Natural History Teacher Resources

Behind the closed doors of natural history museums lies a hidden world of scientific research and discovery that goes unseen for visitors. Follow along as this short video explores different scientific mysteries that have been solved...

Author Brian Selznick takes scholars on a virtual field trip to New York City's American Museum of Natural History. Three stops to the Hall of North American Mammals, Mosquito Model, and Hall of Meteorites showcase prominent dioramas and...

A dynamic, three-part feature explores what caused mass extinction of the dinosaurs at the end of the Cretaceous period. Computer animations, interviews, and on-site footage from around the world divulge evidence that it was the K-T...

Three pages of intriguing pictures and reading passages about the natural history of Africa's West Coast Fossil Park make up the bulk of this handout. There are 13 questions to answer and directions for designing a poster about one of...

Young scholars explore U.S. history by participating in a class field trip. In this museum lesson, students attend a field trip to the Natural History Museum and identify cultural stories and art pieces they enjoy. Young scholars...

Reading and understanding informational text is a key element to understanding every discipline. Elementary learners read three different articles focused on various animals and habitats in the Hudson River. They answer comprehension...

Learners use outline maps to become acquainted with Costa Rica. They see how it was formed and how its origin has created very diverse environments. Students then use atlases and compare their physical maps with maps of climate and the...

It's like a biological "Beauty and the Beast!" The fascinating mutualism between a South African meganosed fly and a deep-throated geranium builds a case study in coevolution for your biology buffs to analyze. After reading about this...

The second lesson in the series begins with a starter activity discussing wild versus domesticated animals. Then, scholars play a card game, with optional variations, to emphasize artificial selection. Next, they attend a field trip to a...

When did biology become a proper science? Travel back in time to the evolution of natural history during part 19 in an ongoing History of Science series. Pupils discover early pioneers in the study of plants and animals, the birth of...

Poetry is a wonderful way to explore language, express topical understanding, and incite creative thinking. After a trip to the local natural history museum (or zoo), learners write an acrostic or a cinquain poem describing one of their...

Students research and produce an iMovie documentary about the human and natural history of a stream basin (watershed).

After reading a series of informational articles regarding the Hudson River Estuary, the class will answer a series of comprehension questions. An answer key is provided but the articles and worksheets are not.

Help middle schoolers conduct Internet research and develop a working definition for the discipline of social studies. From a list of websites, they develop classification skills and differentiate between primary and secondary sources....

Middle schoolers study whale migration and their natural history.  In this migration lesson students plot whale migration on a map and describe their ecosystems. 

Student study the differentiation of teeth and skull adaptations in mammals in general and 14 common terrestrial mammals. They explore more about these mammals, their natural history, their adaptations and their identification through an...

It's a shame that there are no photographs in this presentation because the information is fascinating! Each identically fashioned slide contains bullet points of information about Antarctica that will enhance an earth science...

Young scholars demonstrate sciientific observation skills and write natural histories. Working in groups, the create sea creatures via the surrealist game, The Exquisite Corpse. They write histories of their creatures and present them to...

Beginning as far back as 13,798,000,000 years ago, this interactive timeline details events from natural history, world history, US history, sports, scientific discoveries and developments, and even the arts. The app even projects future...

Sixth graders investigate the understanding of where coffee is grown by conducting a survey. They study the natural history of coffee and examine bird habitats in the areas where coffee is grown. They write letters to explaining the...

A wonderfully humorous and irreverent take on the early life of Charles Darwin tracing his struggles at school to his arrival at the Galapagos. Part one of the three-part �Greatest Scientists� series narrated by Dr. Allan Chapman.

Hear a lecture by Carter Emmart, director of Astrovisualization for production and education at the Rose Center for Earth and Space at the American Museum of Natural History. He introduces an astounding software that serves as a...

Demonstrate for your earth scientists how plant pollen of the past has become part of sedimentary deposits, providing clues about ancient climates. Then give them simulated sediment layer samples to analyze for different types of paper...

The animal population of Arkansas has changed dramatically over the past 10,000 years due to climate change, and human interaction/interruption of animal environments. Upper graders and middle schoolers do a study of how animals...