Unit Studies

A Lesson that Applies to all Grades 

New homeschool families determine how they will approach teaching at home, whether consciously or not. In the homeschool world, there is a continuum that ranges from school at home, establishing a classroom and emulating the schedule and coursework that is provided from the school system, to unschooling, a method where students are enriched with hands on activities and teachable moments veering far away from the textbooks and worksheets. For myself, I was far from an unschooler, but I did not set up a classroom at home and rejected most computer based learning in favor of hands-on activities. Every teacher/parent will find their own comfort zone. In today's unusual situation, the school systems are trying to put out guidelines, activities and curriculum so that school at home will be the model. Even so, there are things that parents can do, or even request of the teachers, in order to make the learning environment work in your home.

Unit studies are my favorite way to teach. Teachers and students immerse themselves in one theme over multiple subjects. It is an instructional time when every assignment relates to one larger subject.

For example, if your student wants to learn about sharks, all his reading should be about sharks. His vocabulary should be about sharks, oceans and the environment. Once research has been done, the student can write creatively or in the style of a report. An art project can lend support to this study. Documentaries can be watched. In our house we have a book by Ray Troll, an Alaskan artist, who has beautifully illustrated a scientific picture book about sharks. Students can make an informational video about all they have learned to document their growth.

This is but one small example. This method of teaching applies to all grade levels. A high school example could be a Shakespearian unit study. Students can read plays, watch movies, unpack the language and learn how to read a play. They can study the historic time period, recreate the Shakespearean Theatre, and study his life. They can write their own play. This unit would encompass reading, writing and history. Unit studies allow teachers/parents to “double dip” and get quality writing assignments that are meaningful while studying.

When my son was in Elementary school we had access to the “5 In a Row” Curriculum by Jane Lambert, 

which is now available for purchase online https://fiveinarow.com/blog/ . This curriculum uses classic children’s literature like, “Blueberries for Sal,” “Mike Mulligan and His Amazing Steam Shovel,” and “Make Way for the Ducklings.” These beloved stories are read every day for a week and all of the student’s activities relate to the stories. This is a wonderful way to spend a week.

Many completed resources for this method of teaching are available online, complete with activities and vocabulary. When on the internet, include the words “unit study” in the search. Spring break is an excellent time to gather everything needed to launch a new unit study when homeschool requirements return. 

One unit study we did when my son was in second and third grade utilized the "39 Clues". We read the books out loud as a family at night and during the day my son and I studied about the places and people in the book. Each book visits a different country and highlights a historical figure. The books took us all over the world. We learned about Mozart, the Czars of Russia, and Ben Franklin to name a few.
The fondest memories I have from my homeschool experiences involve unit studies. In the 6th grade, my son wanted to learn about the bark beetle epidemic that was invading our forests in California. We began in our unit study fashion of researching and reading everything we could about the bark beetle. He continued to work on this study all year and it turned into an award winning science project. He put all he learned into a report that was written one paragraph at a time over a year and completed an experiment to support his findings. The work was painless and endlessly rewarding.

As we all adjust to how this school year is being completed, I hope for the best for you and your family. Make the most out of this time. Read together, listen to music, walk, bake cookies and study together. I know there will be struggles and times when you lament this task but make the most of this unique opportunity. Breathe deep.  Be Present. Don’t miss this.