Homeschool: GEOLOGY AND ASTRONOMY – Exploring Mars

GEOLOGY AND ASTRONOMY
Wednesdays, September 15-December 15 (no class Oct 13, Nov 24; 12 weeks)
9:30am-10:45am
Ages 8-10

Kids explore the outer reaches of the universe to the bottom of the oceans as we investigate processes that affect the Earth’s surface, explore the celestial bodies in our solar system, and learn how we study ocean and space. All lab costs are included in registration fee.

Instructor: Coral Vega, MEd
Location: Science Center (suite 5)
Course fee: $220 OR $20/lab
Early registration (10% off) through August 6
10% sibling discount beginning August 7
Register for full semester or individual labs.

Click “See More Dates” to view all session options.

LAB SCHEDULE:
Geology and Rocks – Wednesday, September 15
Kids are introduced to the science of Geology as we learn the processes involved in the rock cycle and how rocks are formed and identified.

Minerals and Geodes – Wednesday, September 22
Students become geologists as they investigate minerals and how they are formed, and crack open their own geode to discover the crystals inside.

Earth’s Layers – Wednesday, September 29
We create a model of the Earth to learn about its layers, why volcanoes form and how the surface of our planet changes over time.

Magnetic Fields – Wednesday, October 6
Students study the three magnetic elements of the periodic table, and experiment with ceramic magnets and a compass to learn how (any why) the Earth is a magnet.

Ocean Exploration – Wednesday, October 20
We investigate how scientists study the depths of our oceans, what landforms are found and the bottom and watch footage of the unique creatures observed with underwater submersibles.

Atmosphere and Astronomy – Wednesday, October 27
Kids adventure into astronomy as we create a model of the Earth’s atmosphere, learn what happens in each layer, and explore how our atmosphere is different than on other planets.

Planets – Wednesday, November 3
We review the special characteristics of each planet in our solar system as we create a scale-model to determine how far away the planets are from the sun.

The Moon – Wednesday, November 10
Students explore our moon and its phases as well as conduct an experiment investigating how craters are formed on its surface.

Asteroids, Meteors and Comets – Wednesday, November 17
We learn the differences among asteroids, meteors and comets, explore the asteroid belt in our solar system, and create a model of a comet.

The Sun – Wednesday, December 1
Kids study the science of light as they learn how light is formed on the sun, investigate the electromagnetic spectrum and conduct experiments to test for UV light.

Stars and Constellations – Wednesday, December 8
This week, we focus on stars, how far apart they are from each other, why we can identify different constellations and how they can be used for navigating at night.

Exploring Mars – Wednesday, December 15
Inspired by the Perseverance landing on Mars, kids investigate gravity, force and motion as they are challenged to design and build their own Mars rover that can withstand a tricky landing.