Homeschool Unit Studies
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Homeschool Unit Studies
I don’t know about you but when I started researching homeschool and all of the different styles and options out there one thing I kept encountering was “unit studies.” If you aren’t familiar with what they are or how to go about incorporating them into your school year, keep reading!
I’ve gathered together all you need to know about unit studies and how to incorporate them into your homeschool.
What are unit studies?
Unit studies are basically a set amount of time planned to study one main topic of interest, say learning all about bees or astronomy or a particular historical person.
The difference between a unit study and just researching or learning more about one topic, is that a unit study can encompass multiple subjects like math, science, history, geography, language arts, music and/or art.
This can allow for a fuller experience in learning and can serve as a supplement to or as your main curriculum for that time period.
Homeschool unit studies can be interest led based on what your child or children are into at the moment or based on what’s relevant with the seasons or current events.
Think going down that rabbit hole of interest, diving deep & learning a ton! One big perk of homeschooling is the ability to do this and unit studies pair perfectly with this style of learning.
Unit studies also are so well aligned with teaching your children how to think and find answers rather than fact memorization. They can bring your studies to life in a way that textbooks sometimes fall flat.
Similar to early education in traditional schools (think apple or harvest themed studies a lot of us did in early elementary school), unit studies can easily be used with older students as well with more depth in topics studied.
Typical homeschool unit studies can be as little as 1-2 weeks or up to 12+ weeks – depends on how in depth you plan or want to go on the subject being studied. They can also be used in co-op setting if you are part of a homeschool co-op.
Advantages of unit studies
Just like one of the BIGGEST advantages to homeschooling in general, homeschool unit studies are completely customizable to your family & ages of your children.
Here are a few other advantages to homeshool unit studies:
- Can be a cost effective way to teach multiple ages
- Great for holidays or seasonal themes
- Helpful to have for when you or your kiddos are feeling burnt out or need a refresh mid-year
- Hands on learning aka fun!
- Provide a more in-depth way to study a topic of interest
Should I purchase or create my own homeschool unit studies?
This (like most things homeschool related) is completely up to you! How much work you want to put into the research & time needed to build a unit study is probably the main deciding point.
Below, I’ll give some tips on where to start if you decide to build your own unit study.
If you are more the open and go type of homeschooler, or are just tired and need a break or simply don’t have the time, check out Cathy Duffy’s list of her top homeschool unit studies picks.
Another, possibly even more cost effective idea is to check Teachers Pay Teachers for individual unit studies created by educators. Always nice to know you’re supporting a small business ☺.
How to create your own homeschool unit studies
Coming up with your own unit studies may seem overwhelming but like a lot of things, it doesn’t take much time once you learn the basics.
Here are some ideas to help you get started:
Decide on the theme or topic
This may seem obvious ha but this can be hard! One way to start is to come up with a list of possible topics based on your children’s interest. Or take a seasonal or holiday approach. Choose a period in history and go from there. The possibilities are endless!
Decide on your timeline
This doesn’t have to be set in stone, but it helps a ton with planning what you’ll cover in your unit study. How in depth you want to go on the topic to be studied helps with this decision a lot. As I said earlier, unit studies can range from a couple of weeks to a few months.
Add to your homeschool year plan
If you are the advance planning type of homeschooling parent, adding unit studies into your *PENCILED IN ;)* plans for the year is a great idea. You can plan other curriculum around these studies, or perhaps line up unit studies with the seasons.
Library!
I’ve said it before, my all-time favorite homeschool resource, the library <3 . Having the ability to pull up your library’s card catalog online and search for & reserve allllll the books on your topic of choice is an amazing help! Or maybe make a day/field trip out of the planning process to select books in person, having your kids help find the books.
With the availability of the world at our fingertips thanks to Google, simply typing in the subject or topic you want to create your unit study about will likely bring up tons of ideas. Head over to Pinterest and create boards of all online resources found making it easy to find the ideas again.
“Cherry-pick”
As when choosing a curriculum, selecting just what works for you & your kids is also the best way to plan a unit study. Not a fan of making a mess with arts & crafts with your kids, don’t do crafts with your study! If you know your kids do their best learning when their hands are busy while listening to you read, search for coloring pages to go along with your unit. Have middle or high schoolers, lean more on the research side of the unit studies. Make it your own!
Field trips after your study
Such a fun, memorable way for your kids to learn. And bonus: – it gets you all out of the house! And most likely when everyone else is at work or school, helping with dealing with annoying crowds!
Documentaries
Another memorable way to tie in additional learning with your unit study. Thanks to YouTube and all the streaming services, there is so much content out there on every topic imaginable.
Food
Need I say more? If your kiddos are anything like mine, seems like we revolve our day around food haha! Plan some themed snacks around your studies. Possibly cook or bake together if that fits in well.
Games
Whether it’s creating your own games (maybe recreate a kid friendly version of gladiator wars if studying ancient Rome) or finding some thanks to online ideas. Or maybe by using board games you have, this game is a great one to add to a geogrpahy unit study, there is plenty of opportunity to add some games to unit studies.
Get crafty
If you like crafts then unit studies are a perfect place to take your time with arts & crafts. Older kids can possibly study art techniques with different mediums perhaps to create a visual for the topic you’ve chosen.
Learn to love lapbooks (or not)
Lapbooks can be a great activity to incorporate with unit studies. My kids have had so much fun making lapbooks through the years. Some kids think they’re too much “extra work.” If your kids don’t love doing them, don’t do them!
Homeschool portfolio ready
Unit studies create a great visual representation of your child’s studies and work. However it will be different than a workbook heavy curriculum. As with all things relating to your child’s work make sure to keep records, photos, and any completed work for your homeschool portfolio if required by your state.
Remember to enjoy it all
Most importantly of all of the thoughts, is the constant reminder we homeschooling parents need, have fun with your kids!
It’s way too easy to get caught up on what you think “should be” or “has to be” done on your checklist of life. Knowing that you can provide your children with a wonderful, rich education, while really enjoying learning alongside them is such a gift homeschooling provides.
Do you have any favorite unit studies you’ve done with your kids? If so, please share & leave a comment below!
