Free and Low Cost “Whole”istic Learning Opportunities: Science

We believe in a “whole”istic approach to learning (which is generally free and low cost). So what does that mean to us for science? Well...it is like this...

• Going to the library and stock piling books on a child’s favorite topic
• Volunteering at science centers or museums, and participating in community service projects
• Interviewing people in the field we are interested in
• Joining hobby groups.
• Visiting the same park or nature center each month-keeping a notebook of animals, plants, trees, etc.
• Taking nature walks in our area or at a local nature preserve and observing birds, plants, animals, reptiles, weather, clouds, and seasonal changes
• Viewing nature in your own back yard with binoculars and a magnifying glass and use your notebook to sketch and record weather and observations
• Keeping collections of pebbles, rocks, sticks, sand, seeds, leaves, flowers, shells, bones, leaf and bark rubbings, pressed flowers, fossils, and insects (store them in egg cartons, wicker baskets, shoe boxes, etc.) Sort and classify them. Explore characteristics of rocks and minerals.
• Visiting farms, ranches, pick-your-own farms, and orchards
• Going to riding stables.
• Visiting animal rehabilitation sites.
• Going to botanical gardens or conservatories.
• Making models from natural materials (leaves, sticks, grasses, etc.) and reusable material (recycled items, clay)
• Checking out a local college's astrology, environmental, anthropology, and chemistry departments for events
• Taking apart broken appliances and electronics
• Going to museums (large and local), planetariums, observatories, airports, aquariums, aviaries, exhibits, zoos, national forests, fairs, animal shows, power station, dam, solar energy, and taxidermist
• Using household items for experiments: salt, sugar, vinegar, citrus fruit, tomatoes, baking soda, oil, detergent, cabbage, food coloring, Mentos, pop, pennies, and baking powder.
• Grow bacteria and triops.
• Planting gardens (flower, fairy, theme,  terrarium, and vegetable)
• Plant scrap foods like pineapple and carrot tops, avocado pits, potato roots
• Visiting farmer’s markets and roadside stands
• Exploring caves, creeks, rivers, trails, and ponds
• Helping at a local dig site or excavation site
• Making bird houses and feeders
• Making and flying kites
• Going to and participating in science fairs, building competitions, engineering competitions, architecture competitions
• Track the night sky. Recording meteor showers, eclipses, comets, constellations, and moon phases. stargaze.
• Building gliders, paper helicopters, radio-controlled airplanes/helicopters, rockets, robots, parachutes, models (think land, water, and air), hovercrafts, trebuchet, calorimeter, evaporative cooler, steam engine, seismograph, periscope, kaleidoscope, windmill, spring scale, flashlight, spring telephone, rheostat, wind turbine, biogas generator, light bulb, electroscope, simple machines, weather stations, pulleys, catapults, gyroscope, biosphere/biodome, wind tunnel, weather balloon, pendulum, crane, arch, geodesic dome, servomotor, circuits, battery-powered electromagnet, electric motor, rubber band powered motor cars, go-karts, soap box derby cars, model solar car, solar water heater, solar cooker, batteries from pennies and lemons, and snap circuits.
• Pan for gold in local rivers and sand for crystals.
• Making household repairs together, tree houses, club house, furniture
• Use a microscope to view lake water, human hair, leaves, flowers, insects, and yeast. Extract DNA from strawberries and a person.
• Making diagrams of things around the house-taking them apart and putting them back together.
• Conducting experiments of heat absorption, density, conductivity, friction, motion, and light.
• Going camping
• Visiting libraries with homeschool science programs, local tv or radio studios, weather stations
• Using technology to design a screen saver, make graphs, use spreadsheets, make flyers, design business cards, create videos, make a photo collage, use a scanner for pictures and documents, blog, use GPS app, create animations, track and map storms (tornadoes and hurricanes), visit NASA's website and watch videos, photo editing program, view ariel images of your home and familiar places, use Google Earth, and make digital movies.

What kind of "whole"istic learning have you enjoyed? Check out the rest of our Whole"-istic Learning Series!

Wishing you homeschool blessings,