Our dynamic programs are designed to empower educators with innovative tools and strategies to enhance their teaching and inspire their students. Elevate your teaching and ignite curiosity in your students with our in-person and virtual teacher professional development opportunities.


Jump to a Section: Professional Development Live      Professional Development On Demand      Teacher Newsletter      Teacher Innovator Institute      Resources for You      Plan a Field Trip


The National Air and Space Museum provides a variety of professional development opportunities. 

Our dynamic programs are designed to empower educators with innovative tools and strategies to enhance their teaching and inspire their students. Elevate your teaching and ignite curiosity in your students with our in-person and virtual teacher professional development opportunities.


Jump to a Section: Professional Development Live      Professional Development On Demand      Teacher Newsletter      Teacher Innovator Institute      Resources for You      Plan a Field Trip


The National Air and Space Museum provides a variety of professional development opportunities. 

Professional Development Live

Hear from museum educators and content experts, try hands-on activities, explore museum objects, and gain new resources to develop your teaching practice. Live webinars happen at least twice a year on Zoom. 

Our live webinars for the 2023-2024 school year are over. Next school year's schedule will be announced this summer. You can watch the archived sessions on YouTube.

Data Visualization

Watch the recorded session. 

Engaging with Eclipses

Archived session coming in March

Professional Development On Demand

Bring professional development into your school with in-person or virtual sessions on a variety of topics. Professional development on demand can be customized for different teacher groups and grade levels. Browse the topics below and fill out our request form to connect with us and start planning. 

Learn More and Request a Professional Development Session Teaching with Objects

The National Air and Space Museum has hundreds of objects that tell the story of aerospace history. But teaching with objects isn’t limited to museums. Learn how close looking and observation skills can be used on any objects. 

Difficult Conversations in STEAM

Discoveries and technological advances sometimes have a darker side, and it is important to engage students around complex stories and perspectives. Learn how to facilitate difficult conversations with thinking routines.

Planetarium Anywhere: Using Stellarium

Want to teach your students about the solar system and beyond but don’t have access to a planetarium? Learn about Stellarium, a free planetarium software that can help teach about seasons, moon phases, solar system bodies, constellation stories, and more.

Exploring Shadows and Light with Young Children

Preschoolers may first notice their shadow while playing out in the sun. You can build on this interest to design playful explorations outside and inside the classroom that deepen children’s understanding of light and shadow.

Asking Big Questions

Explore how using questions with no definitive answers can help students think deeply, engage in lively discussion, and provide evidence for their thinking. Think about the costs and benefits of space exploration through objects.

Engineering and Design

Available in Spring 2024
Check back for more information

Teacher Newsletter

Sign up here to receive the Museum’s monthly newsletter that highlights upcoming programs, amazing educators, and the Museum’s newest content for the classroom.

Subscribe

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Teacher Innovator Institute

The Teacher Innovator Institute is a summer professional development intensive for middle school STEAM teachers across the United States. Teachers form a professional learning community and explore ways to incorporate museum content and authentic inquiry into their classrooms.

Learn More

Resources for You

Resources for You Learning Resources Database

From videos to ready-to implement classroom activities, we’re here to help you get your learners excited about air and space.

Learning Guides

Our educators prepared the Learning Guides below to give you a week-long plan of activities and resources on topics your learners will love.

Learning Lab

Discover over a hundred collections of artifacts and activities designed to help you bring air and space into your classroom. 

Teacher Tips Playlist

Check out the Museum’s YouTube playlist made just for teachers, where you’ll find activity ideas and programs featuring teachers.

Plan a Field Trip

We are excited to both invite schools to continue to engage in virtual programs and to welcome students and teachers back to the National Air and Space Museum's two locations. Explore our reservable programs that include Planetarium Shows, Scavenger Hunts, Science Demonstrations, STEAM Labs, Story Time, and Student Tours.

    

Learn More

Don't see what you're looking for? Contact nasmteachers@si.edu for additional assistance.