Homeschool Programs
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The Museum and Education Department has exciting homeschool classes available for families looking to supplement their science and history curriculum.
Resources and Loan Materials
The Forest Preserve District also provides a variety of resources for educators, including age-appropriate displays, handbooks and binders, and backpacks to take on the trails. Click here to visit the Educator Resources Page.
Stacey Clementz |
Sandra Osborne |
Ralph Bonati |
Friday,February 3 – Nature of Winter – Homer Lake Forest Preserve, Interpretive Center
Take a break from the indoors and gain a new appreciation for this surprisingly active time of year. We will explore physical and behavioral adaptations that allow local flora and fauna to survive winter, and hike to observe these first hand.
This class will be held at Homer Lake Forest Preserve, from 1-3pm. It is designed for children 8 and up. Parental accompaniment is not required. Fee is $3.00 per child. Registration is due by January 27. For further information and to register contact Stacey.
Tuesday, March 27– Native Americans –Museum of the Grand Prairie, Lake of the Woods
Ancient native peoples is the topic of the day. Life thousands of years ago, settler life, and modern life will be compared and contrasted through discussion, activities, and exhibits. (Mammoths and extinction will be mentioned.)
This class will be 9:00am-12:00pm, at the Museum of the Grand Prairie, and is designed for ages 6 and up, with parent accompaniment recommended. Fee is $4.00 per child:registration and payment due March 20. For further information and to register, contact Sandy.
Friday, April 13 – Aquatic Ecologist – Homer Lake Forest Preserve, Walnut Hill Shelter
Through hands-on scientific investigations, we will introduce you to the ecology of aquatic ecosystems. You will use nets to collect aquatic organisms, and simple kits to test the water quality of the lake. We will tie your findings in to a discussion of watersheds, pollution and water conservation.
This class will be held at Homer Lake Forest Preserve, from 1-3pm. It is designed for children 9 years and up. Parental accompaniment is not required. Fee is $3.00 per child. Registration and payment are due by April 6. For further information and to register, contact Stacey.
Tuesday, April 17- Botany Basics - Lake of the Woods, Mabery Gelvin Botanical Gardens This class will be held in the gardens outside the Museum of the Grand Prairie, from 10-11:30am. Explore the world of botany. Learn why plants are important, and study their diverse structures and adaptations. Students will learn some basic botany content, learn how to identify trees using a key, and plant some seeds to take home. This program is designed for ages 8-12, with parental accompaniment recommended. Fee is $3.00 per child;registration due by April 10. For further information, contact Ralph.
Friday, September7 – Insects and Spiders – Elks Lake Pavilion,Lake of the Woods
It’s no mystery – insects and spiders are everywhere! Learn about their lifecycles, habitats, and adaptations. We will turn someone into an insect and a spider, learn what it’s like to see through the eyes of an insect, and go on a bug hunt.
This program is designed for children 7 years old and up, with parental accompaniment recommended. Class is 10-11:30 a.m. Fee is $3.00 per child. Registration and payment are due by August 31. For further information and to register contact Stacey.
Friday, September 21 – Prairie Adventures –Museum of the Grand Prairie
The District education staff presents Prairie Adventures as a multi-disciplinary experience, incorporating settlers’ harvesting, prairie animals, and prairie plants. Investigate Buffalo Trace (the prairie across from the museum), witness a prairie burn demo, see/touch harvesting tools and bison bones!
The program runs 9:30am-1:00pm, and is a somewhat intense and busy day. Most of it will be outdoors, with significant walking, so dress appropriately. It is recommended for children 8 years old and up, with parental accompaniment suggested. No toddlers or strollers. Fee is $3.00 per child; for further information and to register, contact Sandy.
Tuesday, October 9–Seed Safari–Discovery Garden Greenhouse, Lake of the Woods
Students will learn some basic content related to seeds, take a short hike around the Botanical Gardens in search of seeds, and plant some seeds to take home.
This class is designed for 5-8 year olds, with parental accompaniment recommended. Class is 10-11:30 a.m. Fee is $3.00 per child. Pre-registration and payment required by Oct. 2. For further information and to register, contact Ralph.
Tuesdays, November 6 and 13 – Oregon Trail –Museum of the Grand Prairie
Enhance your westward movement curriculum with this 2-part offering. Through primary documents, exhibits, discussion, and activities, you will gain new perspective on this event in our history. If you have participated in our settler course, this is a great follow-up for the 8-15 year-old. Chronologically it ends with the Civil War period, which will be offered the following spring. (Participation in any one of these classes is definitely not dependent on having taken any of the others; I only mention this sequence as I am frequently asked by mothers.)
This class will be held at the Museum, from 9:30-12:00, both days, and you will attend both days. There will be a homework assignment to complete between classes. It is designed for children ages 8 and older, with parental accompaniment suggested. The fee is $8.00 per child, which covers both days and materials. Registration and payment is due Oct. 27. For further information and to register, contact Sandy.
Wednesday, December 5 -- Activities “By the Books” –Museum of the Grand Prairie
In preparation for this morning, your family will read (PLEASE!) one or more of the following Christmas- & winter-themed books: Christmas in the Big Woods, by Laura Ingalls Wilder; Kirsten’s Surprise, from The American Girls Collection; Prairie Christmas, by Elizabeth Van Steenwyk; A Prairie Boy’s Winter, by William Kurelek; The Long Winter, by Laura Ingalls Wilder. (All of these books, and many more similar options, are available through the Lincoln Trails Library System. Don’t all wait till the last minute!)
On the 5th, we will briefly discuss the books, see some artifacts that will look familiar from the books, and do many activities “By the Books”. You may even come dressed up as one of your favorite characters! This will be a great experience-filled day with Christmas/winter activities (some outside!) not usually done at the museum. (If you participated in the April “By the Books” program, this will be a similar format with mostly different activities.)
This class will be from 9:30am -12:00pm, and will be held at the Museum of the Grand Prairie at the Lake of the Woods. It is recommended for ages 2 and up, with parental accompaniment required. Fee is $3 per child;registration and payment due November 19. For further information and to register, contact Sandy.
