We love unit studies around here and over the years I have put together lots of different studies for my kids. I’ve compiled them all into one big list. Some of them have taken us an entire school year to finish and some have taken 3-4 weeks. We usually have several going at once.
These studies aren’t intended to incorporate lots of different subjects, but are designed to cover one topic in depth without the limitations that come with needing to cover all of the subjects in one topic. So if we study a country we explore it in a way that help my kids connect with the subject. I don’t concern myself with my child needing to show understanding through writing about the topic. We learn and discover together and discuss as we go.
Geography
Countries
Central and South America studies
Religions
Introduction to World Cultures
History
Ancient Rome and Early Christianity
Middle Ages (Documentary-based)
Early Modern History (Documentary-based)
Documentary-based Modern History Study
Science
Food Chains, Biomes, and Ecology
Earth Science using Tarbuck Earth Science as a spine
CPO Physical, Earth, and Space Science (expanded with supplements)
Bible
Types and Shadows of the Old Covenant
Fine Arts
Classical and Modern Music Appreciation
Can you do unit studies with an only child? I love the idea of unit studies but they seem to work best with multiple kids and we have an only. Also, can you do them with a child that is opposed to doing assignments in general (even things he would normally enjoy and choose to do he tends to decide he hates when he is told to do. And just not telling him he has to do anything isnt an option for us)?
What ages are these unite studies geared to? I have a 1st grader and a 8 grader…big space between them!
I’ve used some of them as early as age 4 and some of them up through 9th grade. Most of the unit studies will mention the grades of my children when they did the study.
I’m thinking about doing a one-week unit on exploration, probably zeroing in on the golden age of exploration and the explorers during that time period. If you have any great games/activities/books to suggest I’d love to see it! Your Middle Ages documentaries list is wonderful. My girls are 8 and 10 and advanced for their age, but not more than a grade or two.
I am finding your experiences so incredibly helpful as we finish our 2nd year of HSing. My 7 year old said he wants to learn about chemicals. I’m going to start looking into piecing a unit study together. Off the top of your head, do you know of any great resources I can access?
Thanks Nicole. Sorry, I haven’t looked into any resources for chemicals before so I don’t have any recommendations.
My son loves watching these videos. There is one for each of the elements on the periodic table. They are a little wacky and fun. http://www.periodicvideos.com/
Fantastic! Thanks Carla.
there’s a great youtube video about the periodic table. It’s a fun song. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VgVQKCcfwnU