Weekly Homeschool Classes for 5-11* Year-Olds

Introduce your homeschool student to the Natural Sciences.

Now is the time to encourage your child’s love of nature! This fall, preschool and homeschool children will have the opportunity explore all that the Heard Natural Science Museum & Wildlife Sanctuary has to offer. Students will experience learning through classroom activities, outdoor field investigations on our 289-acre wildlife sanctuary, laboratory science, small group activities and take-home study packets. Each course curriculum is developed by the Heard Museum's education staff who strive to recognize and meet the needs of homeschool families.

The Heard's weekly Homeschool Natural Science Program is appropriate for children ages 5-11*.

*Age of student on September 1, 2018 for the 2018-2019 academic year.
Classes meet weekly on Tuesdays from 1-3 p.m.

For monthly classes appropriate for children ages 12-13 (NEW), please click here.

Quick Links

Tuition

Per Semester: 26 Hours/13 Weeks

$210 Heard Museum Member* | $230 Non-member

Monthly Payment Plan

  • (Includes $5 processing fee per payment) 
  • $95  Heard Museum Member* down payment | $115  Non-member down payment
  • A monthly payment (includes a $5 processing fee) will be charged to your credit card on file the 1st of October and November in the fall or February and March in the spring.

Dates

Fall Semester

  • Meet the Teacher – week of September 4
  • Classes start – week of September 11
  • No Classes – week of November 20
  • Classes end – week of December 11

Spring Semester

  • Meet the Teacher – week of January 8
  • Classes start – week of January 15
  • No Classes – week of March 12
  • Classes end – week of April 16
*Please note that the reciprocal admission agreement (click here for guidelines) that the Heard has with Perot Museum, Fort Worth Museum of Nature & Science and ASTC Passport Program participants does not apply to education programs or special events.

Registration Information

Please note registration is not complete until a registration form and payment have been completed and submitted for each participating child. An optional monthly payment plan is also available at this link. Please note fees apply.

 

Topics

5 year olds

  • Fall 2018
    • Which ‘Ology is Which?  “Ology” refers to the study of a topic, and in this class young scientists are introduced to the study of a variety of scientific fields. Ornithology (birds), herpetology (reptiles & amphibians), entomology (insects) and mammology (mammals) are just a few of the “ologies” that are explored in class.
  • Spring 2019
    • Which ‘Ology is Which? Earth & Planetary Science  Young scientists will explore some of the “ologies” that deal with earth and space including geology, climatology, vulcanology and cosmology. The hands-on activities, games and experiments will involve your child directly in the learning process.

6-7 year olds -wait listed – please call for availability

  • Fall 2018
    • Discover Your World: Plants Students will explore the amazing world of plants, from defining what a plant is and learning the parts of a plant to exploring plant life cycles, adaptations, and reproduction.
  • Spring 2019
    • Discover Your World: The Earth What can clouds tell us about the weather? What’s inside the earth? How are rocks formed? Why does the moon change? These are just some of the questions that will be explored as we take a look at our planet—its insides and its surface, and its place in space.

8-9 year olds

  • Fall 2018
    • Explorers: Ecosystems  Students will examine how plants and animals live together and form amazing systems that help nature work. They’ll explore food chains, food webs, and the cycles of living things. Excursions on the sanctuary will provide opportunities to closely observe and experience different woodland, prairie, and fresh water ecosystems.
  • Spring 2019
    • Explorers: Amazing Adaptations  Adaptations, what are they? What do they look like? What has them?  Students will examine the adaptations of a variety of animals and plants from all over the globe. We will study organisms from the microscopic to the most unusual plant life.

10-11 year olds

  • Fall 2018
    • Earth Trek: Understanding the Planet  Students will explore the geography, geology, meteorology and ecology of the Earth to understand how our planet functions and why these processes are important for our survival. We will closely examine how these systems work on the sanctuary.
  • Spring 2019
    • Earth Trek: Sharing the Planet  Find out more about how and where animals live on Earth. Students will investigate adaptations to habitats, weather, climate, and human encroachment, as well as effects of global climate change, pollution and natural disasters.

Refund Policies

Refund cancellation dates Fall Semester: 

  • Full refund minus $10 admin fee by August 18
  • 50% refund by September 1
  • No refund after September 1

Refund cancellation dates Spring Semester:

  • Full refund minus $10 admin fee by December 15
  • 50% refund by December 29
  • No refund after December 29

Regarding the Monthly Payment Plan: If you choose to use the Monthly Payment Plan, please note that you will also be required to submit a Credit Card Authorization Form. The credit card information you provide on that form will be used to process your additional monthly payments. A fee of $5 per payment for your first child applies. For additional children, you will only be charged $5 per child rather than per payment. You are responsible for keeping your credit card information up to date. Your card will be charged on the 1st of (Fall) October and November and (Spring) February and March. Failure to provide payment by two weeks after these dates will result in suspension from our program and may result in the loss of future privileges to use the monthly payment option. It is the parent's responsibility to make sure that we have a valid credit card on file at the time of payment processing. A $10 service fee may be assessed if we must contact you for an up-to-date credit card account.