We retain a $25.00 non-refundable processing fee in the event of a cancellation.  If you register and decide not to attend, you MUST drop the course via CampDoc a week before the start date or you will be charged for the full course. When using CampDoc to register please consult our CampDoc How-To for basic directions.

Deadline for payment and a completed health profile: Sunday, January 12

Natural History of Alaska

Grades: 7 - 12

Dates: January 21 - April 29, 2025 

Zoom Times: Tuesdays, 9 am - 10 am

Cost: $300 (includes this textbook!)

The tuition includes a textbook, weekly Zoom sessions with Dr. Smith, virtual field trips, virtual labs, and weekly lessons and activities via Google Classroom. This class meets for 14 weeks. You will likely spend 3-5 hours per week on this course. Talk to your homeschool about earning high school credit for this semester-long course.


Learn about Alaska's natural history with UAF Professor Emeritus Dr. Ronald Smith. This class, designed especially for homeschool students, will cover landscape features, migration, ice ages, plants and animals of the boreal forest, ecosystems, aquatic habitats, marine fishes, and climate change. You will be introduced to Alaska's Cretaceous dinosaurs, Ice Age Alaska with its megafauna, and modern landscapes, including boreal forests and tundra. You will learn details of the life histories of the major tree, mammal, bird, fish, and shrub species of the Far North. You will study the progression from one plant and animal community to another caused by disturbance events such as fire and land clearing. Finally, an introduction to the future of Alaska in times of climate change is included. 


Assessments will be given at your homeschool. 

Email summer@alaska.edu if you have questions about this course.

Instructor: Dr. Ron Smith, UAF Professor Emeritus of Zoology

A bit about your instructor: Dr. Smith has taught many courses at UAF, including the Natural History of Alaska, Fish Biology, Human Anatomy and Physiology, Oceanography, Animal Physiology, Invertebrate Biology, and Introductory Biology.