10805
Brooklet
Dear Homeschool
Leaders:
The Houston Gem and
Mineral
Society invites you to participate in this
year’s
"School Daze" earth science program at the HGMS annual show. HGMS is
a not-for-profit, educational organization. As a result, "School
Daze” is completely FREE. It is a field trip for elementary through
high
school children and is held on the first day of our show (Friday).
Leaders signing up
for this
field trip can download lesson plans and activities from our Web site
and then
participate in an age‑appropriate scavenger hunt at the show.
Homeschool
groups bringing over 25 students can also receive a mineral or fossil
set for
hands-on learning. To make your field trip to our show more enjoyable,
please
note the following details concerning the "School Daze" program:
- Preregister
so we can reserve a spot for your group: Homeschool parents or groups of parents must
register for our program so an adequate amount of material can be
prepared for your group.
- Download
activities from our site:
Preshow earth science lesson plans and activities are available on the K‑12 Education
link at the HGMS Web site and are ready to download. These same
activities and lessons can also be used for post-show learning
opportunities.
- Register
age-appropriate students:
Our activities are geared toward elementary through high school
students. Therefore, please register only those children who are in the
appropriate age group (5 yrs to 18 yrs).
- Understand
our policy about free admission for adults: Knowing that homeschool parents are very
active in their child’s education, we expect a high turnout of parents
with their children. Please note that our offer of free admission is
applicable to only one adult per homeschool family bringing children.
- Schedule
your homeschool group for the right time slot: In the past, public and private schools have
scheduled their "School Daze" field trips in the morning, usually
leaving by 1:00 p.m. This makes it more convenient for homeschool
groups to arrive in the afternoon. We suggest that homeschool groups
and individuals schedule their field trip between 1–4 p.m. The field
trip will take at least two hours, but there is so much for kids to do
that they may want to stay longer.
-
Check in with a minimum of fuss: Please have only your group leader check in at the west entrance when arriving at the show. This prevents congestion at the registration table. The group leader will receive the packet for the entire group. Please have your drivers park their cars in the EAST parking lot, since there is not sufficient space adjacent to the check in at the west entrance.
- Check
out and collect your treasures: When you are finished at the show, please
have the group leader check out. At that time, the group leader will be
given the polished stones for your entire group and any rock kits you
may have reserved (for groups of 25 or more). ***Please note that, if
possible, we would like your
children to show us their completed scavenger hunts as they leave prior
to being awarded your rock kit. This allows us to verify that all
children are actively participating in the earth science lesson.***
The Houston Gem and
Mineral
Society is devoted to promoting the Earth
Sciences in
education (see our K-12 education link for lots of resources).
We hope
that mingling with the Earth Science enthusiasts, both professional and
hobbyist alike, will encourage more students to continue studying
rocks,
minerals, fossils and related Earth Science topics.
We are looking
forward to
seeing you and your students at the show.
Sincerely,
Scott Singleton
HGMS
Show Education Chairman
fossilwood@comcast.net,
713-664-9033