Outdoor Classroom
for homeschooling families
(Registration form at bottom of page)
Camp Trinity introduced its first semester of the Outdoor Classroom for homeschool families in fall 2020. Despite the COVID pandemic, the classes filled up quickly, with 29 students from 12 families participating.
While most homeschooling families have little difficulty covering the core subjects (reading, math, language arts), sometimes they can use a little help with other parts of the curriculum (history, science, geography and fine arts).
That’s where the Outdoor Classroom comes in.
With a structure similar to the first term, the spring 2021 semester will include sessions on human geography, music, art, archeology, wildlife biology, botany and engineering. Students will also learn some of the skills practiced by natives and early settlers, along with games played by their children.
Families can choose when to participate and pay just for the classes they attend or they can sign up for the entire 10-week semester at a steep discount (prices below). Those who sign up for the semester are not required to attend every session but can attend only the classes of most interest.
The sessions are for school-aged children (6-17). Depending on the subject, participants may be divided into groups by age.
Outdoor Classroom sessions are scheduled for Thursdays from March 4 through May 6. Each day will begin at 9 a.m. and end mid afternoon. Families will bring their own sack lunches.
(The schedule is subject to alteration due to the pandemic, weather and other unforeseen circumstances. COVID protocols from the Arkansas Department of Health will be observed.)
March 4: It’s a Small World
We’ll travel around the world to learn about the customs, music, worship, games, clothing and traditions of other countries and cultures. Lunch that day will feature international dishes, and families will be invited to bring favorite foreign dishes to share.
March 11: Mountain Music
Students will hear distinctly American music, particularly mountain music from Appalachia. They will explore the development of American music genres such as bluegrass, folk, country, blues, jazz and gospel. In addition to singing, students will try their hand at playing some musical instruments.
March 18: Junk Sculpture
Many sculptors create sculptures out of discarded objects. Students will learn about the process these artists use to visualize and organize their work in the genre known as Junk Sculpture or Found-Object Assemblage. The students will then create junk sculptures of their own using odds and ends.
March 25: Old-fashioned Games
Before electronics, children entertained themselves with all kinds of games. At this Outdoor Classroom, students will learn and play games that were popular on playgrounds of the one-room schoolhouses that dotted the country in the 19th and early 20th century. They’ll also learn old-time board games.
April 1: Digging Into History
This session has been rescheduled for May 13. See below.
April 8: Kites and Bridges
After a few construction tips, students will design, build and fly their own kites (weather permitting). Students will then learn about the four major different types of bridges, after which they will team up to compete with other teams to see who can build the sturdiest bridge using the same materials as other teams.
April 15: Frontier Skills
To survive, Native Americans and early settlers had to be proficient handling a canoe and using such tools as axes and bows and arrows. For entertainment, they created competitions using those same tools. Outdoor Classroom students will be introduced to some of the same tools and then enter frontier-style competitions.
April 22: Arkansas Flora
Which wild plants can you eat? Which are poisonous – or dangerous even to touch? Originally scheduled for fall but postponed because of COVID, this session will cover native trees and plants of Arkansas and how they are useful to humans and animals. Students will plant herbs to take home.
April 29: Birdwatching
Students will learn to identify native species of birds – from eagles to hummingbirds -- by their appearance, calls and nests. They will learn of some of the peculiar habits of these feathered friends. And the class will go into the field to spot as many different types of birds as possible.
May 6: Creepy Crawlies
Snakes, insects and arachnids may be scary, but they are part of God’s design and serve many useful purposes. Students will identify some of these creatures and learn about their fascinating characteristics. And while some can indeed be dangerous, most are not. And even the dangerous creatures can be important to the ecosystem.
May 13: Digging Into History
Students will learn what archeology can tell us about early civilizations and pioneer settlement. The class will explore both prehistoric and historic archeology. They will also see artifacts of earlier civilizations. (If Rockefeller Institute has reopened after the COVID shutdown by then, students will visit the Archeology Station near camp.)
STAY A LITTLE LONGER
Families are invited to stay overnight in cabins, tents or RVs and enjoy other activities at Camp Trinity: canoeing, fishing, archery, disc golf, softball or kickball, gaga ball, basketball, sand volleyball, ping pong, foosball, cornhole, horseshoes, campfires and board games. Lodging fees are modest.
FEES
The cost for a single session is $25 for the first child from each family, $10 for each additional child from the same family.
The cost for the entire semester is $125 for the first child from each family (half price), $50 for each additional child from the same family (half price).
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