Website
Smithsonian Institution

National Museum of Natural History: Global Volcanism Program: Krakatau

For Students 9th - 10th
The volcano Krakatau is in Indonesia. Learn about its background information, description, frequently asked questions, items of interest and useful links.
Lesson Plan
Smithsonian Institution

National Museum of Natural History: Zoo Labs

For Teachers 9th - 10th
Five inquiry-based investigations designed for the observation of primates in a zoo setting. The labs ask guiding questions and list notable primate behaviors.
Interactive
Smithsonian Institution

National Museum of Natural History: The Secret in the Cellar

For Students 9th - 10th
The Secret in the Cellar is an interactive web comic based on the real finding of a body from the 17th century in the Chesapeake Bay area. Using historical and archaeological clues, students are guided to discover the truth about how...
Website
Smithsonian Institution

National Museum of Natural History: Asustralopithecus Afarensis

For Students 9th - 10th
This resource offers an excellent definition of the species, Australopithecus afarensis.
Lesson Plan
Smithsonian Institution

National Museum of Natural History: Does Our Background Shape Our Thinking About Environmental Issues? [Pdf]

For Teachers 9th - 10th
A lesson where learners explore the positive and negative impacts of human activities on the environment today and in the distant past, and examine how attitudes towards the environment might be shaped by one's experiences growing up....
Lesson Plan
Smithsonian Institution

National Museum of Natural History: Relative Dating in Archaeology [Pdf]

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
Activities for the classroom that teach about stratigraphy and seriation, two methods used in the relative dating of objects in archaeology.
Interactive
Smithsonian Institution

National Museum of Natural History: This Dynamic Planet

For Students 9th - 10th
Research and explore past earthquake and volcanic activity on this interactive world map. User can manipulate which notable events and other map characteristics to view depending on the type of study being done.
Website
Smithsonian Institution

National Museum of Natural History: Ocean Planet: Ocean Currents

For Students 9th - 10th
The Ocean Planet exhibit at the Smithsonian explains the general features of ocean circulation. A general look at upwelling, deep water, and currents are combined for an overall view.
Activity
University of Florida

Florida Museum of Natural History: Identify a Florida Snake

For Students 9th - 10th
This field guide to the snakes of Florida has everything you need to identify one, including drawings of scale patterns and excellent photographs, as well as how to recognize which ones are venomous. Also included is a section on how to...
Handout
Smithsonian Institution

National Museum of Natural History: Paleobiology: The Silurian Period

For Students 9th - 10th
Journey into the past while reading this comprehensive overview of the Silurian Period that covers topics such as life in the seas, invasion of land, fossil evidence, and climate and geology.
Website
Smithsonian Institution

National Museum of Natural History: Camping With the Sioux: Fieldwork Diary of Alice Fletcher

For Students 9th - 10th
A fascinating site that presents the story of Alice Fletcher who traveled to Dakota Territory to live with Sioux women. Click on dates on the calendar for diary entries. Also includes historic photo gallery.
Website
Idaho State University

Idaho Museum of Natural History: Guide to the Plants of Idaho State Arboretum

For Students 9th - 10th
This resource describes the different plants of the Idaho State Arboretum in Pocatello. Users are provided with a picture and a description of every plant in the arboretum. You can click on the pictures for a larger view.
Handout
Smithsonian Institution

National Museum of Natural History: The Origin of the Genus Homo

For Students 9th - 10th
The evolution of the Genus Homo is neatly laid out in a chronological fashion beginning with the key change that signaled the origin of Homo, through the evolutionary forms, finalizing with Homo sapiens.
Website
Smithsonian Institution

National Museum of Natural History: Department of Botany

For Students 9th - 10th
Visit the Smithsonian's Department of Botany, and search online from the specimen collection of nearly 800,000 plant specimen records. In addition, learn about research being conducted, activities and events hosted by the department,...
Website
Smithsonian Institution

National Museum of Natural History: Ocean Planet

For Students 9th - 10th
Detailed website that was a companion to a 1995 traveling exhibit of the Smithsonian. Links to lesson plans and other educational materials are at the bottom of the page. Enter the exhibition to explore the world of the ocean.
Website
American Museum of Natural History

American Museum of Natural History: North American Ethnographic Collection

For Students 9th - 10th
The Division of Anthropology was established at the AMNH in 1873, only four years after the founding of the museum. During its first 17 years, the department was concerned almost exclusively with the acquisition and display of artifacts....
Article
American Institute of Biological Sciences

Action Bioscience: Natural History Museum Collections in the 21st Century

For Students 9th - 10th
Discover why some people feel that natural history museums are more import now than they have ever been. Familiarize yourself with some of the challenges these museums are facing.
Graphic
Smithsonian Institution

National Museum of Natural History: Human Origins: Human Family Tree

For Students 9th - 10th
Find the human ancestor you are interested in and click on it either in the timeline or the list below for more details. Each fossil or reconstruction pictured includes links to more details about it.
Website
Smithsonian Institution

National Museum of Natural History: The Canela Indians

For Students 9th - 10th
Journey to Brazil and visit the Canela Indians. Learn all about their culture and view artifacts and video footage.
Website
Smithsonian Institution

National Museum of Natural History: Ocean Planet: In Search of Giant Squid

For Students 9th - 10th
An on-line exhibit archived from a Smithsonian exhibit explores and interprets the facts and myths surrounding giant squids - the world's largest invertebrates.
Website
Smithsonian Institution

National Museum of Natural History: Written in Bone: Forensic Files of the 17th Century Chesapeake

For Students 9th - 10th
This very thorough site will fascinate those interested in forensic anthropology. You will learn what you can read from bones, how a face can be reconstructed from a skull, clues you can read from a burial, and about forensic cases both...
Interactive
PBS

Pbs Learning Media: Frames of Reference

For Students 9th - 10th
Explore how different frames of reference affect your perception of motion in this interactive activity from the American Museum of Natural History.
Graphic
Curated OER

A View on Cities: Washington: National Museum of Natural History

For Students 9th - 10th
National Museum of Natural History (Washington)
Graphic
Curated OER

A View on Cities: Chicago: Field Museum of Natural History

For Students 9th - 10th
Field Museum of Natural History (Chicago)