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 had a great time studying United States geography! One of the coolest projects during the study included research, some technology skills, writing and a bit of art. US Geography We took some time to learn about famous national landmarks during the unit. As a final project, I gave the kids a list of several…
In case you don’t know, Frankfort is the capital of Kentucky. It’s also where I grew up and where my family still lives. There is a wealth of field trip opportunity in Frankfort from government to history to museums and more. We’ve been trying to make it a habit to go on a quick field…
Slavery and Civil War Teaching Resources You might remember from my post about Planning a Large Unit Study, that I pick and choose the best ideas for our learning styles and learning objectives from many resources. These are the the fabulous materials that provided many of my lesson plans. National Geographic Underground Railroad Interactive Civil…
I can’t tell you enough about how we have been blessed by reading the books below during our slavery and Civil War unit study. These books were so fantastic – in information, emotion and ability put us in the midst of the time period. I recommend each of them as living books! (I haven’t included…
Words cannot adequately express our trip to the Freedom Center in Cincinnati yesterday. After spending so much time in our unit study learning about slavery in our country before and after the Civil War, we have become immersed in the sadness, courage and strength of slaves, abolitionists and those who risked their lives to help…
The Slim Goodbody Bodyology Tour came through our area Monday. It was well worth the $6.00 ticket price! I even won a music CD for sharing an awesome muscular ability I have – being able to close one eye completely without closing the other at all. Now, how cool is that?? On Tuesday, our Homeschool…
Wow. We’re on our last planned history unit of the school year. It feels great to be ahead of schedule! (At least in history, anyway!) I’ve sketched out the main topics I hope to cover in a unit on slavery and the Civil War. I think we’ll plan to make this mostly a literature and…
(This post contains affiliate links.) Westward Expansion Unit Our time spent learning about pioneers and the Westward Expansion was so full, fun and meaningful. As with most of our unit studies, this one was very literature-rich and included a healthy portion of project-based learning. What Did We Learn? I tried to pulled together a unit…
The Kentucky Historical Museum is a gem for KY homeschoolers. This past weekend, they put on a HUGE event to celebrate the 200th anniversary of Abraham Lincoln’s birthday. Since Civil War history is just around the corner for us, of course we decided to go! Meeting Abe and Mary Period Dancing An Awesome Special Museum…
(This post contains affiliate links.) Westward Expansion Unit: Part 2 ~ Resources Part 1 ~ The Plan Part 3 ~ Project Week Westward Expansion Resources My Spine – Amanda Bennett Pioneers Unit Research Questions Teacher Planet Links Louisiana Purchase Game Lewis and Clark Lessons Lewis and Clark Mapping Activities Easy Fun School Lewis and Clark…
Lewis and Clark kept wonderfully detailed journals as they charted unknown American territory in the early 1800’s. Their journals included everything from a daily diary of events to sketches and descriptions of new plants and animals along the way to maps of the land around them. To help my children understand the scope of what…
Not everyday is a full unit study day around here, but today was one of those days where every subject just fit perfectly into the Lewis and Clark portion of our Westward Expansion unit. (Except Bible time. I could have fit that in, too, but we’re working our way through Hebrews and I didn’t want…
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