Heard Natural Science Museum & Wildlife Sanctuary in McKinney, Texas offers Natural Science Programs for children ages 3-13. Below, you will be able to find class offerings for three different age groups. Please use your child’s age as of September 1 of the beginning of the academic year for both academic semesters. Click the links below to access more detailed information about each program and registration. Pre-registration is required.
Now is the time to encourage your child’s love of nature! In our natural science programs, kids 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. Spots are limited and pre-registration is required.
Fall 2022: 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.
Fall 2022: 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.
Fall 2022: 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.
Fall 2022: 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.
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Member Rate: $210
Non-Member Rate: $230
Fall 2022 Homeschool Covid Protocol Statement as of June 2022
At this time, assuming the rate of infection stays low, we are not anticipating requiring masks to be worn except when live animals are present (generally for about 10-15 minutes) or when the class is going through the Animal Encounter Trail.
However, if conditions change and any local, state, or federal mandates are implemented that would affect what we offer, we reserve the right to make any needed changes to our program offerings and/or class sizes.
What, if any, protocols we put in place will be sent to all registered families and posted on our website by the end of August.
We appreciate your patience and understanding as we navigate this.
Full refund minus $20 admin fee by September 1
Week of September 13, Time TBD
(New Students Only)
Tuesdays, 1 – 3pm
Week of September 20 to Week of December 13
(No classes Thanksgiving week)
Registration will be available to the public beginning June 28. Pre-registration is required for all participants.
1. Complete a Registration Form
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.
The Heard’s weekly Homeschool Natural Science Program is appropriate for children ages 5-11. We use the age of each student on September 1 for class placement for the entire academic year.
This lab-based course will focus on using the scientific method to ask questions, form hypotheses, collect data in the field, and present our findings in charts and graphs. Spots are limited and pre-registration is required.
Fall 2022
The fall semester of this lab-based course will focus on using the scientific method to ask questions, form hypotheses, collect data in the field, and present our findings in charts and graphs. Using the variety of outdoor environments at the Heard, we will explore topics such as wildlife surveys, oil spill cleanup, and animal behavior studies.
Students will be expected to:
Member Rate: $160
Non-Member Rate: $180
Fall 2022 Homeschool Covid Protocol Statement as of June 2022
At this time, assuming the rate of infection stays low, we are not anticipating requiring masks to be worn except when live animals are present (generally for about 10-15 minutes) or when the class is going through the Animal Encounter Trail.
However, if conditions change and any local, state, or federal mandates are implemented that would affect what we offer, we reserve the right to make any needed changes to our program offerings and/or class sizes.
What, if any, protocols we put in place will be sent to all registered families and posted on our website by the end of August.
We appreciate your patience and understanding as we navigate this.
Full refund minus $20 admin fee by September 1
Two Tuesdays per month
1 – 3pm
Week of September 13, Time TBD (new students only)
Registration will be available to the public beginning June 28. Pre-registration is required for all participants.
Please note that the reciprocal admission agreement 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.
Magic Planet Homeschool classes will introduce your students to natural science in ways that are both familiar and not-so-familiar. Just like our Tuesday programs, Magic Planet Homeschool will take advantage of the learning opportunities provided by the Heard’s wildlife sanctuary. However, the Heard’s 4-ft interactive digital globe will put a different twist on the inside lesson portion of our class period!
Spots are limited and pre-registration is required. These classes are for children ages 6-11.
Fall 2022
Math in Nature – From Fibonacci & fractals to angles & spheres, nature is chock-full of math! And since science and math go hand-in-hand, we’ll use the Heard’s interactive globe and its 289-acre sanctuary to explore the various ways our Earth uses math. Perfect for easing the anxiety of math-hesitant students while offering a whole new perspective to math-lovers!
Member Rate: $210
Non-Member Rate: $230
Full refund minus $20 admin fee by September 1
Fall 2022 Homeschool Covid Protocol Statement as of June 2022
At this time, assuming the rate of infection stays low, we are not anticipating requiring masks to be worn except when live animals are present (generally for about 10-15 minutes) or when the class is going through the Animal Encounter Trail.
However, if conditions change and any local, state, or federal mandates are implemented that would affect what we offer, we reserve the right to make any needed changes to our program offerings and/or class sizes.
What, if any, protocols we put in place will be sent to all registered families and posted on our website by the end of August.
We appreciate your patience and understanding as we navigate this.
Thursdays, 1-3 p.m.
September 22 – December 15
(No classes November 24, Thanksgiving)
Pre-registration is required for all participants.
We use the age of each student on September 1 for class placement for the entire academic year.
Weather
October 6, 13 & 20
Weather affects everyone every day! To find out how, we’ll (1) explore the four ingredients of weather, (2) learn about seasonal weather patterns, and (3) swirl into winter weather.
Seasons
November 3, 10 & 17
North Texas experiences warmer months and cooler months – but why? This month, we’ll learn more about seasons by (1) exploring the rotation & revolution of the earth, (2) explaining the reason for our seasons (the earth’s tilt), and (3) figuring out why some leaves change color and fall to the ground.
Planets
December 1, 8 & 15
Planets often look to us like exceptionally bright stars. Which ones can we see during late fall and early winter? For the holiday season, we’ll journey through our solar system to visit (1) the sun, (2) the inner planets, and (3) the outer planets. As we focus on the planets, we’ll learn to find the ones which are visible without a telescope.
Member Rate: $55 per course
Non-Member Rate: $60 per course
Full refund minus $20 admin fee by September 1
Fall 2022 Homeschool Covid Protocol Statement as of June 2022
At this time, assuming the rate of infection stays low, we are not anticipating requiring masks to be worn except when live animals are present (generally for about 10-15 minutes) or when the class is going through the Animal Encounter Trail.
However, if conditions change and any local, state, or federal mandates are implemented that would affect what we offer, we reserve the right to make any needed changes to our program offerings and/or class sizes.
What, if any, protocols we put in place will be sent to all registered families and posted on our website by the end of August.
We appreciate your patience and understanding as we navigate this.
Thursdays, 9:30-11:30 a.m.
October Course: October 6, 13 & 20
November Course: November 3, 10 & 17
December Course: December 1, 8 & 15
Pre-registration is required for all participants.
We use the age of each student on September 1 for class placement for the entire academic year.
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