An earthquake nature study offers a fun way to teach science while exploring natural disasters. This week’s No Sweat Nature Study Podcast focuses on the largest earthquake ever recorded—the Great Chilean Earthquake of 1960. Children will learn how earthquakes are measured and discover how they can create giant ocean waves called tsunamis. Seismologists, or earthquake scientists, play…
During the elementary and middle school years, our history studies – for the most part – take place as unit studies. In a relatively short amount of time, we can cover SO much material in fun and interesting lessons. And this unit was no exception! Colonial History Unit Study Over the course of about six…
These Thanksgiving and gratitude living books have been favorites around our house for years. Some help explain the history of our Thanksgiving celebration, while others are just sweet stories with a Thanksgiving theme. Yet others really have nothing to do with Thanksgiving, in particular, but focus on a spirit of gratitude that’s such an important…
I hated geography as a child. It was tedious and repetitive, and it involved lots of looking up things like the population of a given country that I have never cared to look up since. It wasn’t until I learned to teach geography with living books and learned right alongside my children that I realized…
I love unit studies, and autumn is the perfect time for fun, nature-based science topics. In September, apple orchards are at peak harvest, and it just so happens to be the birth month of Johnny Appleseed! Use any or all of the ideas below to enjoy an educational and yummy autumn unit study about apples…
Even in a Charlotte Mason-inspired homeschool, I’ve found unit studies highly beneficial to learning. With lots of living books and meaningful project-based learning, this westward expansion unit study was an excellent way to learn history in our homeschool. The time my children and I spent learning about pioneers during the westward expansion era was full…
I love using living books in our homeschool. If you’ve been around here any time at all, you know that living literature is a key tool that I use across all ages and all subjects. Using literature to teach high school history works especially well. So many nuances of an event or era can be…
Yes, I’ve told you how much we love literature around here many times. While I teach geography through maps, quizzes, and games, the best way to connect to the maps and their culture is through really good books. Enjoy this giant list of world geography living literature with your elementary children. This post contains affiliate links….
Today’s post was written by guest blogger Adriana Zoder. She’s sharing her experiences with a popular classical education curriculum that happens to work really well in a Charlotte Mason homeschool, too. In fact, it’s one of my favorite history curriculum choices of all time. With chapters written as living literature, the chronological overview of history…
Using movies in your homeschool might seem like a cop-out, but it’s not when you use them for fun learning. Project-based learning is the best. My kids have not only been more excited and engaged during a project compared to plain old textbook learning but also absorbed SO much more information. Their interest is fed…
Do you remember when Eli and I took a short detour from our regular Story of the World studies to learn more about Vikings? We detoured again – this time with a mini pirate unit study. Should I have been shocked? What boy (and many girls) wouldn’t love extra time to hang out with pirates? This…
Geography doesn’t have to be boring or a tough subject. A lot of geography can be learned through something as simple as regular game time! After years of trial and error, here’s our list of the best games to teach geography. You’ll find wonderful options to make learning geography a blast for the entire family….