What is a Unit Study?
Homeschool unit studies are a great way to personalize your child’s education and make learning fun and engaging. If you aren’t familiar with this method, a unit study takes a particular topic and integrates many school subjects and skills into one exciting theme.
They can also be great for families who are teaching children of multiple ages. Materials and activities can be adjusted to fit the needs of each child while the whole family stays on the same topic.
Below are some steps to help you create a comprehensive unit study:
1.Choose an Interesting Topic
Unit studies are a way to truly customize your child’s education and explore themes that interest them. It can be anything from dinosaurs to space to a novel they’re reading.
2. Gather Materials
If you have a good library, definitely start there. Gather books, media, and kits related to your topic. Look for helpful websites with well-organized information and fun games. Movies and TV series can help bring people and places to life that you’re studying.
3. Implement Reading
Develop a plan for daily reading on your topic. Read together or have a quiet time each day to read independently. Listening to an audiobook can also be a fun way to immerse yourself in a good story. The most important part is the book selection. Let your kids select books they find intriguing. Vocabulary, spelling, and other language arts skills can be incorporated into the book selections.
4. Add a Writing Component
This can be journaling, book or movie reviews, essays, short stories, research papers, poetry, travel brochures, comic strips, blog posts, newspaper articles, pen pal letters, etc.
5. Incorporate Science
Experiments, observations, investigations, or a fun kit are some of the many ways science can be included in a unit study.
6. Consider How Math Can Be Applied to Your Topic
Want to include math into your homeschool unit study organically? Try activities like data collection and graphing, using weights and measures while baking a themed snack, and budgeting for supplies or field trips.
7. If Applicable Add a History or Social Studies Element
If your topic takes place in a specific location or time period, include resources that will give you context for those places and times. Gather items such as travel videos, international or historical recipes, timelines, maps, movies, and historical fiction.
8. Get Artsy
Adding an art component into your curriculum can help your students develop their creativity and foster a stronger connection to the subject matter they are learning. This can be as easy as including a sketchbook in a nature study or as complex as making a documentary about your family. Painting, photography, sculpting, music, and performance art are just a few examples of the many ways you can incorporate art into your lessons.
9. Don’t Forget to Have Fun!
Don’t forget to have fun! Unit studies are a great way to explore a subject in-depth. However, focusing on one topic can become tedious without a variety of activities and assignments. It’s a good idea to include some fun elements such as games, movies, or costumes to make the learning experience more enjoyable!
Crafts, science kits, sensory bins, and educational toys are great for hands-on learning.
Some kids love project-based learning and will enjoy activities like building a diorama or model, planning an end-of-unit party, or going all-out by turning the dining room into a themed restaurant.
10. Schedule a Field Trip
Go on a field trip to explore and learn through real-world experience. Reading and studying about something is interesting, but experiencing it yourself is even better. If you are unable to go on a physical field trip, there are many virtual field trips available online that you can take.
Homeschool Unit Study Planning Page
Have fun and be flexible. You don’t need to incorporate every item on this list to have a successful learning experience. If you would like this planning page to help you organize your ideas, you can download it below.
Happy homeschooling!
Free Resource Library
For more fun and free educational resources, subscribe to Field Trip Texas and get access to the Free Resource Library.
We offer a range of educational resources designed to be both enriching and fun for you and your students. Check out our store!
