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.
This virtual school program is part of Conservation Classroom, a collection of monthly lessons for K-5 students. Each lesson has four elements: wonder (video), engage (live virtual program), act (activities), and connect (video). Follow along with all four parts or pick and choose the videos and activities you want to explore.
K-5
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
Mammals, animal groups, adaptations
Patterns, cause and effect, energy and matter
Free
Wonder ›
I wonder... what is a mammal? Bring your curiosity along on an exploration of what makes a mammal, a mammal.
Click "watch video" to view!
Preguntarse
Me pregunto… ¿qué es un mamífero? Lleva tu curiosidad a explorar qué hace que un mamífero sea un mamífero.
¡Haga clic en "ver video" para verlo!
Engage ›
February 11, 2026 at 2 p.m. ET
In this free, live virtual program, students met some amazing mammals, investigated what makes them mammals, and learned how they care for their young. Click "Register Now!" to join us!
Want to explore more cute mammals? Check out the program recording from 2024.
Language & Access: English, Spanish (simulcast), American Sign Language interpretation, and live English captions.
Comprometer
11 de febrero de 2026 a las 14:00 h ET
En este programa virtual gratuito y en vivo, los estudiantes conocieron algunos mamíferos asombrosos, investigaron qué los convierte en mamíferos y aprendieron cómo cuidan a sus crías. ¡Haz clic en "¡Register Now!" para unirte a nosotros.
¿Quieres explorar más mamíferos adorables? Echa un vistazo a la grabación del programa de 2024.
Idioma y acceso: inglés, español (simulcast), interpretación en lengua de signos americana y subtítulos en inglés en directo.
Act ›
During the live program, follow along with the Survival Strategies matching activity. After the program, draw a picture or write a poem for your Little Critter Love Letter. Share your activities with us at nzp-education@si.edu.
Click the "Activities" button below to view the activity packet.
Acto
Durante el programa en directo, sigue la actividad de emparejamiento de estrategias de supervivencia. Después del programa, dibuja una imagen o escribe un poema para tu Carta de Amor de Little Critter. Comparte tus actividades con nosotros en nzp-education@si.edu.
Connect ›
Meet Hannah, a laboratory technician! As part of her "unZOOsual" career, Hannah uses chemistry and food science techniques to study milk samples from hundreds of different mammals, helping to make sure hand reared mammals receive all of the nutrition they need to survive.
Click the "Watch Video" button to view!
Conectar
¡Conoce a Hannah, una técnica de laboratorio! Como parte de su carrera "unZOOsual", Hannah utiliza técnicas de química y ciencia alimentaria para estudiar muestras de leche de cientos de mamíferos diferentes, ayudando a asegurarse de que los mamíferos criados a mano reciban toda la nutrición que necesitan para sobrevivir.
¡Haz clic en el botón "Watch Video" para ver!
For Educators
Educator's Materials
Conservation Classroom: Valen-TINY Mammals is best suited for grades K-5. The full lesson consists of two videos, a live program, and one post-program activity. Refer to the Smithsonian Learning Lab collection to help teach this lesson.
Letter to Guardians
After participating in the live program, print or send the following letter to guardians, explaining what their student learned in this lesson and how they can continue to engage from home.
Carta para el tutor
Después de participar en el programa en vivo, imprima o envíe la siguiente carta a los tutores, explicando lo que su estudiante aprendió en esta lección y cómo pueden continuar participando desde casa.
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