Potter Park Zoo is excited to offer a program for Homeschool groups and families!
During our two hour drop-off discovery sessions, students will have an opportunity to learn about exciting topics in animal science through lessons, activities, and zoo exploration. Sessions are organized into 6 week units, but each session will have a unique theme that can act as a standalone lesson on the selected topic. This allows you to register for one session, all six, or somewhere in between, as it fits your schedule. All sessions are designed around/aligned with NGSS standards for the selected age group.
Sessions will alternate each week between three different age groups – ages 5-8, 9-12, 13-15. This means each age group will meet once every two weeks. (See Schedule below for dates.)
Example: Week 1- A.M 5-8, P.M. 5-8
Week 2- A.M. 9-12, P.M. 13-15
Times
Morning sessions will run Tuesdays 9:45-11:45 AM. Please note, there is another class in the room until 9:30 so we will not be able to accept students until 9:35. There is also a class in the room starting at 12:00 PM so please be sure to pick up students promptly at 11:45.
This fall we will also be offering an afternoon session on Tuesdays 2:30-4:30 PM. The content for the afternoon session will be identical to that in the morning session, so please only sign your student up for one session or the other. Drop-off for the afternoon session will start at 2:20.
Price
The cost to register for each session is:
$10/child, member
$15/child, non-member
Scholarships are available, please call (517) 342-2713 for more information.
Class Size
Classes are capped at 16 students. There will be a waitlist available in case seats open up as the session gets closer.
Special Needs/Accommodations
Potter Park Zoo is happy to accommodate your child’s needs within our means. Unfortunately, we are not able to provide extended individual support during the class due to staffing restrictions, but we are happy to work with you to allow a paraprofessional or parent/guardian to assist with children requiring individual support. Please call us at (517) 342-2772 if you would like to discuss your child’s needs or would like to meet with the instructor prior to registering.
Inclement Weather Policy
If the Eaton RESA Career Prep Center or Lansing Public Schools are cancelled due to inclement weather or Potter Park Zoo is closed/Ingham County Operations are suspended, we will not hold Zoo Crew. We will attempt to reschedule any sessions that are missed due to weather. If we are unable to reschedule and/or your child is not able to attend on the new date, registration fees for that week will be refunded.
Schedule
Please use the tabs below to look at dates and themes for each session.
Ages 5-8
Fall 2024: Around the World and Back Again!
Sept 17, 2024
Adaptations & Habitats 1: Intro to Adaptations
As the world changes, plants and animals need to adapt! We will be answering questions such as: What are adaptations? Are there different types of adaptations? Can adaptations change?
Oct 1, 2024
Adaptations & Habitats 2: North American and Europe
Have you ever noticed how similar North America and Europe are?- We will be looking at these two continents to see how the wildlife and habitats compare on these two continents! We will be answering questions such as: What habitats does North American and Europe have in common? Does North America and Europe have any common animals? Do the animals on these continents have similar adaptations?
Oct 15, 2024
Adaptations & Habitats 3: South America and Antarctica
This week we will explore South America and Antarctica! We will answer questions such as: What habitats can be found in South America and Antarctica? How do animals of the same species adapt to different climates and habitats? Does temperature (equator hot vs Antarctica cold) play a role in how animals adapt to their habitats?
Oct 29, 2024
Adaptations & Habitats 4: Africa
This week we will be headed to Africa! We will be answering questions such as: What habitats can be found in Africa? How do animals adapt to extreme environments? Is life on Madagascar different than mainland Africa?
Nov 12, 2024
Adaptations & Habitats 5: Asia/Australia
This week we head east and down under! We will be looking at the habitats of Asia and Australia, and the animals that call it home! We will be answering questions such as: What habitats can be found in Asia and Australia? What adaptations would animals have for different habitats? Do you think you will find similar animals in the desert verses the rainforest? Are there species of animals that have adapted to different habitats?
Nov 26, 2024
Adaptations & Habitats 6: Conservation
This week we bring it home to look at how we can make a difference around the world! We will answer questions such as: How can we help? What conservation organizations are doing to help? Are there different conservation actions that could help several habitat types? What happens if animals can’t adapt to quickly changing habitats?
Ready to sign up?
Register Here
Ages 9-12
Fall 2024: Human Impacts
Sept 24, 2024
Human Impacts 1: Intro
This week we will answer questions like: What is an ecosystem? How do you think humans impact different ecosystems? Is the impact that humans have always negative?
Oct 8, 2024
Human Impacts 2: Forest and Rainforest
This week we will explore how humans impact forest and rainforest ecosystems! We will answer questions like: How do humans impact these ecosystems? How are animals affected? How can we help? What conservation issues affect forest and rainforest ecosystems?
Oct 22, 2024
Human Impacts 3: Waterways (Fresh & Marine)
This week we will see how humans impact waterways (fresh and marine)! We will answer questions like: What is the biggest threat on our waterways? Are all waterways impacted by humans? Are oceans impacted by humans in the same way fresh water is impacted? Do humans impact all layers of the ocean? How can we help?
Nov 5, 2024
Human Impacts 4: Arctic and Antarctic
This week we’ll be exploring human impacts on the Arctic and Antarctic! We will be answering questions like: Do humans still have an impact on these ecosystems when there are few people living there? What can we do to help?
Nov 19, 2024
Human Impacts 5: Urban Areas
This week we will be looking at the impact of urban areas! We will be answering questions like: Can there be too many urban areas? How can urban areas be harmful? How can we provide for biodiversity within urban areas? How can we help?
Dec 3, 2024
Human Impacts 6: Conservation: Change Starts with You
This week we bring it home to look at how we can make a difference around the world! We will answer questions such as: What can we do to help? (recap) Do we need to help all ecosystems? What is your favorite ecosystem and what can you do to help conserve it?
Ready to sign up?
Register Here
Ages 13-15
Fall 2024: Environmental Relationships
Sept 24, 2024
Environmental Relationships 1: Intro
This week we will answer questions like: How many different ecosystems are there? How do the different ecosystems work together? If an ecosystem collapses, does it affect other ecosystems?
Oct 8, 2024
Environmental Relationships 2: Animals and Living Environments
This week we will explore how animals interact with living environments! We will answer questions like: how do animals in an ecosystem work together? What roles are needed to make an ecosystem work?
Oct 22, 2024
Environmental Relationships 3: Animals and Nonliving Environments
This week we will explore animals and how they gain energy from nonliving components of their environments. We will answer questions like: How do animals interact with nonliving environments to gain energy? Do different species use nonliving environments more than others?
Nov 5, 2024
Environmental Relationships 4: Keystone Species
This week we’ll be looking at keystone species! We will be answering questions like: What is a keystone species? What happens if a species leaves an ecosystem? What happens when you bring a species back to an area?
Nov 19, 2024
Environmental Relationships 5: Human Impacts
This week we will be looking at the impact of humans on an ecosystem! We will be answering questions like: How do humans affect an ecosystem? Is there a tipping point before an ecosystem collapses? Are different ecosystems more vulnerable than others?
Dec 3, 2024
Environmental Relationships 6: Conservation
This week we will look at how we can make a difference around the world! We will answer questions such as: What are conservationists doing to help? What can we do to help? Does nature need our help?- Can it heal itself?
