These classes are offered on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays at Foothill Learning Academy
(El Dorado Hills & Placerville)
(El Dorado Hills & Placerville)
Physics: Simple Machines, Light, Sound, and Heat
Grades 4-8
$225 per semester
Class Length: Twelve 1-hour classes
Location/Days: Foothill Learning Academy - Monday (Placerville), Tuesday and Wednesday (El Dorado Hills)
Students will explore simple machines and the properties of light, sound, and heat through hands-on activities that illustrate these concepts. Topics to be covered include the lever, pulley, inclined plane, screw, wheel and axle, wedge, the electromagnetic spectrum, sound waves, refraction/reflection/absorption, and conduction/convection/radiation. NOTE: This is different from the physics class offered Fall 2023.
For questions about the class, email Lisa at [email protected] or call 530-313-3789.
To register for this class, go to the Foothill Learning Academy website. Foothill Learning Academy | K-12 Homeschool Classes | California
Grades 4-8
$225 per semester
Class Length: Twelve 1-hour classes
Location/Days: Foothill Learning Academy - Monday (Placerville), Tuesday and Wednesday (El Dorado Hills)
Students will explore simple machines and the properties of light, sound, and heat through hands-on activities that illustrate these concepts. Topics to be covered include the lever, pulley, inclined plane, screw, wheel and axle, wedge, the electromagnetic spectrum, sound waves, refraction/reflection/absorption, and conduction/convection/radiation. NOTE: This is different from the physics class offered Fall 2023.
For questions about the class, email Lisa at [email protected] or call 530-313-3789.
To register for this class, go to the Foothill Learning Academy website. Foothill Learning Academy | K-12 Homeschool Classes | California
Microscope Lab: Exploring the Invisible World
Grades 4-8
$225 per semester
Class Length: Twelve 1-hour classes
Location/Days: Foothill Learning Academy - Tuesday and Wednesday (El Dorado Hills)
Discover the exciting hidden microscopic world with a microbiologist! In this class, students will learn the parts/functions of a microscope and how to properly use it without damaging lenses and slides. They will explore the wonders of pond water (diatoms/algae/protozoa and various other tiny creatures)/pollen/plant and insect parts, stain/examine their cheek cells and onion cells, solve "crimes" using hair and fiber samples, and more. I provide high-quality microscopes for students to use, however, students are welcome to bring their own microscope. This lab is offered Fall 2025 in El Dorado Hills and Spring 2026 in Placerville.
For questions about the class, email Lisa at [email protected] or call 530-313-3789.
To register for this class, go to the Foothill Learning Academy website.Foothill Learning Academy | K-12 Homeschool Classes | California
Grades 4-8
$225 per semester
Class Length: Twelve 1-hour classes
Location/Days: Foothill Learning Academy - Tuesday and Wednesday (El Dorado Hills)
Discover the exciting hidden microscopic world with a microbiologist! In this class, students will learn the parts/functions of a microscope and how to properly use it without damaging lenses and slides. They will explore the wonders of pond water (diatoms/algae/protozoa and various other tiny creatures)/pollen/plant and insect parts, stain/examine their cheek cells and onion cells, solve "crimes" using hair and fiber samples, and more. I provide high-quality microscopes for students to use, however, students are welcome to bring their own microscope. This lab is offered Fall 2025 in El Dorado Hills and Spring 2026 in Placerville.
For questions about the class, email Lisa at [email protected] or call 530-313-3789.
To register for this class, go to the Foothill Learning Academy website.Foothill Learning Academy | K-12 Homeschool Classes | California
Electricity and Mini-Robots
Grades 4-8
$245 per semester
Class Length: Twelve 1-hour classes
Location/Days: Foothill Learning Academy - Tuesday and Wednesday (El Dorado Hills)
Students will explore the basics of electricity by building a bristlebot and dancing robot, creating circuit cards and assembling breadboard circuits, building an electroscope, testing conductivity of various materials, and building a battery, induction motor, and homopolar motor. This class does not cover robotics programming.
For questions about the class, email Lisa at [email protected] or call 530-313-3789.
To register for this class, go to the Foothill Learning Academy website.Foothill Learning Academy | K-12 Homeschool Classes | California
Grades 4-8
$245 per semester
Class Length: Twelve 1-hour classes
Location/Days: Foothill Learning Academy - Tuesday and Wednesday (El Dorado Hills)
Students will explore the basics of electricity by building a bristlebot and dancing robot, creating circuit cards and assembling breadboard circuits, building an electroscope, testing conductivity of various materials, and building a battery, induction motor, and homopolar motor. This class does not cover robotics programming.
For questions about the class, email Lisa at [email protected] or call 530-313-3789.
To register for this class, go to the Foothill Learning Academy website.Foothill Learning Academy | K-12 Homeschool Classes | California
Wild Innovations: Animal Adaptations
Grades 4-8
$225 per semester
Class Length: Twelve 1-hour classes
Location/Days: Foothill Learning Academy - Monday (Placerville)
What's so special about your thumbs? Why are there so many bird beak shapes? These questions and more will be answered while students explore the incredible diversity of animal adaptations that allow creatures to thrive in their unique environments. From the deepest oceans to the highest mountains, animals have evolved fascinating strategies to survive and reproduce. This course delves into the various types of adaptations—physical, behavioral, and physiological—that enable animals to find food, evade predators, and cope with extreme climates. Please note that natural selection will be discussed as it applies to Darwin's finches and their different beak shapes. This lab is offered Fall 2025 in Placerville and Spring 2026 in El Dorado Hills.
For questions about the class, email Lisa at [email protected] or call 530-313-3789.
To register for this class, go to the Foothill Learning Academy website.Foothill Learning Academy | K-12 Homeschool Classes | California
Grades 4-8
$225 per semester
Class Length: Twelve 1-hour classes
Location/Days: Foothill Learning Academy - Monday (Placerville)
What's so special about your thumbs? Why are there so many bird beak shapes? These questions and more will be answered while students explore the incredible diversity of animal adaptations that allow creatures to thrive in their unique environments. From the deepest oceans to the highest mountains, animals have evolved fascinating strategies to survive and reproduce. This course delves into the various types of adaptations—physical, behavioral, and physiological—that enable animals to find food, evade predators, and cope with extreme climates. Please note that natural selection will be discussed as it applies to Darwin's finches and their different beak shapes. This lab is offered Fall 2025 in Placerville and Spring 2026 in El Dorado Hills.
For questions about the class, email Lisa at [email protected] or call 530-313-3789.
To register for this class, go to the Foothill Learning Academy website.Foothill Learning Academy | K-12 Homeschool Classes | California
Ingenious Inventions: Building with Rube Goldberg Machines
Grades 4-8
$220 per semester
Class Length: Twelve 1-hour classes
Location/Days: Foothill Learning Academy - Monday (Placerville)
Welcome to the fascinating world of Rube Goldberg machines! Named after the famous American cartoonist and inventor, Rube Goldberg, these contraptions are designed to perform simple tasks in the most complicated, whimsical, and entertaining ways possible. In this class, students will dive into the art and science of creating chain-reaction machines that will amaze and amuse, learn about the principles of motion, force, and energy transfer, explore creative thinking and innovative problem-solving as they plan and design machines, gain hands-on experience in building and testing each element of their contraption, and work together with classmates to brainstorm as they construct/refine their machines.
For questions about the class, email Lisa at [email protected] or call 530-313-3789.
To register for this class, go to the Foothill Learning Academy website. Foothill Learning Academy | K-12 Homeschool Classes | California
Grades 4-8
$220 per semester
Class Length: Twelve 1-hour classes
Location/Days: Foothill Learning Academy - Monday (Placerville)
Welcome to the fascinating world of Rube Goldberg machines! Named after the famous American cartoonist and inventor, Rube Goldberg, these contraptions are designed to perform simple tasks in the most complicated, whimsical, and entertaining ways possible. In this class, students will dive into the art and science of creating chain-reaction machines that will amaze and amuse, learn about the principles of motion, force, and energy transfer, explore creative thinking and innovative problem-solving as they plan and design machines, gain hands-on experience in building and testing each element of their contraption, and work together with classmates to brainstorm as they construct/refine their machines.
For questions about the class, email Lisa at [email protected] or call 530-313-3789.
To register for this class, go to the Foothill Learning Academy website. Foothill Learning Academy | K-12 Homeschool Classes | California