These unit study ideas will give you inspiration in creating your own unit studies for homeschool.
What is a unit study
A unit study is several learning activities revolving around a main theme. Homeschooling families really like that unit studies provide a hands-on approach to learning that uses subjects such as reading, writing, math, science, and art.
How to plan a unit study
- Decide your topic- The most important part right? You can, of course, choose something that you want or need your child to study like space, Little House on the Prairie, animal classification, or cooking.
- Make some goals- What do you hope your child gets out of the study? A complete and total understanding with mastery in all areas or do you just want a fun light study to introduce your child to a new interest? This will determine how in depth you take it, how long you stay on it, and what activities you will include.
- Grab all the books you can– visit your bookshelf first, if it’s a big topic of interest then chances are that you already have at least a half dozen books on the subject. Next, take a trip to the library and get a few. If need be you can always order from Amazon.
- Ask your child for input– Let your child have some control over what they are learning, even if they didn’t pick it and you can bet they will be more vested, interested, and eager to learn. They may have fantastic ideas for activities, field trips, and other things to flesh out the topic study that you might not have thought of.
- Online research- do your own research on the topic to gather ideas and resources. There are so many unit study ideas to be found online. You will likely also find websites to fit your theme with a quick Google search as well.
- Gather up everything-keep a storage tote to store books, printables you find, info on field trips, science tools, etc. Having a catch-all place will keep your unit study organized.
What should be included in a unit study
Lots of hands on activities– The more hands on you make your unit studies, the more your child can enjoy it and then they will retain much more. Crafts and DIY’s are great hands on activities.
Field Trips- Try to find field trips in your area that support your study. Stars? Go to the planetarium. Animal classification? The Zoo. Marine Biology? Beach day!
Outdoor Time- Get outdoors for fresh air and exercise whether it goes along with your topic or not, healthy minds process and learn better!
Book reports- If it applies, a simple or even thorough report is another option for your study.
Lapbooks- These are such a fun way to create a keepsake on your unit study and you can make them your own.
Reading-read alouds and independently
Recipes- for the country you are studying, to observe reactions for science, to recreate an animal with food, the possibilities for working this in are endless!
Online research- We live in a world where technology is king, it’s a good idea to teach and let them learn to use the internet for research and study. Here’s 100 Free Homeschool Resources.
Homeschool Unit Study Ideas
Now that you have know how to plan a unit study, use the unit study ideas below to get you started. You can use the homeschool lesson plans as hey are add to them to make them to cover more subjects.
Find even more unit study ideas: Unit Studies
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