Cincinnati Museum Center has actively worked with home school families over the past several years to provide an active and inviting place that can offer effective learning experiences for children and their families. There are various ways in which home school families can take advantage of education at Museum Center.

Homeschool Programs 2008-2009

Homeschool Monday Programs are $3.50 per child with one adult accompaniment, plus a $2 phone service fee for non-members. Please note that the program cost does not include parking or museum admission. To make your reservation or for more information, please call Cincinnati Museum Center at (513) 287-7021. For a service fee of $1.50 reservations for this program can be made on line. Payment is due at time of reservation. Space is limited, so please register in advance. Meet your group leader in the Rotunda at the start of the program.

Coming to America

September 8, 2008 10 to 11:15 am

Appropriate for ages 9-14

People have long chosen the United States, and Cincinnati in particular, as the final stop in their journey from places around the world. Why Cincinnati, and what lasting impact did their arrival have on the city and its culture? Explore the experiences of five groups of newcomers—German, Irish, Italian, Jewish and African—as they arrived in the Cincinnati area. This program includes a guided experience in the Cincinnati History Museum's Public Landing.

Awesome Animal Adaptations

September 22, 2008 10 to 11:15 am

Appropriate for ages 6-14

Explore animal habitats and adaptations. Meet and touch live animals that may include a bat, snake, box turtle, tarantula, and/or hissing cockroaches. Learn about and handle unique items such as baleen, pronghorn antelope fur, armadillo armor and more from Cincinnati Museum Center collections.

Mind Your Money Presented by Wachovia Securities

October 6, 2008 10 to 11:15 am

Appropriate for ages 9-14

Discover some of the Cincinnati’s early businesses and investigate how each business earned, spent, saved and invested their money. Students will gain a basic understanding of how money works and how economics and math apply to our everyday lives as they play a board game and visit the Cincinnati History Museum’s Public Landing.

Bats!

October 20, 2008 10 to 11:15 am

Appropriate for ages 6-14

Walk like a bat! Fly like a bat. Meet a native Big Brown Bat. Explore echolocation, how it works and what it sounds like. Learn about these truly amazing yet misunderstood animals through a slide presentation, games and more. After your class, visit the Museum of Natural History and Science’s Limestone Cavern to see more bats!

Native American Lifestyles

November 3, 2008 10 to 11:30 am

Appropriate for ages 6-10

Miami and Shawnee Indians lived in the Tri-state region at the time Europeans began to settle here, but Native Americans had lived in the area for thousands of years. What tools, natural resources and skills allowed them to survive? Student will investigate artifacts and learn about the legends that have helped preserve these cultures. This program includes a guided experience in the Cincinnati History Museum’s Early Settlement exhibit.

When Two Worlds Met

November 17, 2008 10 to 11:15 am

Appropriate for ages 8-12

The North American fur trade brought together people from two different worlds. Exchange furs, coins and wampum for replicas of goods from a late 18th century trading post. Step into first person roles as the signers of the Treaty of Greenville to learn about the Battle of Fallen Timbers.

Let’s All Celebrate!

December 1, 2008 10 to 11:15 am

Appropriate for ages 4-6

Children from around the world love a celebration. Travel the globe to explore a variety of child-centered ceremonies. Though the locations may be different, the fun of a special occasion is still the same.

One World, Many Cultures

December 15, 2008 10 to 11:15 am

Appropriate for ages 5-9

Children will use maps, clothing, crafts, games, celebrations, music and more to explore other cultures on many different continents. This program was developed by Cincinnati Museum Center for a national traveling exhibit, Children Just Like Me. To experience the exhibit, visit the Duke Energy Children’s Museum.

Ice Age Animals

January 12, 2009 10 to 11:15 am

Appropriate for ages 7-10

Cincinnati and the rest of North America were very different 19,000 years ago. Examine animal bones, teeth and fossil replicas to discover the basic characteristics of several Ice Age animals and how they have changed over time. This program includes a guided experience in the Museum of Natural History & Science's Ice Age exhibit.

Reasons for the Seasons

January 26, 2009 10 to 11:15 am

Appropriate for ages 6-10

Using globes, rotate and revolve your way to learn about the seasons and to understand why spring and summer are warmer times of the year and fall and winter are colder. Investigate the annual cycles of animal migration, hibernation and toleration then learn about tracks and scat. Create the sounds of spring and learn why leaves change color and fall is called fall.

Circulation, Respiration and Bodies in Motion

February 9, 2009 10 to 11:15 am

Appropriate for ages 9 and up

Students classify organ systems in the human body, identify their specialized functions and investigate how these systems work together. After a fun physical fitness test, students will calculate their own lung capacity, heart rate and muscular endurance, record their data and compare results.

Your Heart, Your Blood, Your Health

February 23, 2009 10 to 11:15 am

Appropriate for ages 7-11

What an amazing machine the heart is! Learn about how the heart is packaged, the way it works, the way it sounds, to which system it belongs and what it pumps. Get “up close and personal” with capillaries, “run” a little race, test your food pyramid knowledge and share some giant microbes.

Dinosaur Discovery

March 9, 2009 10 to 11:15 am

Appropriate for ages 6-10

Become a paleontologist and explore the size and bone structure of dinosaurs while using the tools of the trade, including fossil replicas. This program includes a guided experience in the Museum of Natural History & Science's Dino Hall.

Dino Dig

March 23, 2009 10 to 11:15 am

Appropriate for ages 4-6

Dig up dinosaur fossils and discover their owners’ true identities!  Learn about different kinds of dinosaurs, what they looked like, what they ate and how they protected themselves. A variety of activities allow you to growl, claw and walk like a dinosaur.

Egg-Cellent Eggs

April 6, 2009 10 to 11:15 am

Appropriate for ages 4-6

What’s inside an egg? Where do they come from? Are all eggs the same? Explore an egg-citing variety of birds’ eggs and learn about their different shapes, sizes, colors and nests where they are found. This program includes hands-on activities that are full of egg-citement! 

Westward Expansion

April 20, 2009 10 to 11:15 am

Appropriate for ages 9-14

Students prepare for an expedition into the Louisiana Territory by studying maps and planning rations. A journal provides students with the opportunity to make decisions that will affect the results of their adventure. Hands-on activities use history, geography and map reading skills to create a successful journey plan.

WOW…Wonders of Weather

May 4, 2009 10 to 11:15 am

Appropriate for ages 4-6

What’s the weather like today? Is it raining, snowing, sunny, or storming? Explore all of these weather phenomena with fun, hands-on activities. Investigate seasonal weather patterns. Winter, spring, summer, and fall—by the end of this program you’ll know how to dress for them all!

Toying with Physics

May 18, 2009 10 to 11:15 am

Appropriate for ages 10 and up

Explore physics through toy-based science activities. Students investigate the laws of motion with emphasis on gravitational and kinetic energy. Through scientific inquiry students use the skills of prediction, observation, explanation and summary.

Simple Machines

June 1, 2009 10 a.m. to 11:15 a.m.

Appropriate for ages 6-9

After a fun introduction to simple machines, employ big doses of experimentation and creativity to analyze each machine station in the Duke Energy Children's Museum Energy Zone. Discover the function of each and which simple machines are used to accomplish jobs both big and small.

Taxonomic Detectives

June 15, 2009 10 to 11:15 am

Appropriate for ages 9-14

Classification isn’t as mysterious as it sounds. We’ll use clues given by animal eye placement and teeth type, along with a dichotomous key, to identify real animal skulls and determine to which taxonomic order they belong. With some simple classification activities to get you started, it’s a detective case you’ll soon solve, right down to the species of each skull.

Membership

One very important way to take advantage of the resources at Cincinnati Museum Center is to obtain a membership for the family. Since home school families are recognized as educators as are the more traditional school facilities, families can request the Educator’s Membership rate when purchasing their yearly membership. An Explorer membership provides many advantages for the family. Admission to each of the three museums is free for that period of membership. There are discounts for OMNIMAX theater tickets and purchases in the gift shops. Families also receive the quarterly museum center publication, Mosaic, that details programming throughout the museum. Membership also provides for the Educator’s rates when booking Learning Labs for students. To receive the Educator membership rate, home school families need to produce proof of involvement in home schooling. A letter from your home school association on letterhead, a letter from the state in which you live or the school district where you live from a school official that states you are an approved home school family is also sufficient. If you have further questions about this or any other aspect of membership or to learn more about the Educator membership, please call the membership office at (513) 287-7041.

Learning Labs

Booking Learning Labs is another way home school families can use Cincinnati Museum Center's resources. We offer over 25 different classes that cover topics in natural history, science, history, economics and early childhood interests. All you need to do is get 15 students together who are interested in one of the classes and make your reservations by calling (513) 287-7021. For specific information about Learning Labs, visit the link above or download the 2007-2008 Educator’s Guide. Otherwise, please contact Learning Labs Manager, Jennifer Bishop at jbishop@cincymuseum.org.