Homeschooling: Tips for Teaching Green

Parents who homeschool their children take on a big responsibility, but the educational pay-off can be big. Homeschooling affords opportunities that just aren't possible in the public and even private school systems: Families can travel for part or all of the "school year" and kids can explore their interests in greater depth than they might be able to at a traditional school.

Homeschooling also provides a valuable opportunity to teach children about nature and the environment by integrating environmental studies in your daily homeschooling lessons.

Practice What You Preach

Most parents who homeschool their kids have a dedicated study/work space, and it's important to make sure your "classroom" is as eco-friendly as possible. Some of the tips we've offered in Homeschooling: Green Your Classroom include using 100 percent post-consumer recycled paper, and giving new life to trash such as plastic bottles and wrappers by creating a sculpture or collage in visual art lessons.

Greening the school routine and your daily life will instill environmentally-responsible values in your children—lessons they will carry with them throughout life.

Nothing Trumps Field Trips

There's nothing quite like a first-hand experience to teach kids about nature and the environment. Taking your children to places where they can learn about environmental issues by seeing or doing is easier than you may think. While a zoo might automatically come to mind, a conservation area or a state or national park affords a better chance to learn about animals' habitats and their place in the ecosystem, without placing the animals in captivity. If you're planning a trip in Africa or Asia, consider visiting protected areas where hunting is prohibited.

Closer to home, other places to visit might include animal rescues, a recycling plant, a recycling sorting facility, a wind farm, or an organic farm. Is your child is interested in government and public policy? Attend a government meeting that focuses on an environmental issue. Or if your child is very passionate about an issue and wants to have his or her voice heard, participate in an environmental protest.

Eco Volunteering

Volunteering is a fantastic way to help your kids build the social skills they would otherwise be getting at a school. Many environmental groups welcome youth volunteers, and you may also find families can volunteer at annual events, which will give younger children a taste of volunteering (without the responsibility, which they may not be ready for).

Look for local advocacy groups that fit well with your child's interests to make the most of opportunities. If your child is interested in animals, look for volunteer programs at a local animal rescue or inquire about opportunities to work with park rangers. If pollution is a passion of your youngster, connect with a group that works on cleaning up parks. Of course, if you notice a void in the environmental presence in your community, your child could form his or her own environmental organization.

Make the Most of Local Experts

When it comes to understanding an issue, local experts can provide excellent information and context. If you live near a collage, call up the environmental science department to see if there are any public lectures or open house days for kids. If nothing is available, contact one of the professors to ask if your kids could come take a tour of his/her lab to see what sort of research is being done and to ask a few questions (if the professor is busy, ask if a grad student might be available).

If you have no luck or there isn't a collage nearby, there are plenty of other sources of experts. Park rangers can often talk about animals and plant life. Researchers at oceanography, hurricane, earthquake, climate or other institutes located in your city probably offer public talks at least once per year. Even a tour of the local cable news station could provide an opportunity if you request a chance to chat with the meteorologist about climate change.

DIY Learning

Multi-disciplinary projects are always a plus for parents. Environmental and engineering sciences are a natural combination for projects that allow your child to create things s/he can use, such as a solar cell that can be used to re-charge an iPod. For younger kids, combine environmental studies with art class by building and decorating a birdhouse or creating a recycling system for your home. If young kids have a hand in the project, they'll be eager to recycle things from a young age.

Design these projects around your child's interests. If, for example, your child is interested in plants, consider a research project to find the right tree for your yard, taking into consideration climate, soil quality, topography, local wildlife, and other factors that can affect the growth of the tree such as local blights and pests. Once you've selected the right species, you can either purchase a seedling at the local nursery, or grow your own seedling. For younger children, starting a garden affords the opportunity to teach kids about plants and soil.