Conservation Classroom: K-5 virtual school programs

What is Conservation Classroom?

Conservation Classroom is a collection of FREE monthly lessons for K-5 students. 

Watch the video to learn how to use the collection! 

Each monthly lesson has four elements:

Scroll down to 'Upcoming Programs' to register for a live program and explore the resources.

Orange background with the words I Wonder and Me pregunto with pictures of two people thinking

1. Wonder

Pre-program videos that introduce the monthly topic.

View the collection of videos on the English and Spanish playlists. 

A vet tech giving radiation to a tamandua who is standing on a branch eating treats

2. Engage

Live, 45-minute virtual programs with a Zoo educator.

Examples of activity sheets on a blue background

3. Act

Synchronous and asynchronous activities to extend the lesson.

On the lower left, two veterinarians give a cheetah a checkup and listen to its heart beat. The background is pink and says Career Connections. It lies on top of a pink background with white icons of elephants and hearts. There is an image of a stethoscopes in the upper right hand.

4. Connect: 

Videos that connect students to staff with "unZOOsual" careers.

View the collection of videos on the English and Spanish playlists. 

A picture of a virtual program taking place featuring meerkats

Engage - Virtual Program Details:

  • Designed for all audiences, from individual students to large groups or schools.
  • Webinar-styled; Participants’ audio and video will be off.
  • Students can engage with hosts by using polls, emojis, Q&A, and chat.
  • Students can follow along with a provided activity. Click ‘read more’ for each program to find activities and resources.
Giant panda Qing Bao in her habitat at Smithsonian's National Zoo.

Accessibility Features:

  • Wonder: Videos are in spoken English with English captions and spoken Spanish with Spanish captions.
  • Engage: Programs include spoken English, spoken Spanish interpretation (simulcast), American Sign Language interpretation, and live English captions.
  • Act: Activity sheets are in English and Spanish, they are compatible with screen readers, and many can be filled out electronically.
  • Connect: Career videos are in spoken and captioned in English, with some available in spoken Spanish.

Upcoming Programs

Choose a program, then click "Explore Resources" to view the collection of videos and activities

See the Education Programs Calendar for a list of all Zoo programs.

Past Programs

December 10, 2025 at 2 pm ET

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.

Additional details
Grades :
K-5
Standards :
Supports NGSS K-LS1-1, K-ESS2-2, K-ESS3-1, 3-LS4-3
Topics :
Habitat, animals, survival, four basic needs, adaptations
Crosscutting Concepts :
Cause and effect, systems and functions
Cost :
Free
Explore Resources
Watch Recording
October 22, 2025 at 2 pm ET

Suited for Survival ›

Suited for Survival, special Halloween edition, explores animal adaptations from prehensile-tailed porcupines to super soft chinchillas. Students will learn how unique adaptations help animals survive.

Additional details
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 :
Mammals, survival, adaptations, animal traits, animal behavior
Crosscutting Concepts :
Patterns, structure and function
Cost :

Free

Explore Resources
Watch Recording
November 12, 2025 at 2 pm ET

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!

Additional details
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

Explore Resources
Watch Recording
February 11, 2026 at 2 pm ET

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.

Additional details
Grades :
K-5
Standards :
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
Topics :
Mammals, animal groups, adaptations
Crosscutting Concepts :
Patterns, cause and effect, energy and matter
Cost :
Free
Explore Resources
Watch Recording
March 11, 2026 at 11 am ET

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.

Additional details
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
Explore Resources
Watch Recording
April 8, 2026 at 2 pm ET

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.

Additional details
Grades :
K-5
Standards :
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
Topics :
Endangered species, conservation
Content Unit :
Cause and effect, systems and system models
Cost :
Free
Explore Resources
Watch Recording
May 6, 2026 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.

Additional details
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
Explore Resources
Watch Recording
June 5, 2025 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.

Additional details
Grades :
2-8
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, 5-LS2-1, MS-LS1-4, MS-LS1-5, MS-LS2-A
Topics :
Birds, migration, observation, tracking, bird banding
Crosscutting Concepts :
Patterns, Cause and Effect, Interdependence of science, engineering, and technology
Cost :
Free
Explore Resources
Watch Recording
January 14, 2026 at 2 pm ET

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.

Additional details
Grades :
K-5
Standards :
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
Topics :
Conservation, sustainability, animals, wildlife, science
Crosscutting Concepts :
Cause and effect, systems and system models, structure and function, and stability and change
Cost :
Free
Explore Resources
Watch Recording
October 9, 2024 at 2 pm ET

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.

Additional details
Grades :
K-8
Standards :
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
Topics :
Ecosystems, habitats, adaptations, waterways, aquatic mammals, food webs
Crosscutting Concepts :
Patterns, cause and effect, systems and systems models, structure and function, stability and change
Cost :
Free
Explore Resources
Watch Recording
September 10, 2025 at 2 pm ET

Animal Engineers ›

Animal engineers explores nature’s engineers. Learn how animals reshape their habitat to meet their needs and make a positive impact on the ecosystem.

Additional details
Grades :

K-5

Standards :

Supports NGSS K-LS1-1, K-ESS2-2, K-ESS3-1, K-ESS3-3, 2-LS2-1, 2-LS4-1, 3-LS4-3

Topics :

Engineering, habitats, adaptations

Crosscutting Concepts :

Patterns, cause and effect, systems and system models

Cost :

Free

Explore Resources
Watch Part 1