Alaska Eco EDventures for Homeschool Students
Updated for the 2025/2026 School Year!
This program is geared towards homeschool students who are seeking to experience the culture, beauty, and ecology of Alaska’s great outdoors! Students will experience the unique natural and cultural heritage of Alaska through engaging cross-disciplinary lessons that combine arts, culture, and outdoor exploration. Each EDventure will begin with a wildlife-themed lesson chosen by zoo educators as the month’s highlight. The program includes zoo trail explorations, outdoor scavenger hunts, animal encounters, science discoveries, and hands-on projects.
While the students are in class, the rest of the family is welcome to tour the zoo! Neither parents nor younger siblings can sit in on classes. While students are in the program, one parent and one child (sibling) will receive free admission into the zoo to enjoy their own self-guided visit. Please see zoo educators for your pass when you check your student in for the program.
Program Details
$40 per student for non-members. Zoo members can log into their membership account, then register for the program for a $10 discount per student as long as the student is covered by your membership! You must be logged into the system and have a current zoo membership. If so, the discount will be automatically applied at checkout. Register your student online (full payment at the time of registration) at least 1 week in advance. An email notice will be sent to you which will serve as a receipt if you are submitting for reimbursement.
Payment and Refund Policy: Full payment is due online at the time of registration. Please be sure you have your schedule and plans committed before you register. If you need to cancel your registration and you contact us one week or more in advance of the program, you will be eligible for a 50% refund. If you contact us one week or less in advance of the program, no refund will be given. We will not be making exceptions to this policy for any reason due to the staff time required to prepare for the program and the loss of opportunity to fill the spot.
Duration is 2.5 hours (10:00am-12:30 pm). Parents meet up with zoo educators in the Gateway classroom for check-in. One parent and one child (sibling) receive free zoo admission during the program at check-in. Parents and siblings are not allowed to sit in on the class. We keep it just for the students to reduce background noise and chaos in the classroom.
Max 15 students per class. Each student must be registered separately.
Grade Levels and Program Schedule
Please sign your student up for one date/time per theme, the material covered will be the same for both time slots.
Elementary
K-2nd (Tuesdays and Wednesdays). Scroll down to view elementary level descriptions.
September 16th and 17th – Birding Basics
October 7th and 8th – Alaska's Bears
October 21st and 22nd – Bizarre Bones
November 4th and 5th – Diet Detectives
December 9th and 10th – Creature Classification
January 6th and 7th – Zoo Clues
January 20th and 21st – Clever Camouflage
February 3rd and 4th – Animal Families
February 17th and 18th – Dynamic Duos
March 17th and 18th – Ecosystem Engineers
April 7th and 8th – Nature in Your Neighborhood
3rd-5th (Tuesdays and Wednesdays). Scroll down to view elementary level descriptions.
September 23rd and 24th – Birding Basics
October 14th and 15th – Alaska's Bears
October 28th and 29th – Bizarre Bones
November 18th and 19th – Diet Detectives
December 16th and 17th – Creature Classification
January 13th and 14th – Zoo Clues
January 27th and 28th – Clever Camouflage
February 10th and 11th – Animal Families
February 24th and 25th – Dynamic Duos
March 24th and 25th – Ecosystem Engineers
April 14th and 15th – Nature in Your Neighborhood
Elementary Level Descriptions:
Birding Basics – Students will learn about birds and their unique characteristics, then take their birding skills outside to observe and identify local birds.
Alaska's Bears – How many types of bears do we have in Alaska? How are they the same? How are they different? Meet the Alaska Zoo’s bear residents and explore bear biology.
Bizarre Bones – Explore animal bones and learn some spooky skeleton facts! Students will be introduced to basic skeletal anatomy and also get the chance to dissect owl pellets.
Diet Detectives – Learn what different animals eat and get a peek at how the zoo feeds its animal residents.
Creature Classification – Scientists have come up with ways to sort animals into categories. What kinds of animal groups are there? How do we know which category each animal belongs to?
Zoo Clues – We don’t always get to see animals, but there can still be signs that they were there! Learn how to identify animals based off their tracks, scat, and other clues.
Clever Camouflage – Some animals are built to stand out, some are built to blend in. Explore different kinds of creature camouflage and what it takes to survive in the wild.
Animal Families – Learn about animal families and how they might be similar to or different than our own human families.
Dynamic Duos – Sometimes an animal’s best friend is one from a different species! Learn about some iconic interspecies friendships and why some animals like to team up with others.
Ecosystem Engineers – Did you know that some animals have the ability to change their environments? Discover nature’s engineers and how one single species can alter an ecosystem.
Nature in Your Neighborhood – Alaska is chock-full of wildlife, even within city limits! Learn about the animals that inhabit our urban spaces and how to stay safe outside.
Middle School
6th-8th (Mondays). Scroll down for middle school level descriptions.
September 22nd – Birding Basics
October 6th – Skull Sleuths
October 27th – Grossology: Parasites and Pathogens
November 17th – Falconry 101
December 12th – Masters of Migration
January 12th – Animal Anatomy
January 26th – Dissection Lab
February 9th – Animal Training
February 23rd – Habitat Design
March 23rd – Citizen Science
April 13th – Rescue and Rehabilitation
Middle School Level Descriptions:
Birding Basics – Students will learn about birds and their unique characteristics, then take their birding skills outside to observe and identify local birds using binoculars and field guides.
Skull Sleuths – Learn how to identify animals based off clues from their skulls!
Grossology: Parasites and Pathogens – Discover the creepy and crazy world of animal parasites and pathogens (yes, even in Alaska)! Students will be introduced to microbiology and practice microscope use in this creepy crawly class.
Falconry 101 – Did you know people hunt with falcons? Students will explore the history of falconry, learn about modern falconry practices, and gain basic information about raptor species in Alaska.
Masters of Migration – We all know that birds migrate, but did you know that other animals do too? Students will explore the different types of animal migrators, why they migrate, and how they prepare for the long journey.
Animal Anatomy – Students will study the different aspects of animal anatomy, including organ systems and their functions. This class is a great introduction to anatomy before the Dissection Lab!
Dissection Lab – In this class students will work in groups to dissect an organism. They will learn safe lab practices, label organs, and utilize microscopes to get a closer look at tissues.
Animal Training – How are zookeepers able to provide animals with top-notch care? With the aid of animal training! Discover training techniques and practices and even try your hand at designing your own animal training program.
Habitat Design – Students will learn the basics of zoo habitat design and will pick an animal to design their own habitat for.
Citizen Science – You don’t have to be a professional scientist to make a difference! Learn about ways to contribute to local conservation projects and practice your research skills.
Rescue and Rehabilitation – Part of the Alaska Zoo’s mission is providing care for orphaned and injured wildlife. Learn the basics of animal husbandry and get a behind-the-scenes look at our animal care facilities.
Thank you and we look forward to seeing you at the zoo!
Contact programs@alaskazoo.org if you have questions about the programs or registration.