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!
When my youngest was in second grade, we did a Creation-based dinosaur unit study that led to some amazing rabbit trail learning! What started out as a great “boy topic” to end the year with a bang, turned into so much more. Without my pre-planning, it even gave him a great foundational understanding of events leading up…
When I used to teach elementary school, every teacher used a portion of the fourth-grade year to teach a rich Kentucky unit study. It was always full of learning about historical events and people, as well as important state symbols, culture, and things that make KY a special place to live. As a proud Kentucky…
This chemistry project for kids was one of the highlights of the school year for my children! It also happened to be our last project of the school year, which means we just wrapped up a long and fruitful homeschool year. In our homeschool, we follow a four-year cycle for science. Besides the weekly (or…
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…
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…
These days, it seems like hands-on homeschool is a buzzword of sorts. What’s all the fuss about? Let’s define hands-on first. It’s best to define hands-on first because I think its overall meaning might surprise you. You see, hands-on learning can actually mean several things. Most obvious, hands-on means “touching” things during lessons. For instance,…
I have a serious chef in my house. He’s only nine years old, but the boy can cook! When I see a natural motivation like this in one of my children, I make sure there are plenty of opportunities to foster its growth. So…he cooks. Because our goal is to have healthy kids in the…
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…
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…
If you asked me to name a few things that have made THE most impact in our homeschool over the years, one of the answers I would give without hesitation is living literature. Many precious hours have been spent together around books. Those moments have built strong bonds between us, created warm memories, and sparked…