Posts Tagged ‘home school’

Oct
11

Home School Events-Exhibit Expeditions!

Posted by in Classes/Programs,Fun on grounds

Watch out… home schoolers are taking over the Zoo! On September 22nd  we hosted the first Exhibit Expeditions! This fun-filled day was packed with exciting tours to some of the Zoo’s most popular spots and animal meet and greets at the end of every tour! Everyone who attended had a blast exploring the Zoo and learning about the animals around them.

 

About to head out on a Zoo tour!

Don’t worry…the fun isn’t over yet, the next invasion of home schoolers will be on November 10th for Station Exploration! This day will be filled with interactive activities right at the animal’s exhibits! Station Exploration will take place from 10:00am-1:15pm. Price information as well as registration can be found at www.houstonzoo.org/homeschool.

We can’t wait to see everyone learning right along with the animals!

 

Liberty, our bald eagle, was one of the animal visitors for the special event

 

-Written by Amy Barnhill, Education Specialist

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Jan
24

Safari School Has Started Again!

Posted by in Classes/Programs,Featured,Public Programs,Safari School

We're playing a fun sorting game with the spots of different cats!

It may not feel like it outside, but spring has arrived in the Education Department.  At least our spring programs are here!  Safari School was scaled back a bit in the fall but we are excited to say that it has returned full-force for the spring.  What is Safari School, you ask?

Great question!

Safari School is a program for our preschool-age friends (3 to 5 years old) and their favorite adults.  Each week we focus on a different animal.  The class includes a short, kid-friendly lesson, an animal-related craft, and an animal visit, as well as a variety of other fun activities.  Depending on our topic, the visit might be an animal coming to the classroom or a trek out into the Zoo to see the animal in its exhibit. 

Making a cool leopard craft by adding spots!

For spring, Safari School returns to a twice-weekly schedule; the same topic is offered on both Wednesday and Saturday.  We have some cool animals coming up this semester, including chimpanzees, parrots, porcupines, and otters.  Want more information?  Check out our website!

Taking a class at the Zoo this spring sounds like a great idea, doesn’t it?  Even if you don’t have a convenient preschooler to accompany you to Safari School, we have lots of other classes kicking off in February.  Wild Wheels for kids up to age 3, Senior Safari for adults 65 and up, Home School Series classes and Wild Winks overnights are all available this spring.  We’re even hosting our first annual Teen Career Conference in February!  Explore our Education page for more information about all of our exciting programs.

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May
19

Toad Trackers!

Posted by in Classes/Programs,Fun on grounds

Do you want to be a wildlife biologist for a day? The Houston Zoo Toad Trackers class is for you!

The Houston Zoo would like to offer a special opportunity for Houston Home School families to take part in a one of a kind wildlife conservation education program called Toad Trackers. This exciting program was made possible by a grant from the Texas Parks and Wildlife, Community Outdoor Outreach Program. This program aims to teach students real world field research methods used by conservation biologists and wildlife professionals. Through the course of the class, students will be introduced to the equipment a field biologist would use in their research and some of the methods used in the scientific study of wild animal populations. Students will also learn about global amphibian extinctions and why monitoring local amphibian populations are important to detecting declines in our own region.

In the second part of the class, students will be able to apply their newly acquired skills by actively searching for real toads on Zoo grounds and weighing and measuring them under the supervision of Houston Zoo biologists!

This important information collected by students will help Houston Zoo amphibian biologists to track the toad’s movement and health on Zoo grounds!

This is a two part class, the first class is on Monday, May 24th from 1-3 pm and Wednesday, May 26, from 8-10 pm.  Space is limited.

Check out the website for more information and to register!

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Oct
07

Home School

Posted by in Classes/Programs

Madagascar Hissing Cockroaches

Madagascar Hissing Cockroaches

Yesterday I taught the first of this year’s home school classes  at the zoo.  This year we are studying Mysteries of the Natural World.  This week’s class is Mysteries of the Jungle, which deals with rainforests and the animals that call them home.  We fed hissing cockroaches, looked at tropical birds, and sorted out rainforest animals by their jobs.

According to the Texas Home School Coalition, there are an estimated 75,000 to 100,000 home schooling families in Texas. We already provide a myriad of programs for public and private schools, including field trips and ZooMobiles.  So last year we began offering home school programs, as well.  Our second annual Home School Day was a success, even with dismal weather, and the first class yesterday went very well. 

We split the class into two sections, so that we could have smaller class sizes without restricting the number of participants.  There were six kids in my section.  I was pleased that even with a variety of ages, two siblings, and a few kids who knew each other, they worked together well and became a cohesive group during class.  I was especially impressed with the three girls in my group; during our sorting activity, the two older girls made it a point to include the youngest, and she contributed quite a bit to their team.

The same class is offered three times, on Tuesday, Thursday, and the following Wednesday, so I get to teach Mysteries of the Jungle twice more.  I hope my other groups are as interested and attentive as this one!

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