Zack's Environment, Science, and Sustainability, Technology
Welcome to
Zack's Environment, Science, and Sustainability, Technology ZESST!
The goal of ZESST here in the Houghton and Keweenaw Counties is to provide hands-on, experiential learning in subjects and areas that either compliment what an instructor is teaching, or to provide an expertise in a field outside of their normal area-of-focus.
This can involve coming in to make ice cream in-a-bag to teach the kids about the chemistry of emulsions and mixtures, doing outdoor nature hikes with an emphasis on any number of subjects like survival, mycology, or habitats/adaptations.
Some have a DIY "take-home" component like my mushroom workshop, or composting lesson involving red worms! Whether for K-12 classes up to 30 students, or small home-schooled groups, I am happy to customize your experience. I achieve this by combining or altering lessons, or incorporating any subject matter or activities you would like to see added!
Below you will find Science Lessons, Environmental Lessons for Fall, Winter, and Spring, and other workshops I offer year-round.
Instruction Cost per Class (In Houghton/Baraga County)
$40 per Outdoor 1.5 Hour class (This includes material cost)
$50 per 1.5 Hour Indoor Workshop Class (Does not include materials)
Bulk rate $30 per concurrent 1.0 Hour classes (ideal for multiple concurrent classes or full days)
Pricing is not final and open to negotiation and barter depending on the circumstances.
For questions and scheduling: zackosborn@gmail.com
My name is Zack Osborn and I hold a Bachelor of Science degree in Pharmaceutical Chemistry from the University of California, San Diego (UCSD). I've worked for biotech companies and with the Center for Sustainable Science and Planning at the UCSD, where I also ran a farm and garden program (both at the University and at Elementary schools across San Diego). I started here in Michigan at the Center for Science and Environmental Outreach part of Michigan Tech University doing environmental science field trips with K-8 schools across the U.P. I now work with Keweenaw Alternative Education Organization (Kaleidoscope) teaching cooking/baking, science, and robotics while running this private practice.
Indoor Workshops: $50 base-cost plus $5 per student material fee
Ice-Cream in-a-bag Workshop: Learn about Food Chemistry with mixtures and emulsions by making your own ice-cream! Everyone takes home (or eats right there) their own bag of ice-cream. $2-4 material cost per student.
Red Worm Composting Workshop: Learn about Red Worms and their role as composters with live red worms to touch and feel. This can include and be followed by a build your own red worm composting bin activity to take home!
Make your own Mushrooms: Students learn about the life cycle and how to grow mushrooms, with every student leaving with a small take-home mushroom grow kit. Within a month they'll have small mushrooms growing!
DIY Slime Workshop: A lesson about chemistry and catalysts/activators as I come in with everything for your students to make their own Slime! Glue, Shaving Cream, Different Activators, your students will experiment with making the best slime and take home whatever they make. Most importantly: I come prepared for a mess and it leaves with me!
The Science of Bread: Science and cooking class in one! Learn about chemical rising agents like baking powder and baking soda while making some delicious flat bread, cookies, or you choose! Dough can be brought in pre-made.
Outdoor Lessons: $30-$50 Depending on Duration and Number
Fall Lesson Examples
Seeds, Leaves, n' Trees: Learn the biology and identification of local seeds, leaves, and trees. Students will learn how they survive, reproduce, and their purpose in the ecosystem. Younger grades can create their own identified leaf rubbing to take home. Older grades get to calculate tree age with diameter measurements!
A Fun Guy with Fungi: The basics of mycology about the life span and parts of fungus and mushrooms, and how to grow your own. Outdoor wild mushroom hunt and activity learning how to do a spore print to tell if edible or poisonous! OR I bring the mushrooms to YOU and your class, and I'll bring a fruiting block of mushrooms for kids to see, smell, touch, and even taste if you want to do a custom mushroom cooking class!
Animal Adaptations, Behavior, and Habitats: Different animals have different ways to survive, we will explore the forest for signs of animals and their habitats. Activity includes games that put students into the animals' perspective!
Wilderness Survival: Learn the basics of surviving when lost in the forest, and an activity on how to turn the forest around you into a shelter. This can include an outdoor cooking and making a campfire component as well!
Custom Lesson or Workshop: Can be completely different or a combination! Just ask in the email! Maybe your class read "Hatchet" and wants an outdoor survival class that includes questions and integration with the book?
Winter Lesson Examples
The Physics of Phun in the Snow: We go into the snow with sleds for students to learn the physics of snow first-hand to learn about Force, Friction, and Gravity.
Animals Habitats and Tracks: Different animals have different strategies to survive the winter and leave different tracks behind. We will explore the forest for signs of animals and their habitats. Activity includes track scavenger hunt and game that put students into the animals' perspective.
The Science of Snow: Learn how snow is made, how it melts, and how not all snow is the same! Activity includes a snow scavenger hunt and experiment to see how to melt ice in freezing temperatures!
Warm in the Winter: Students will learn about Insulation with a science activity comparing different sock materials to see which one keeps in the heat the best!
Custom Lesson or Workshop: Can be completely different or a combination! Just ask in the email!
Spring Lesson Examples
Coming Soon!
Extra Details on Year-Round Workshops Offered
All values are approximate and will vary by actual class size:
Mushroom Workshop: All ages learn the basics of mycology and growing mushrooms from sawdust/woodchips. Every participant will leave with their own small mushroom growing kit that can grow a half pound of oyster mushrooms! This event caps at 30 participants. Cost pays for pasteurization time and sterilization supplies, sawdust, mushroom growing bag, and spawn inoculant (Organic from Field and Forest).
Mushroom Lesson (No Workshop): $50
Mushroom Lesson and Workshop for <10 People: $100
Mushroom Lesson and Workshop for <25 People: $150
Mushroom Lesson and Workshop for 30+ People: $200
Red Worm Composting Workshop: Learn about Red Worms and their role as composters, followed by a build your own red worm composting bin activity to take home! Starter red worms for your bin included. (Stand-alone lesson includes hands-on with red worms.)
Red Worm Lesson (No Workshop) $50
Red Worm Lesson and Workshop for 10 people: $80
Red Worm Lesson and Workshop for 20 People: $110
Red Worm Lesson and Workshop for 30+ People: $150
Ice-Cream in-a-bag Workshop: Learn about Food Chemistry with mixtures and emulsions by making your own ice-cream! Everyone takes home (or eats right there) their own bag of ice-cream. Price subject to vary based on food prices.
Ice Cream Lesson and Workshop for 10 people: $80
Ice Cream Lesson and Workshop for 20 People: $110
Ice Cream Lesson and Workshop for 30+ People: $150