Homeschooling with unit studies.
Have you ever found yourself setting a timer to move from one subject to another... worrying you are spending too much time (or money) on one subject while barely scratching the surface of another... or going into full fledged panic mode because you can't POSSIBLY cover ALL of the subjects for ALL of the ages... and who said this "learning at home thing" was a good idea anyway?.... Let me introduce you to, my good friend, the unit study.
Our learning style is eclectic. Reading is a good portion of how we "acquire information" but the whole textbook and worksheet method was only affective for certain subjects or for a limited amount of time and then attention began to wander elsewhere. This is when I would either switch to a different subject, try taking a break or end up with the inevitable, "you're going to finish this worksheet" conversation. Obviously, something needed to change, so I began supplementing textbooks with other reading materials. We added in note booking pages, some educational links/videos, a printable or two and rounded it out with a hands on activity when time allowed. I had no idea this was a unit study!
A unit study is usually "cross curricular." That's fancy shmancy speak for covering multiple subjects at the same time. For example, we like to use history as a "spine" for unit studies and base everything else around it.
Let's say you are covering Ancient Greece. The history part sort of comes naturally, then we take a look at the art of that period and create some of our own (painted clay pots, for instance). Learn about some of the instruments used and find a sample of that era's music. Research the Parthenon or aqueducts and watch a video on the science of their construction. Find a free audio or ebook on Greek mythology and play a memory game with printed pictures. Notebook about all of it and share with each other.At the end of the unit, reward yourself (and your family) by cooking something simple they may have eaten. Look how many subjects you just covered!
Now... let's tackle the the proverbial "elephant" and just say it. Who has time to organize all of this and keep their sanity? To be honest, I only put together what is needed. Sometimes there is a subject I just can't find a unit study for, so I'll go digging and create one of my own. Otherwise, I have been blessed to find amazing resources created by seriously creative people and put them to use in our homeschool. Here are a few of my favorites:
DIY Homeschooler has dozens and dozens! Find them by subject or by decade.
Homeschool Helper Online provides units in social studies, science, literature and holidays.
I love the biography studies on Garden of Praise. They've generously provided over 100!
If you're looking for something to fit a certain age group, try Homeschool Share. They go from preschool age up to those ready for independent study and even have some for multiple ages.
Enrichment Studies has well done, multi-media studies with beautiful imagery and links for in depth learning. They also offer a free product each month with email sign up.
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