We’ve used A LOT of curriculum over the years. Really good curriculum, mind you. But, when it comes to history and science in the elementary and middle school years, nothing has quite matched the success of unit studies in our homeschool.
The reasons? SO much learning can take place in a reasonable amount of time. We can read wonderful living literature, take amazing field trips, and include as many (or as few) hands-on projects as we like. We can include whatever lessons from other subjects that we like – research, writing, experiments, cooking, art, poetry – the possibilities are endless.
Unit studies can be fully planned from the beginning or flow based on students’ interests. They are wonderful to use with project-based learning. And, best of all, they can easily be used with multiple ages. In the articles that follow, you’ll find several unit study plans, how-to’s for creating your own unit studies, tutorials for project-based learning, and tips for successful interest-based studies. Have fun!
Please welcome Jen Vail, a regular feature writer here at Our Journey Westward! She’s here to encourage you that the homeschool extras matter – for your children AND YOU. If you enjoy the blog post, let her know in the comments! I have a confession to make: I do not homeschool all of my children….
Using movies in your homeschool might seem like a cop out, but it’s not at all when you use them for some fun learning. Project-based learning is the best. My kids have not only been more excited and engaged during a project vs. plain old textbook learning, they have absorbed SO much more information. Their…
Winter is the perfect time for snuggling up with books – and lots of them! Over the years, we’ve gone back to certain books time after time during the winter season. I thought I’d share our winter book list with you and give you an idea of some of the book extension activities we’ve done…
It might sound pretty boring to consider teaching a middle school geology study. I mean, isn’t geology just about rocks…and aren’t rocks, well, just rocks? Geology is WAY more than “just” rocks! It’s the study of everything about the earth’s crust – what it’s made of, how the amazing landforms were created, and what materials…
Do your children love history or do you hit walls every time you try to teach it? I hated history as a child, mostly because the textbooks were horribly boring, the teachers were dry as a crust of day-old bread, and those long lists of dates were entirely frustrating. Given the opportunity to teach homeschool…
After a successful year of history with Ancient Civilizations and the Bible from Diana Waring’s History Revealed series last year, we are back at it with Romans, Reformers, and Revolutionaries. History Revealed works well for our unit study, project-based learning, literature-based loving family. In fact, it’s been a perfect transition for my older kids to…
My 6th grader just finished a mini French and Indian War unit study that was a great pit stop in our regular history studies. I just love the slow and steady pace we’re taking to go through the Story of the World curriculum this time around. I used to follow pretty strict 4-year cycles in…
I have always loved teaching a Leonardo da Vinci unit study because it covers just about every single academic subject easily. The Renaissance, various science topics like inventions, simple machines, & the human body, and art & artist study are all easy topics to cover while learning about da Vinci. Add some fun research-based learning…
The main topic of this year’s science rotation in our homeschool is physics, so I’m preparing a few unit studies that lend themselves well to experimentation and exploration. This light and sound unit study will be first in the line up and is just perfect for 3rd-7th grade students. It’s packed full of meaningful, practical…
Do you remember when Eli and I took a short detour from our regular Story of the World studies to learn more about Vikings? Well, we detoured again – this time with a mini pirate unit study. Should I have been shocked? I mean, what boy (and even lots of girls) wouldn’t love some extra time…
Eli and I have certainly enjoyed a meandering pace through Story of the World for history. Because we’re never rushed to move on to the next chapter, it provides plenty of time for rabbit trails when he shows special interest in a topic. One of those special interests this year was the Vikings. We had…
One thing that has really helped over the years with homeschooling multiple ages is unit studies. Yes, even in this Charlotte Mason-inspired homeschool. A unit study can be as elaborate or simple as you need it to be. I have written plenty of posts about our unit studies over the years (complete with literature lists) and…
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