Home School Information Zone (HSIZ)

Looking for some easy science to search out in the backyard? You might want to look here for some easy resources on plants, bugs, fungi, geology, ecology, etc...

Dust Bunny - Astronomy for Kids

Welcome to Astronomy for Kids!

We're glad you're here, and we hope you enjoy your visit to the site.

The Universe is a place that is vast beyond imagining, and what we will try to do is help you understand a little more about it. There are several sections to the site, but none of them takes a terribly long time to read, and all of them should be easily understood by kids of all ages.

Grownups are welcome, too, as long as they promise to behave.

Jason Project

Click on homeschoolers. Grades 4-8.

Dr. Robert D. Ballard founded The JASON Project to administer the JASON Expeditions in 1989 after receiving thousands of letters from school children wanting to know how he discovered the RMS Titanic and whether they could go with him on his next exploration.

The JASON Project is a nonprofit subsidiary of the National Geographic Society dedicated to providing experience-based science curricula and professional development for grades 4-8. It is a 501(c)3 nonprofit educational organization headquartered in Ashburn, VA. Its mission is to inspire in students a life-long passion for learning in science, math, and technology through hands-on, real-world scientific discovery.

The JASON Project was named in the spirit of the Greek myth of Jason and the Argonauts.

Pioneering Programs for Students and Teachers
For middle-grade students, JASON's real-time, interdisciplinary science Expeditions offer a unique opportunity to participate in real, standards-based, multidisciplinary research directed by leading scientists.

For educators, JASON provides the content and tools to effectively teach middle-grade science. The JASON Professional Development program offers accredited online professional development courses in science, math, and non-fiction literacy instruction as well as on-site workshops and coaching to help teachers become highly qualified and make the best use of JASON programs in the classroom

Nine Planets

This website is an overview of the history, mythology, and current scientific knowledge of each planet and the major moons in our solar system.

Rock Hound Kids

If you're a kid, or a kid at heart, and love rocks, minerals and geology in general, you'll love our website!

You'll be able to look through our neat gallery of minerals with nice pictures, good information and all the details about your favorite specimens! Our links section will let you know about good fun websites on the web all about geology!

You can go and look at our study guides to help you learn more about geology and rock collections and if you are looking for good quality specimens to start a collection, or just add to it, we have hand picked a few great places for you to look first!

Sea and Sky

Sea and Sky, a personal Web site dedicated to sharing the Splendors of the Sea and the Wonders of the Universe. Here you can take a virtual journey to the darkest depths of the ocean or the farthest reaches of outer space. In the Sea, you can discover the beautiful and extraordinary animals that inhabit the world's coral reefs, examine the bizarre creatures of the deep ocean, and relax with amazing images of sea life. In the Sky, you can take a tour of the solar system, discover the constellations, and explore the wondrous objects that make up the universe. Click the submarine or spaceship to begin your journey.

Skyview Virtual Observatory

SkyView is a Virtual Observatory on the Net generating images of any part of the sky at wavelengths in all regimes from Radio to Gamma-Ray.

Space Day

Assessment tools, project timelines and online resources to spark your child's interest in science, technology, engineering and math concepts.

The Homeschool Shop

Homeschool Study Rock and Mineral Kit

The Science Education Gateway

The Science Education Gateway (formerly SII) is a collaborative NASA project which brings together the expertise of NASA scientists, science museums, and K-12 educators to produce NASA science-based Earth and space science curricula for classroom and public use via the World Wide Web. SEGway materials are produced by teachers in locally-grown collaborations with program staff at nearby partnering science museums. The partnerships support teacher-developers in achieving the goals of teaching Earth and space science online, and provide them with the training technical support needed for their curriculum projects.

Winter Promise

Working from the idea that literature communicates powerfully to young minds, we developed a curriculum that is strongly literature-based. This helps us offer to parents the opportunity to do less teaching and more "learning together" with their children. This "Learning Together" method has the additional benefit of requiring almost no preparation for the parent, preserving as many moments as possible for "face-to-face" time with their children.

These living, wonderful books were able to capture the imagination of children, turn them into better, curious readers, and help them to remember historical detail in a way nothing else would. In addition, we chose books, especially for our younger learners, that drew them in visually first. The graphic approach of these books also helped include kinesthetic learners, as they are able to trace maps with their fingers, find objects on the page, or search for visual clues to questions their parents asked.

Literature is marvelous, but it has its limitations, especially with hands-on learners. Thus, we add a vibrant activity set to each of our programs. These sets offer activity kits, books, and ideas to help parents introduce a hands-on aspect to the time with their children. These times create family memories and a family culture.

In our language arts, we add interesting workbooks so some of your children can be working independently while you work one-on-one in another area with another student.

In short, we've taken all of the best for you and combined it into one package. With your guidebook in hand, you have everything you need to begin a journey with your family this year that can continue for a lifetime.

It's why we say we offer you "Literature, Activities, Memories."

Come make some memories with us!