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Lesson Plans

Smithsonian Resources

Trees of the Smithsonian
These lesson plans from the Smithsonian Gardens encourage students to use critical thinking to practice using dichotomous keys, think about famous trees as symbols and engage with the scientific method.

New Survey Estimates Earth Has 60,065 Tree Species
Read this Smithsonian article to learn about a new project recently completed by the Researchers from Botanic Gardens Conservation International. Which country has the most species? (Brazil) And why is there cause for concern? (At least 10,000 tree species are at risk of extinction.)

Archives Alive!: Learning from Landscapes Past, Cultivating Garden Memories for the Future
This interpretive and educational package of resources from the Smithsonian Gardens uses an expanded notion of “literacy” to encourage collaborative and critical thinking, writing, reading and observation. Students learn about the importance of nature, landscapes and environment in their everyday lives.

What’s Your Problem? A Look at the Environment in Your Own Backyard
In these lesson plans from the Smithsonian Center for Learning and Digital Access, students examine the state of the local environment and how it has changed over the years. Then they take on an environmental project to tackle an environmental problem that affects their community.

Botany and Art and Their Role in Conservation
The lessons in this issue of Smithsonian in Your Classroom introduce students to the work of botanists and botanical illustrators, specifically their race to make records of endangered plant species around the world. Following the methods of a Smithsonian artist, students try their own hands at botanical illustration.

Monday Morning Ready

This is what happened when an Australian city gave trees email addresses

Comic masterfully shows how climate has changed through time

Move over, steel: The high rises of tomorrow are "plyscrapers"

Coastal cities need to rethink how they deal with rising waters

The animals that helped win World War I