Encouraged Family Outside Reading
Each Arete family is encouraged to purchase one shared family copy of The God Proofs: How Science Points to YOUR Creator by Douglas Ell. This is outside reading, not a class-specific text, and it may or may not be referred to in class.
Arete Lower School · Grades 2–3
Wayfarers
A living-science tutorial in astronomy and anatomy that develops wonder, careful observation, scientific vocabulary, and clear explanation through reading, narration, models, experiments, art, and outdoor observation.
View Seats & Apply Back to AreteCourse Overview
Wayfarers meets for 36 two-hour tutorials. Astronomy is taught first so students can prepare for a dark-night star party during the earlier winter darkness. Anatomy follows in the second term. Students keep an orderly commonplace journal, practice oral narration and retrieval, and complete two individual science projects for presentation to the class.
No Moodle or other student learning platform is required. The teacher will display the selected videos and simulations during class.
Term 1: Astronomy
- Read and explore Find the Constellations by H. A. Rey.
- Recognize the Dippers, Polaris, Cassiopeia, Cepheus, Draco, Orion, Andromeda, and Boötes at an introductory level.
- Use current star maps, Stellarium, NASA resources, and short classroom videos.
- Draw constellation patterns on black paper with metallic gel pens.
- Build class models of apparent sky motion, Orion in three dimensions, and solar-system scale.
- Attend a supervised star party on a practical clear, dark evening, with a simulated-sky backup if weather requires it.
Term 2: Anatomy
- Read selected chapters from The Child’s Book of Nature 2: Animals by Worthington Hooker with modern scientific clarification.
- Study digestion, circulation, breathing, nerves, senses, bones, muscles, skin, immunity, animal adaptations, and sleep.
- Use age-appropriate songs, body-system models, movement, reaction-time observations, and engineering challenges.
- Compare structure and function in people and animals.
Content note: This course does not include reproductive content.
Science Projects
Each student completes two individual projects: an Astronomy project presented at the end of the first term and an Anatomy project presented at the end of the year. Parents may help with safety, scheduling, reading directions, and recording dictated words, while the question, observations, work, and explanation remain the student’s own.
Suggested project sources: Science Buddies and Science Fair Adventure.
Books & Materials
Books used in class: Find the Constellations by H. A. Rey and The Child’s Book of Nature 2: Animals by Worthington Hooker. The tutorial provides a copy of both books for every student to use in class; families do not need to purchase them. Students will learn to follow along in the text and, as reading ability allows, take turns reading short passages aloud.
- A sturdy 1-inch binder
- Pencils and colored pencils
Provided through the $50 materials fee: classroom copies of both books, a black-paper constellation notebook, metallic gel pens, telescope and observation materials, science models, and investigation supplies unless otherwise noted.
All families are strongly encouraged to use the gold Wayfarers Anki deck for brief, consistent, ungraded review.
Download the 2026–2027 SyllabusTuition & Materials
Annual tuition is $330 plus a $50 materials fee, for a total of $380—approximately $10.56 per week across the 36-week program. Children of Arete teachers receive a $50 tuition discount per enrolled student, making the annual total $330, or approximately $9.17 per week, including the materials fee. Scale How School is a nonprofit; tuition supports teacher compensation and the materials fee pays for course materials.
Location & Enrollment
Wayfarers meets in South Kaysville, Utah. Enrollment is selective and limited to seven students.
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