Spanish (simulcast)

May 22, 2024 at 12 pm ET

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.

Grades:

2-6

Standards:

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

Topics:

birds, migration, observation, tracking, bird banding

Cost:

Free