Homeschool
Monthly Homeschool Enrichment Lessons
Bring history and science to life, right here in Huntsville!
Homeschool Happenings
Burritt on the Mountain is excited to offer another great year of homeschool classes! Whether your student loves experiencing history, expressing themselves in art, or discovering more about the science around us, you can find an enriching opportunity here at our mountaintop campus. Each lesson includes an oral presentation, a hands-on learning experience, and a handout featuring information and follow-up activities related to that month’s topic. We are looking forward to a year of lessons that will give you a chance to explore life in our historic homes or the wonder of nature on our forest trails. Our home school classes are open to children from kindergarten to 8th grade. This spring, we are offering Wednesday and Thursday morning classes that are geared for lower elementary students (K-3rd) and Wednesday and Thursday afternoon classes that are designed for upper elementary and middle school students (4th-8th). Morning classes run 9:30-11:00, and afternoon classes run 12:00-1:30. Exceptions may be made to these age designations so that siblings may attend class at the same time, so choose the class that best suits your family’s needs. There is an option on the website to be placed on a waiting list if a class is full.
Some classes fill up quickly, so send in your registration today! Students must be registered and paid at least one week in advance to ensure that ample supplies are available. The cost for each class is $15, or $12 for members. Due to limited space, parents who choose to attend with their child must register and pay also. Sorry, no younger siblings may attend with parents; we have found this can cause both space issues and distractions. Please note that during our winter hours (November-March) the gift shop is not open until 10:00, and our morning class will begin before the grounds and welcome center are open to the public.
Downloadable Resources
Download the Spring 2025 Home School Enrichment Classes GuideFor more information, please contact:
Avery Patz, Museum Educator
256-427-5199
Avery.Patz@huntsvilleal.gov
Homeschool Happenings Spring 2025 Classes and Schedule
Hello homeschooling families!
We’re already looking forward to a new semester of fun and engaging classes! For those who don’t know me, my name is Avery Patz and I head up the homeschool program at Burritt. I’m a former Huntsville home schooler and have loved getting to reconnect with the community here!
A little bit about our upcoming classes: each one is historically contextualized and hands-on. We will spend time outside and/or in our Historic Park every month, regardless of the subject (and for the most part, the weather)!
I can’t wait to welcome the students I already know back up the mountain and welcome the friends I’ve yet to meet for the first time this spring! It’s going to be good stuff 🙂
-Avery
Avery Patz | avery.patz@huntsvilleal.gov or 256.427.5199 with any questions.
Register for Homeschool Classes HERE
January | Quilling and Papercraft
Quilling is the lost art of paper filigree–the detailed twisting and shaping of colored paper strips to make creative designs. This traditional paper craft was popular for centuries and is both beautiful to look at and fun to do! Join us to learn about the history of this craft, practice making filigree shapes, and design your own quilled art using your new skills.
January 15 & 16 | 9:30am-11:00am and 12:00pm-1:30pm
February | The Underground Railroad
The Underground Railroad had no tracks or train cars, but it moved thousands of enslaved people from bondage in the South to freedom in the North. Learn about the real-life stories of “passengers” and “conductors” who made the journey and experience it for yourself as we travel from one “safe” house to the next in our search for freedom.
February 12 & 13 | 9:30am-11:00am and 12:00pm-1:30pm
March | Domestic and Wild Animals
Come explore Burritt’s barnyard and learn about the animals that would have lived on 1800s farms in North Alabama–you may be surprised to find that some have wild origins! Discover why farmers raised animals like these and meet some of Burritt’s most popular residents. You may even get your hands dirty with some fun farm chores…Then, learn about wild animals and what role they played in the lives of 19th century farmers. We’ll also study urban wildlife and how animals have adapted to their surroundings in modern times.
March 19 & 20 | 9:30am-11:00am and 12:00pm-1:30pm
April | Technology of the 1800s
Technology in the 1800s was very different from today’s technology, but just as vital for survival and comfortable living. What are the differences between today’s technology and that of the past? How did our ancestors take care of their houses and homesteads? Spend the whole class in the Historic Park exploring and learning hands-on how to upkeep our 19th century homes using only the technology available in the 1800s. Step back in time and experience a day in the life of a North Alabama farm kid, you’ll be glad you did!
April 16 & 17 | 9:30am-11:00am and 12:00pm-1:30pm
May | Mining on the Mountain
Mining can teach us about our relationship with the earth and with natural materials. We’ll hike to an abandoned coal mine and have a treasure hunt panning for gems, rocks, and minerals at our sluice. We’ll also learn a bit of local history with the little-known Alabama Gold Rush, which predated the 1849 rush to California. All of this will help us learn about our use of Earth’s natural resources and how it impacts our lives.
May 14 & 15 | 9:30am-11:00am and 12:00pm-1:30pm
Request More Information on Home School Classes! Get More Information
Middle School: Integrated Geography at Burritt on the Mountain
Who: Homeschooled students in 6th-8th grades
What: One-semester (16 week) Integrated Geography course
Where: Burritt on the Mountain’s Dorothy Davidson Rosenwald School
When: Tuesdays 1:00pm-3:30pm January 7th-April 29th
Cost: $300/student members $350/student non-members. Includes supply fee.
Required materials: none. All necessary resources will be given to students in class or emailed to parents.
Class size: 6-12 students
Join us in January at Burritt on the Mountain as we pioneer our history and culture classes for homeschooled students in 6th-8th grades. Our pilot semester’s Integrated Geography class goes far beyond map-reading and memorization. Each week, we’ll spend time in our Rosenwald classrooms studying our natural environment, our physical Earth, and history and cultures from right here in Alabama and around the world. Then, we’ll make history come alive as we step back in time in the Historic Park to practice traditional methods of wayfinding, cooking, fiber artistry, animal husbandry, and more. Students will build their knowledge of the world’s peoples, places, and systems, as well as confidence in their own ability to create in historically significant ways. The pairing of classroom education with hands-on experience makes this study of place and culture unlike any other!
Hi, my name is Avery Patz, and I’m the course instructor for our new History and Culture series for middle schoolers at Burritt on the Mountain! I graduated from Covenant College in 2022 with my B.A. in Community Development and immediately began work as the farm manager for a non-profit in Chattanooga. In this position, I helped facilitate environmental and agricultural education for high school students in Tennessee. Now, I’m in my second year teaching U.S. History and English classes to middle and high schoolers in Huntsville. I’m also part of the Education Staff at Burritt and head up our existing homeschool program. As a former Huntsville homeschooler myself, it’s been so much fun to reconnect with the community here and be part of other families’ homeschooling stories! If you have any questions about this course (check out the syllabus on the page below), or the homeschooling program at Burritt, please call or email me, I’d love to talk to you! I hope to see each of your families up on the mountain this spring.
Warmly,
Avery Patz
Homeschool Supervisor | Museum Educator
256.427.5199
Spring 2025 Syllabus*
| Week | Date | Topic | Human Culture & Skills |
| 1 | January 7 | Introduction to Geography | Reading a map & park orientation |
| 2 | January 14 | Five Themes of Geography | Household chores & keeping house |
| 3 | January 21 | Map Skills and Tools | Open hearth cooking |
| 4 | January 28 | Physical Geography | Open hearth cooking |
| 5 | February 4 | Human Geography & Culture | Open hearth cooking |
| 6 | February 11 | North America | Wayfinding |
| 7 | February 18 | North America | Wayfinding |
| 8 | February 25 | Central America | Wayfinding |
| 9 | March 4 | South America | Blacksmithing demo |
| Spring Break | |||
| 10 | March 18 | Europe | Sewing/fiber arts |
| 11 | March 26 | Africa | Sewing/fiber arts |
| 12 | April 1 | Asia | Animal husbandry |
| 13 | April 8 | Australia & Oceania | Animal husbandry |
| 14 | April 15 | Antarctica & Environmental Geography | Farming & agriculture |
| 15 | April 22 | Environmental Geography | Farming & agriculture |
| 16 | April 29 | Presentation Day | |
*subject to change
Home School FAQs
Will I drop off my child or stay with them?
Most parents drop their students off for the hour and a half class. A small number of parents do choose to stay with their students. However, due to limited space parents who choose to attend with their child must register and pay also. Sorry, no younger siblings may attend with parents; we have found this can cause both space issues and distractions.
Is there a place I can wait during the class?
Burritt on the Mountain has a large green with a restroom and some picnic tables that you are welcome to use if you choose to stay onsite. We also have our trails which circle the mountain and take just over an hour to hike. You can also pay admission or purchase a Burritt membership, and have full access to our facilities, including our playground, historic park with barnyard and animals, and the Burritt Mansion and exhibits.
What if I am late picking up my child from class?
Plan to pick up your child when the class ends. If you are more than ten minutes late picking up your child you will incur a $10 fee. For every additional five minutes that you are late, there will be an additional $5 fee. If you incur a charge due to picking your child up late, the fee must be paid before your child is accepted for the next class. We accept cash, check, and credit cards. After the second infraction, your child will be unenrolled from our homeschool program, and no refunds will be given.
If you have an unexpected delay (traffic, etc.), please call 256-536-2882 and let us know.
I have both elementary and middle school students. Will they need two different classes?
We are happy to allow siblings to attend together. The class material is the same, just presented at slightly different levels, which can be tailored based on the ages we have enrolled. If you have multiple students, choose whichever class suits your schedule best. If you have any concerns, we would be happy to advise you about which session would be ideal.
Should we sign up for all the classes in that week?
Each month’s lesson is a single class session, offered at four different times. Unless you would like additional reinforcement of the lesson, please choose one class.
My students have some home-schooled friends who would like to attend. Can I sign them up? Only a parent or guardian may register a student for classes. If you are attending with another family, please make sure they are listed as one of your emergency contacts. We can only release children to and share registration information with the contacts listed on your registration form.
What if I need to cancel or change my enrollment?
Please let us know as soon as possible if you need to change or cancel a class reservation. We will do our best to fit you in to another class when space is available. We will issue a refund if the student withdraws at least two weeks before the class.
I have a large study group/co-op that would like to come for this month’s topic.
If you have a group of 12 or more who would like to attend, we would be happy to look into setting up an individual class for you. Please contact Avery Patz at 256-427-5199 or avery.patz@huntsvilleal.gov to discuss the details of the trip.
For more information, please contact:
Avery Patz, Museum Educator
256-427-5199
Avery.Patz@huntsvilleal.gov
