Senior Elementary

The Senior Elementary Homeschool Program is designed for students ages 9-11 to delve deeper into the natural world. Alongside experienced naturalists, students will explore habitats including the shore of Lake Michigan, ponds, prairies, and forests. We offer a variety of interactions with nature such as hikes, field data collection, and live animals.

Sessions run the second Thursday of the month from 9:30am-12:00pm, September – May.

Our Senior Elementary class is currently full, but we do have a waitlist available. We will contact you if there is an opening for your child!

2021/22 Curriculum

Fall

September 2021 | Herps and Their Habitats

What unique adaptations of these fragile creatures allow them to survive where they live? We will investigate these animals as we search their habitats here at the Center. How do they benefit the habitats in which they make their home? Students will meet and observe some the Center’s live amphibians, comparing and contrasting them with reptiles.

October 2021 | Lake Michigan, Rocks & Fossils

Come and explore incredible rocks, and unlock the mystery of their formation. We’ll learn how rocks break down into soil and how soil slowly turns into rocks again. Students will discover and examine the fossils of ancient sea creatures that we find here on the shore of Lake Michigan – and while we’re down at the beach, we’ll make magnetic sand dance!

November 2021 | Hawk & Falcon

This class provides the basic characteristics of hawks and falcons, and the specific adaptations that make these raptors such unique hunters. Students will closely observe a hawk and falcon and focus on these meat-eating flying machines. How are they different from all other animals? Additional discovery is highlighted in outdoor field studies.

Winter

*Winter programming is weather dependent and monthly subjects may vary according to weather*

December 2021 | Winter Shelters

One of the keys for survival for animals in winter is habitat use. Students will search for and observe signs of winter animals. We will hike through different habitats and examine animal evidence we see, and discover how different animal habitats help provide for the basic need for shelter.

January 2022 | Tracks & Traces

The winter landscape reveals secrets often hidden during other seasons. Students learn to “read” the story left in the snow through careful observation and clue interpretation. What tracks and traces does the trained eye discover? Which animals stay active in the winter? Students learn about animal locomotion, adaptations and techniques for surviving winter in Wisconsin.

February 2022 | Lake Michigan in the Winter

Students will explore the magic of our changing Lake Michigan frozen shoreline. Often during the frigid cold of February, icy waves transform our shoreline and create ice formations. Students will safely explore the winter shoreline, discovering the magic of the changing ice shelf and learning about the conditions that form ice shelves, ice bridges, arches, ice balls, and ice pancakes.

Spring

March 2022 | Maple Sugar Time

Join us for a celebration and renewal of spring; it’s Maple Sugar Time! This ancient tradition was first observed in the mid-1500’s. We’ll share legends and stories of how maple sugaring first began and learn about the history of turning sap into syrup. We’ll learn about the process of maple sugaring through discovering the history of various tools and methods developed since the time of the first peoples through today, and end the day by sampling some of its sweet delights!

April 2022 | Marvelous Mammals

Mammals are found all over the world and in all sorts of environments and climates. We’ll learn more about some of Wisconsin’s furry warm-blood vertebrates. What are some of their similarities and differences, and how do their characteristics relate to their environment and lifestyle? Explore the habitats of the Center and search for clues and signs of mammals living here – we may be able to find and even meet a live Wisconsin mammal!

May 2022 | Birds – Our Fine Feathered Friends

What makes a bird a bird? Students will investigate the characteristics of birds and meet one of the Center’s live ambassadors. We will climb our 60-foot tower for a bird’s eye view, searching for birds and their nesting sites, and play trail games that each about bird adaptations. Students will hike to Lake Michigan’s shoreline to watch for migrating birds returning to their summer nesting habitats and analyze the tools that birds use to make their journey home.

Pricing & Registration

A completed student profile, which includes a health history and emergency care plan, is required for each participant prior to registration. New student profiles are required prior to each school year.

We offer a discounted rate for year-long participation.

Fall (September – November)
Member: $75 | Non-Member: $105

Winter (December – February)
Member: $75 | Non-Member: $105

Spring (March – May)
Member: $75 | Non-Member: $105

Full Year (September – May)
Member: $198 | Non-Member: $288