Fantastic Homeschool Unit Study Curriculum Options
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We are lucky to homeschool at a time when there are so many wonderful homeschool curriculum options. Some of my favorite options for elementary and middle school students are unit study curriculum options. I like using a unit study approach whenever possible because it ties together multiple subject areas.
What are unit studies?
Unit studies are an educational resource that integrates various subjects around specific topics or a central theme. The main theme might be a social studies topic, but the lessons also include art activities, language arts suggestions, a hands-on geography project, and science experiments.
Unit studies can be a great way to weave educational material into subjects that students naturally find interesting.
The unit study method works particularly well for elementary and middle school grade levels. Every once in a while, I come across a phenomenal high school unit study, but they are much less common. I think this is because by the high school grades, students are preparing for college-level work and are using more traditional educational resources.
What are the advantages of unit studies?
There are quite a few advantages to using unit studies in homeschools:
- Family Learning – The whole family can work at their own level while studying a central theme. I loved doing this when my kids were in elementary and middle school grades because it let me plan art activities and field trips that were relevant to both students. This does work best when homeschool families have kids close in age.
- Personalization – Unit studies can be personalized to each student’s interests, learning style, educational goals, and abilities. This naturally leads to higher levels of engagement.
- Time Saving – Unit studies use interdisciplinary learning to cover a variety of subjects at one time. This can save time in the homeschool day, leaving more time for field trips and read-alouds.
- Critical Thinking – When students learn about how subjects overlap, they begin to notice and question how other topics might be related. They deep dive into a particular topic.
These are some of my favorite homeschool unit study programs.
Fantastic Homeschool Unit Study Curriculum Options
Techie Homeschool Mom
Techie Homeschool Mom offers online unit studies for upper elementary – middle school.
These unit studies are all internet-based. Students will use websites and online videos to learn about a topic. They will also learn to use a variety of web programs to create digital projects. You do not need any additional printed resources, like books, to complete these unit studies.
Some of the Techie Homeschool Mom unit study curriculum options include:
These unit studies can be used independently, added to another curriculum as an additional resource, or combined and used as a curriculum for a subject. If you are interested in using a few of the Techie Homeschool Mom unit studies in one year, be sure to check out the bundles.
Rabbit Trails Homeschool
Rabbit Trails Homeschool offers literature-based unit studies for elementary grades.
These unit studies combine quality picture books with hands-on activities so that students are truly engaged with what they are learning. You will need to acquire the books, but libraries are likely to have most, if not all, of the titles. These unit studies are Charlotte Mason-inspired, so there is copywork included.
Some of the Rabbit Trails Homeschool unit study curriculum options include:
Check out this review of the Rabbit Trails Homeschool unit studies for more information.
Literary Adventures for Kids
Literary Adventures for Kids offers online book clubs that function as unit studies for a book. There are options for elementary, middle, and high school students.
These unit studies are designed to last between a few weeks and a month. Students read the book at the suggested pacing and study the plot, literary devices used, vocabulary, and grammar. They also explore topics related to the book.
These book studies can be used on their own, but they can also be bundled together through the memberships so that your student can study a different book every month.
Some of the Literary Adventures for Kids unit study curriculum options include:
Check out this post to read how to use the Literary Adventures for Kids memberships. This post explores the high school membership, but there are also memberships for elementary and middle school students.
Homeschool in the Woods
Homeschool in the Woods offers printable history unit studies for elementary students. The focus is on hands-on learning. Some of the products can stand alone as a complete unit study and others are intended to supplement lessons. There is also the option to purchase product bundles so that you have a full history curriculum for a year.
Some of the Homeschool in the Woods unit study curriculum options include:
Read this review of Homeschool in the Woods to learn more about these hands-on history unit studies.
Silverdale Press
Update: Silverdale Press has closed. Their press release indicates they may reopen, so I am leaving this post up in hopes that they are able to be a resource in the future.
Silverdale Press offers history unit studies for grades K – 12. These unit studies heavily feature primary sources.
Silverdale Press offers two types of history unit studies:
- White House Holidays
- Presidential Election
The White House Holidays series teaches kids, K – 12, about the history of several holidays. Students will learn about the history of the holiday and how it has historically been observed in the White House.
The Presidential Election unit study teaches middle school and high school students everything they need to know about the United States Presidential election. This would be a great addition to any government curriculum, but it is especially wonderful during an election year.
Read about how my family used the White House Holidays unit studies in our homeschool.
Peanut Butter Fish Lessons
Peanut Butter Fish Lessons offers a wide variety of unit studies for elementary students. There are unit studies for just about every educational topic and childhood interest. There are also mini-unit studies available. The products are all extremely affordable.
Some of the Peanut Butter Fish Lessons unit studies include:
- The Grand Canyon
- Backyard Birds – Mini Unit Study
- Countries of the World – Europe
- Cicadas – Mini Unit Study
I hope this post helps you find fun and educational unit studies to enhance your homeschool learning experience!
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