Science Classes
2026-2027 Class Schedule Available to Enrolled Families (Contact OHSC for Link)
Science Classes are held on Tuesdays.
Science Labs are private classes held around OMSI, taught by OMSI Science Educators, and assisted by Oregon Homeschool Science Parent Volunteers.
The sequence design allows students to experience six branches of science throughout the grade levels: Chemistry, Physics, Biology, Earth, Astronomy, and STEM. Science is about repetition, searching for the variables, replication, and new discovery. We hope you find a series of classes that support your homeschooling curriculum.
Science Assembly: Each term is a new Science Assembly with exciting large group presentations with calling students to the stage and WOW explosion demonstrations.
Planetarium Shows: Planetarium shows for OHSC and families.
Submarine Tour: General Submarine Education history tour.
Science Showcase Day: Located in the Auditorium. OMSI Science Educators will present science demonstrations each hour. Lab classes have demonstration tables to showcase class experiments, and Students will have tables to bring their experiments and projects from home to show or explain. (Imagine a low-key science fair for classes and individuals.)
Family Science Class: Based on survey feedback, families wanted a return of our “Outreach” Classes, which offered a family-friendly class for mixed-age and mixed siblings/friends. These are the series of classes, ie: Inflatable Whale, Portable Planetarium, etc., and are typically sent out of the museum to travel the state and visit schools. These will be open for parents to join their student or to collaborate with siblings. This allows homeschooling families to carry the conversation in the car ride home to the living room for home science discussions.
Film Day: Each term, families help select four science films to join. The films range from younger to older (and a few high adventure!), science- or history-related films. Different than in the past, tuition will include the parent ticket — no extra charge.
COHORT A: Stage Show, Planetarium, Maker’s Lab, From the Ground Up, Pollinators and Ecosystems, From Farm to Table, Owl Pellets and Food Webs, Nature’s Engineers, Forcing basic structures: arches/posts/lintel/domes, Innovations in Architecture: Buttresses/Cantilevers, Strong Shapes for bridges, Storm the Castle, Sliding Into Pyramids, Hotels on a Budget, Still Standing: Skyscrapers surviving earthquakes and wind storms, Oh Buoyancy, Flying High with Engineering, Out of This World: Spac Engineering, Intro to Earth Science, Water Shaing the Land, Wind Shaping the Land, Soil Shaping the Land, Organisms sharing the Land, 3 Little Pigs, Sail Cars, Simple Machines, Chain Reaction Contraption, Potato Chip Mailer, Science Fair & Special Exhibit.
COHORT B: Stage Show, Planetarium, Maker’s Lab, Save the Day, Smooth Travels, Sounds of the Sea, Surgical Solutions, Zip Line Rescue, Intro to Microscopes, Making Slides, Cells, Pond Water, Critter Investigation, Plate Tectonics, Volcanoes, Intro to Earthquakes, Engineering for Earthquakes, Let’s Rebuild, Physical Survival, Paper Circuits, Roller Coasters, Laws of Motion and Rube Goldberg, Marshmallow Spacesuits, Chem Labs: Chemical Reactions, Enviornmental Chemistry, Chemistry of Toys, Everyday Chemistry, Nanochemistry, Science Fair and Special Exhibit.
COHORT C: Stage Show, Planetarium, Maker’s Lab, Intro to lab journals (lab report components), Introduction/Elements and the Periodic Table, State of Matter, Phase Changes/Melting Points/Tempertures, Ice Cube Design, Physical Porperties and Separating Mixtures, Mixtures, Density Part 1, Density Part 2, Reactions Part 1, Reactions Part 2, Reaction Rates, Reed Nuclear Reactor Lab and Tour, Using Chemistry: Mystery Powders, Water Quality Testing Part 1, Using Chemistry: Water Quality Testing Part 2, Experimental Design: Kool Colors, Cow Eye Dissection, Career Tour, From Idea to Exhibits and TTD visit. 5 Part Experiment Design (5 weeks), Science Fair & Special Exhibit.
TAG: Some years, higher-level courses are offered to 4th—to 6th-grade TAG students for community and social connections. Don't hesitate to contact us at any time.
Special Request Options:
Scientists needing consistent adult support should choose Family Science classes. These classes are designed to support smaller ratios, provide more flexibility, and include parents in the classroom for neurotypical and neurodiverse scientists.
Science families needing special in-class accommodations will contact OHSC for the accommodation request form. Due to the limitations of the OHSC program, accommodations may need one planning term. Without the accommodation request, undisclosed accommodation needs may result in reassignment to a later semester/year. OHSC and OMSI will try to create a plan to meet unique students' needs with appropriate class placement. OHSC and OMSI are not staffed, funded, or obligated to support all requests and must adhere to safety protocols for the staff, classmates, and other OMSI visitors. This homeschool co-op community has many volunteers, and everyone pitches in to try to include everyone to the best of their abilities. Options available vary, and not all requests can be met every semester. Please get in touch with us for more information.
