Homeschool Classes

A Series of Classes Just for Homeschool Families

Experiment, develop ideas and work together as you learn and build skills.


Two classes per month. New topics each month.
Fall Programs: October-December, first and third Wednesdays
Winter Programs: January-March, first and third Thursdays

Concurrent classes for Ages 2-16
Ages 2–4 meet from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m.
Ages 5–7, 8–11, and 12–16 meet from 1:30 to 3:00 p.m.


Program Cost
One month (two class sessions)
Ages 2-4 $36 ($30 for members) for 2 one-hour sessions
Ages 5-16, $50 ($40 for members) for 2 one-and-a-half-hour sessions

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Fall Programs

Ages 2-4

Animal Adventures
Gentle animals from the Animal Discovery Room are featured in a variety of exciting activities that develop young children's appreciation of living things and promote early science skills and concepts. Activities focus on animal habitats, locomotion, and adaptations. Observing and holding animals, stories, games and movement activities are integrated into playful learning experiences.
One participating adult must attend with each child.
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October 7 and 21
Rabbits
Turtles

November 4 and 18
Birds
Lizards

December 2 and 16
Guinea Pigs
Snakes

Ages 5-7, 8-11 and 12-16

Force and Motion
October 7 and 21
Investigate the relationship between force and motion by experimenting with the properties of rolling objects,  ramps and roller coasters. Students are encouraged to formulate experiments of their own, practice procedures for testing designs, think critically about their results, and design their own roller coasters and marble runs.
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Age 5-7
Ramps
Marble Machines

Age 8-11
Ramps and Rollers Investigations
Car Design

Age 12-16
Roller Coaster Physics
Rube Goldberg Machine Design

Earth Science
November 4 and 18
Younger students begin with investigations of the earth closest to them, focusing on the composition and "life cycle" of soil. Older students will examine the composition of the Earth and rocks and develop an understanding of how volcanoes and earthquakes are caused and how they affect the visible geological landscape.
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Age 5-7
Soil Investigations
Terrariums

Age 8-11
Hands-on Geology; Earth Layers and Rocks
Hot Stuff; Volcanoes

Age 12-16
Earthquakes; Causes and Mechanisms
Earthquakes; Effects and Engineering for Earthquakes

Chemistry
December 2 and 16
Students design and conduct experiments, observe and reason as they make slime, create a chemical reaction in a bag, or run a Hydrogen Fuel Cell.  Each level allows students to make chemistry connections with everyday experiences and develop their understanding of the fundamentals of chemistry.
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Age 5-7
Slime; Solids, Liquids and Gases
Fizz, Pop, Wow

Age 8-11
Pop, Goes the Acid
Chemical Reactions

Age 12-16
Fantastic Gas; Investigating Phase Change
Hydrogen Fuel Cells

Winter Programs

Ages 2-4

Science Toys
Wonder, discover, and play! Learn about the properties of the physical world by making toys. Explore everyday phenomena and share the excitement of doing hands-on science together. Take your projects home to play with, to extend the experience beyond the classroom.
One participating adult must attend with each child.
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January 7 and 21
Balls and Rolling
Make a Toy Car

February 4 and 18
Magnet Toys
Invent Your Own Play Dough Recipe

March 4 and 18
Wind and Kites
Bubble-ology

Ages 5-7, 8-11 and 12-16

Electricity and Magnetism
January 7 and 21
Discover the basics of circuitry with hands-on experiments and projects that use problem-solving skills. Experiment with magnets and see the connection between magnetism and electricity. Make a project to take home, so you can continue your investigations.
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Age 5-7
Electrical Connections
Magnet Explorations

Age 8-11
Volts and Jolts–Electricity Generation
Electromagnets

Age 12-16
Electric Circuitry
Motors

Space Sciences
February 4 and 18
Explore the phases of the Moon and other complexities of our Solar System through planetarium visits, models, games, and crafts.

Age 5-7
Earth from Space
Moon Models

Age 8-11
Moons of the Solar System–Planetarium
Making and Using Telescopes

Age 12-16
Solar System Models
Our Very Own Sun–Planetarium

Light
March 4 and 18
The youngest scientists experiment with mirror and mirroring devices to elucidate concepts relating to light and reflection, and explore making shadows with materials of varying opacity. Older students use a laser to make patterns of reflected light, which they bounce from mirror to mirror, to observe angles of incoming and reflected light beams; they also build their own periscopes and explore with them. Students ages 12-16 explore the spectrum of colors, both visible and invisible; discuss the nature of light; and manipulate light with diffraction gratings and colored filters.

Age 5-7
Mirror, Mirror
Shadows

Age 8-11
Light and Lasers
Periscopes

Age 12-16
Colors from Space–Spectrum of Light
Spectroscopes and Color Filters