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.

2023/24 Curriculum

Winter

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

December 2023 | Winter Survival

To survive the cold of winter, animals must hibernate, migrate, activate, or die. Together, we will meet a Center animal and, while staying active outside, explore the strategies used by native mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, plants, and insects to survive in a frozen landscape.

January 2024 | Wolf and Deer: An Adventure in Interdependence

Legends, facts, folklore – the controversial Timber Wolf is part of Wisconsin’s history and future. Using simulation and hands-on discovery, students will begin to the understand the intertwined lives of the deer, the wolf, and the coyote and learn about how these animals benefit from each other in a sustainable way.

February 2024 | Lake Michigan’s Winter Shoreline

Students will have the opportunity to explore the the world of winter in the beautiful setting of Lake Michigan’s frozen tundra. As we hike the beach, we will note the change in the lake’s winter landscape and learn about the forces of nature that create ice formations.

Spring

March 2024 | American Indian Maple Sugaring

Join us in exploring the life and lore of maple sugaring through learning about how maple sugaring originated with Wisconsin’s original inhabitants. In addition to experiencing early methods using in the production of maple syrup (and enjoying a sweet treat!), students will also observe seasonal changes of plant and animal species in March.

April 2024 | Nature’s Recyclers

Discover the sustainable process known as the web of life and focus on an often overlooked part of the web: decomposers! Examine mushrooms, sow bugs, earthworms, and other soil critters and learn how they turn dead plants and animals into useable nutrients to help sustain the delicate balance of the earth’s ecosystems. Participate in recycling games while pondering, “Does everything natural or manufactured have the potential be recycled?”

May 2024 | Remove/Replant/Restore

Through a combination of games and trail activities, students will learn the basics of restoration ecology. Games and trail activities will help participants recognize and control several of Wisconsin’s most invasive plants.  At the end of class, students will put their learning into practice by doing a mini-work project on the Center’s grounds!

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

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

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