Events

Discovering Wetlands & Wildlife: A 6-Week Homeschool Science Class (Ages 7–8)

In this 6-week hands-on science class, children ages 7–8 will explore wetlands, plants, birds, flight, and kitchen science through experiments, building projects, and creative activities. From hatching Daphnia to testing hydroponics, making bird feeders, and even baking bread in a bag, students will connect science with the natural world and their own daily experiences.

No Class Oct 13.

Tentative Schedule

Wetlands, Part 1
o Importance – review water cycle
o Wetlands model building (Charles River model)
--Set Daphnia to hatch
--Mix up Daphnia food
o Look at plankton
o Build a plankton

Wetlands, Part 2
o Feed Daphnia
o Start seeds
o Painting with algae

Wetlands/Plants
o Finish wetland model, feed Daphnia
o Seeds – harvesting
--Wet harvest seeds
o What seeds need to grow
o Hydroponic growing

Birds
o Make a backyard bird ID guide
o Learn how to use Merlin ID
o Nest building
o Build a better bird feeder

Flight
o Bird wings and Bernoulli
o Paper airplanes
o Hot air balloons

Kitchen Science
o Bread in bag
--Learn about yeast (look at under microscope)
o Butter making

By the end of this 6-week class, students will have created wetlands and plant models, cared for tiny aquatic life, experimented with seeds and hydroponics, studied birds and flight, and explored everyday chemistry through kitchen science—learning that science is all around them.

Exploring Water & Wetlands: A 6-Week Homeschool Science Class (Ages 9–12)

In this 6-week hands-on science class, students will investigate water quality, experiment with plant growth in soil and hydroponics, build models of watersheds and wetlands, and study aquatic life through projects like shark dissection and Japanese fish printing. Each week blends experiments, creative activities, and take-home projects to make water science come alive.

No Class Oct 13.

Tentative Schedule

Water Quality Testing
o Water cycle review
o Pollution sources – create some polluted water
o Water testing: pH, iron, sulfites, copper, zinc, chromium
o Dragonfly Pond – city planning

Plants/Hydroponics
o Seed movement
o Growth needs
o Set up experiment: will a seed grow faster in soil or hydroponically?

Watersheds/Wetlands
o Check experiment
o Watersheds – mapping and identifying
o Build a watershed
o How wetland services work (water cleaning through natural methods)

Wetlands
o Check experiment
o Build a wetlands terrarium

Aquatic Life – Fish
o Check experiment
o Fish anatomy
o Shark dissection
o Gyotaku (Japanese fish printing)

Engineering Challenge: Graham Cracker House
o Final experiment check – take home hydroponics
o Build a “gingerbread house” from graham crackers

By the end of the program, students will have explored water quality, experimented with plant growth, built models of watersheds and wetlands, studied aquatic life up close, and completed creative engineering challenges—bringing home both knowledge and hands-on projects.