Junior Elementary Homeschool
Our Junior Elementary Homeschool Program is an introductory experience for children ages 6-8. With the guidance of experienced naturalists, we begin to work in groups to discover nature at the Center. Students form connections with the creatures and habitats that make-up Southeastern Wisconsin.
Sessions run the second Thursday of the month from 9:30am-12:00pm, September – May. Please note that this is a drop-off program.
2026-27 Curriculum
Fall
September 10, 2026 | Ponding: Small Invertebrates
Who’s swimming beneath the pond’s surface? Students will use special equipment to find the invertebrates living under the water and visit with one of the Center’s ambassador animals.
October 8, 2026 | The Water Cycle
How does the water that a dinosaur drank millions of years ago end up in your cup today? With a visit to our Great Lake Michigan, along with other experiments, we will flow through the cycle!
November 12, 2026 | Owls – Flying Mouse Traps
Whoooo silently flies looking for mice and other prey? Students will have a hoot meeting with our resident raptors! Additionally, students will get to test their senses to see if they could live like an owl.
Winter
*Winter programming is weather dependent and monthly subjects may vary according to weather*
December 10, 2026 | The Basics of Tracks & Traces
What stories do animals leave behind? Your child will search for clues, tracks, and traces while hiking on the trails and use them as inspiration to create their own story!
January 14, 2027 | Oh, Deer!
Did you know that the White-tailed Deer is Wisconsin’s fastest land mammal? Together, we will use what we learned in the previous month to search the trails for signs of and potentially spot this active winter animal.
February 11, 2027 | Survival of the Fittest
What makes some animals better adapted to surviving the harsh Wisconsin winters than others? Through meeting a few of the Center’s educational ambassadors, as well as searching for animals on the trails, students will learn how a variety of native animals survive winter’s frigid temperatures.
Spring
March 11, 2027 | Maple Sugar Time – Photosynthesis
What parts of the maple tree make sap? Together, we will discover what’s within the leaves of this tree species and learn about the scientific process that results in a sweet treat that we’ll be able to sample!
April 8, 2027 | Spring Migration
With the weather warming up, which birds are migrating back to Wisconsin? Students will uncover the secrets behind one of nature’s most magnificent journeys, then using binoculars outside will set out to find our feathered friends!
May 13, 2027 | Rockin’ Good Time
How are rocks formed? What forces of nature can change them? And how can we classify them? Learners will visit Lake Michigan to discover three groups of rocks, what sets them apart, and how they found their way to our beach.
Pricing & Registration
A completed student profile, which includes a health history and emergency care plan, is required for each participant prior to registration. We require a new Student Profile prior to each school year. Students must be 6 years old by the first class of the first session they are enrolling in.
Full School Year (September – May)
Member: $240 | Non-Member: $345
Fall (September – November)
Member: $80 | Non-Member: $115