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!

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, 3-LS1-1, 4-LS1-1

Topics:

Health, animal care, veterinary medicine

Crosscutting Concepts:

Patterns, cause and effect, systems and system models, structure and function

Cost:

Free

Wonder

I wonder... Do animals at the Zoo go to the doctor? Bring your curiosity along on an exploration of the Zoo's animal hospital. 

Engage

In this free, live virtual program, students learned about animal health while watching two animals get check-ups! Access the recording to enjoy the program that aired on January 24, 2024. Recording includes English captions, as well as Spanish and ASL interpretation. 

Act

During the program, take doctor's notes on the two animals we will be viewing. Use one exam sheet for each animal. After the program, draw yourself as a veterinarian conducting an animal exam. You can also compare medical tools and practice reading radiographs. Share your drawings with us at nzp-education@si.edu.

Hojas de actividades disponibles en español: Chequeo veterinario. Comparta sus dibujos con nosotros en nzp-education@si.edu.

Click here for the Early Learners Exam Sheets

Connect

Meet Veterinarian, Dr. Katharine, and Veterinary Technician, Dave, whose patients include animals big and small throughout the Zoo. Their "unZOOsual" careers use biology and technology to keep animals at the Zoo heathy! 

For Educators

Educator's Materials

Conservation Classroom: Wild Medicine 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