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!
We’re finally into some practical posts in my series about unit studies! In my first post, I wrote about how I design unit studies for our homeschool. In the second post, I wrote about incorporating project-based learning into the units. Now, I’d like to share a very short and simple study we completed on magnets….
I’m a huge believer in project-based learning! Keep reading to learn why and to get tons of project-based learning ideas for your homeschool! Just what is project-based learning? Quite simply, it’s a learning method in which your children dive into a subject and complete a project to show what they know. Projects can really be…
From the time I used the Five in a Row curriculum with my little bitties up until now, I’ve loved unit studies. Whether they are literature, science, or history-based, unit studies weave our learning together in meaningful and often exciting ways. You can learn how to plan a unit study in four simple steps! But,…
We have an unwritten tradition of starting our school year off with a field trip or two. Sometimes the field trips are more like vacations – like when we went to Virginia. Other times, it’s an overnight stay somewhere or a few simple day trips. This year, we had so much fun kicking off the…
This fun, hands-on activity pairs perfectly with any study of early American history. Enjoy living math and mapping with Lewis and Clark. This post contains affiliate links. Lewis and Clark: A Quick Bio In 1803, President Jefferson wanted to find out if the Missouri or Columbia Rivers made for easy traveling (and potential trading)…
Considering God’s Creation has been the spine curriculum for our 6th grade human body study. As always, I added a few things here and there to amp things up a notch. So, besides the {wonderful} notebooking pages that come with Considering God’s Creation, we did the activities and worksheets below, too. Sadly, I don’t have…
(This post contains affiliate links.) While Mahaya (9th grade) was busy with Romans, Reformers and Revolutionaries, Caleb (6th grade) and I enjoyed a shorter, simpler unit study about the medieval era. Middle Ages Study His “spine” curriculum was the Middle Ages lapbook from In the Hands of a Child. Since Caleb really hates handwriting, I…
During our human body unit, we spent quite some time studying cells – their functions and parts. This discussion naturally led to a study of DNA and genetics. What fun! (This post contains affiliate links.) Cells Understanding the basic formation of a cell began by using the model of an egg. (Our worksheet came from…
{Although a silly story (needing some tweaking), the science mystery experiment pictured above is both fun and worthwhile as you step away from the textbooks this Christmas season. Enjoy the Christmas Cookie Mystery with Teacher Directions.} Below is an article I wrote for CHEK’s December Newsletter. I thought I’d post it here just in case…
I’ve wanted to attend the Ohio Renaissance Festival for years. Since this is our last medieval history cycle with Mahayla (boo hoo), visiting the festival was now or never. What a fun experience! (A little gypsy-like at times, but fun nonetheless.) We attended on their special school/homeschool day. While I didn’t like dealing with the…
How lucky am I? As part of The Old Schoolhouse Magazine’s 1st ever Blog Hop, I have the honor of hosting an interview with Diana Waring! Many of you will remember how I went on an on about her History Revealed: Ancient Civilizations and the Bible curriculum last year. Sorry, but it was truly THAT…
Some of the NaturExplorers guides suggest the completion of a diorama to go along with a research project. Dioramas are such a fun and creative way to model entire habitats or ecosystems. Even better, they can prove to be an informal assessment of your child’s understanding when you ask him or her to create a diorama…