Use Local Resources to Teach Middle School Science

Thank you for joining me on Day 3 of my 5-day series "Super Easy Ways to Teach Middle School Science."

Online classes and nature studies are two ways to make teaching homeschool science to middle school kids easier. Another is taking advantage of local resources.

What local resources could help you teach science?

You'd be surprised at the wealth of activities and classes you may find in your area. I'm in Central Florida and my kids have a lot available to them. 

For instance:

• Our local zoo conducts homeschooling classes. 
• So does the Orlando Science Center.
• The museum of arts and sciences holds classes for homeschoolers.
• Our county offers a program for all kids that offers educational experiences related to a number of subjects including ecological topics. (I wrote about it here.)
• Our local county conservation group offers homeschool classes during the school year. These classes involve hiking through conservation lands where we learn about a particular topic. Usually these are related to science. We've learned to identify animals by bones, scat and tracks. We've learned about the ecological damage caused by invasive plants and so much more.
• Even Walt Disney World has offerings for homeschoolers and so does Kennedy Space Center.

That's just touching the tip of the iceberg.

I realize not all areas have all of these types of resources and not all areas are as homeschool-friendly as Florida. Still, there must be something nearby. Even if no one has a class for homeschoolers specifically, they may have educational activities that you can incorporate into your science studies.

Look for places like..

• art and science museums
• science centers
• local theme parks
• mineral and rock museums
• wildlife reservations
• conservation groups
• extension programs like these

I'm sure you can think of many more ideas for enriching your child's science education. If you have some ideas, share them in the comments. I'm sure we could all use them.

I am participating in the Summer Hopscotch 2014 with the lovely ladies at iHomeschool Network. Come hopscotch with us!