PhotoGal Posted November 9, 2011 Share Posted November 9, 2011 I was thinking of taking a week or two off from our regular routine and trying some project based learning. (Something more child led). I don't really know how to facilitate that, though. Does anyone know if there is a curriculum or book out there that could help? I would like to see some ideas for topics or how to help organize/plan or project ideas. Is there something out there that can help us get started? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vtbowman Posted November 9, 2011 Share Posted November 9, 2011 What about Amanda Bennett's unit studies? www.unitstudy.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
morosophe Posted November 9, 2011 Share Posted November 9, 2011 Search Google for "planning unit studies," and I think you'll find a lot. If you'd rather a preplanned unit study, there are some free ones available, if you can pick a topic. Or, browse through Homeschool Share, my favorite free source (Level 3 Unit Studies sound about right for the ages of your kids). If you really want to pay a lot of money for this, there's always Everything You Need to Know about Homeschool Unit Studies, by Jennifer Steward. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aurelia Posted November 9, 2011 Share Posted November 9, 2011 Unit studies are generally project based or filled with them. You could get a unit from KONOS, Five in a Row, Moving Beyond the Page, or Intellego to start. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
angela in ohio Posted November 9, 2011 Share Posted November 9, 2011 Try searching for resources for challenging gifted kids. They are always full of ideas for independent projects. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted November 9, 2011 Share Posted November 9, 2011 Five in a Row http://fiarhq.com/fiveinarow.info/index.html Also has a very nice forum. Beyond Five in a Row Oak Meadow http://www.oakmeadow.com A Little Garden Flower http://www.waldorfjourney.typepad.com/ Also has a very nice Yahoo group Christoperus Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kristinannie Posted November 9, 2011 Share Posted November 9, 2011 Search Google for "planning unit studies," and I think you'll find a lot. If you'd rather a preplanned unit study, there are some free ones available, if you can pick a topic. Or, browse through Homeschool Share, my favorite free source (Level 3 Unit Studies sound about right for the ages of your kids). If you really want to pay a lot of money for this, there's always Everything You Need to Know about Homeschool Unit Studies, by Jennifer Steward. Thanks for sharing those free unit studies. WOW! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhotoGal Posted November 9, 2011 Author Share Posted November 9, 2011 Thank you so much for the replies! I will definitely check them out. I do love unit studies. :) I guess I am looking for something different, though. I don't know how to explain it. There is a gifted school in the area that does project-based learning, but it is more child focused - so the kids choose the topic and what projects they will do. But obviously the teachers must have some guidelines because it is an elementary school. I don't know how they do it, but I am picturing it as something like: the kids want to start a lemonade stand, so they plan how to do it. They would research the recipe, costs of ingredients, the price they should charge, measurements for constructing the stand, how to advertise and so on. Then they actually follow through on the project, then have some kind of reflection at the end. Does that make sense? So the kids are coming up with ideas, solving problems as they come up - the teacher jumps in only as needed. Is there a curriculum for that or do teachers just come up with it? Maybe some of the unit study books would overlap that as well? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cschnee Posted November 9, 2011 Share Posted November 9, 2011 Not exactly child-led, but hands-on, and exciting "units" can be found at GEMS http://lhsgems.org/gemspubs.html and INTERACT simulations http://www.interact-simulations.com/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
morosophe Posted November 9, 2011 Share Posted November 9, 2011 Okay, it sounds kind of like the stuff at Project Based Learning, but for younger grades, which makes it more like what you can find at BIE. They have a book for schools--PBL in the Elementary Grades, of which you can get the introduction for free--and some free articles and worksheets. But for homeschooling, it's a little different, I guess. Well, you could check out Camp Creek Blog--I think I like the "How to Start" post, but all of the "project-based learning" stuff seems to be at the top of the middle column, there. Here's a blog post with links to more homeschoolers' blogging posts on PBL, which in the early educational years is apparently called the Reggio Emelia approach instead, after a city in Italy. And this post has become way, way too stream-of-consciousness, meaning that it's bedtime. I'm sure you can google "Reggio homeschool" just as well as I can, so I'm not actually helping much. Good night! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kolamum Posted November 9, 2011 Share Posted November 9, 2011 What about Amanda Bennett's unit studies? www.unitstudy.com AB's units are fantastic BUT, I think your child needs to be a strong reader & writer in order to have the child lead the studies. I heard people RAVE about them when my children were younger and I hated them. Then one day, when my children were much older I pulled one out and it was AWESOME. :D They still werent, at that time, old enough to do the research and reading on their own, but they were able to make lapbooks and notebooks with the info we discovered together on their own. ;) FIAR is not child led. All though, really you can use it as you see fit. I just don't see it as being child led. :D Still great for Unit Studies though. :D BYFIAR is used in a more child led aspect because it's meant for children who are reading and writing well & on their own. ;) Download N Go are unit studies and then some made by Amanda Bennett. I think they are aimed more at the littler crowd and are meant to be led a lot on their own. They come on sale from time to time and incorporate a lot of things into one. :) Homeschool Share has plenty of free unit studies at many different ages and stages, and depending on your teaching method and child they may or may not be child led. Personally, like FIAR, I don't find them child led but maybe my teaching methods are different then those here? Homeschool In The Woods have 6 week Unit Studies done on various points of History. They are all fantastic and are written for children to do. I would say if you're going to use these for your child to use on their own you'd want your child to be a proficient reader. BUT, having said that each lesson has projects and/or lapbook/notebook stuff to go with it. We really love these. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sewingmama Posted November 9, 2011 Share Posted November 9, 2011 (edited) If you read through Camp Creek Blog there are lots of posts of how it can be used in a school setting (she is an ex teacher). I don't think there would be any specific curriculum because that is sort of the opposite of what project learning is about. There are no topics because the kids choose them according to their interests.I think even in a school setting there are no "topics" as such but the teacher does have to keep in mind the standards the kids have to meet. I'm pretty sure that the way it works in schools is that the class and teacher meet together as a group and discuss the things the kids would be interested in learning about - then the teacher either chooses a topic from the suggestions or has the class vote on it. Either way the teacher doesn't pick the topic on her own without consulting the class first. Anyway it isn't hard to come up with the topics they use in school if that is what you are wanting to do - they are basically the same theme everywhere -under the sea, dinosaurs, space, weather, seasons, etc etc. PBL - is more of a method then a curriculum. If you choose the "topic" the kids may loose interest very quickly. PBL is a method that kids use to find the answers to their own questions -so it's not going to work if they don't have any questions about Space KWIM. The first step would be to forget a curriculum and just observe your kids interests. You could also be direct and just ask them what they would like to learn about for a few weeks. If they come up with something then you might prompt them by asking them to tell you what sort of things do they want to know about the topic etc. Be warned though -if your kids are not used to being in charge of their own learning they may be a little dumbfounded at first and not sure what they are supposed to do. You'll get all the help you need right here http://www.whiteoakschool.com/camp-creek-blog/2008/10/2/project-based-homeschooling.html Edited November 9, 2011 by sewingmama Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alte Veste Academy Posted November 9, 2011 Share Posted November 9, 2011 If you read through Camp Creek Blog there are lots of posts of how it can be used in a school setting (she is an ex teacher). I don't think there would be any specific curriculum because that is sort of the opposite of what project learning is about. There are no topics because the kids choose them according to their interests.I think even in a school setting there are no "topics" as such but the teacher does have to keep in mind the standards the kids have to meet. Anyway it isn't hard to come up with the topics they use in school if that is what you are wanting to do - they are basically the same theme everywhere -under the sea, dinosaurs, space, weather, seasons, etc etc. PBL - is more of a method then a curriculum. If you choose the "topic" the kids may loose interest very quickly. PBL is a method that kids use to find the answers to their own questions -so it's not going to work if they don't have any questions about Space KWIM. The first step would be to forget a curriculum and just observe your kids interests. You could also be direct and just ask them what they would like to learn about for a few weeks. If they come up with something then you might prompt them by asking them to tell you what sort of things do they want to know about the topic etc. Be warned though -if your kids are not used to being in charge of their own learning they may be a little dumbfounded at first and not sure what they are supposed to do. You'll get all the help you need right here http://www.whiteoakschool.com/camp-creek-blog/2008/10/2/project-based-homeschooling.html She took a long hiatus from her blog recently and apparently used the time to write a book. She recently wrote that at the end of this month, she'll have more details about the book. I can't wait. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sewingmama Posted November 9, 2011 Share Posted November 9, 2011 (edited) She took a long hiatus from her blog recently and apparently used the time to write a book. She recently wrote that at the end of this month, she'll have more details about the book. I can't wait. I didn't know that - I haven't looked at her blog in a while. I'd love to get it too. OP - I forgot to add in my last post - your kids don't have to be great readers and writers to do PBL - you will have to help them out though to get the infomation they need by reading it to them and helping them find it in the library. Edited November 9, 2011 by sewingmama Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhotoGal Posted November 9, 2011 Author Share Posted November 9, 2011 Thank you so much to everyone for your great ideas and resources. I am so thankful to have such a knowledgeable homeschool community at my fingertips! :001_wub: I will enjoy exploring all these resources. I'm thinking we will attempt a project in the first half of December, take the last couple weeks off and then return to "normal" in January. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kristinannie Posted November 12, 2011 Share Posted November 12, 2011 Thank you so much for the replies! I will definitely check them out. I do love unit studies. :) I guess I am looking for something different, though. I don't know how to explain it. There is a gifted school in the area that does project-based learning, but it is more child focused - so the kids choose the topic and what projects they will do. But obviously the teachers must have some guidelines because it is an elementary school. I don't know how they do it, but I am picturing it as something like: the kids want to start a lemonade stand, so they plan how to do it. They would research the recipe, costs of ingredients, the price they should charge, measurements for constructing the stand, how to advertise and so on. Then they actually follow through on the project, then have some kind of reflection at the end. Does that make sense? So the kids are coming up with ideas, solving problems as they come up - the teacher jumps in only as needed. Is there a curriculum for that or do teachers just come up with it? Maybe some of the unit study books would overlap that as well? I can tell you what I did in my all gifted and talented class in 4-5 grades. It was basically like we were homeschooled by a teacher at a school. We were all on individualized programs for every subject. We did a kind of unit study that I have never seen and I am going to do it with my kids when they are older. One was on the 50's. There were several different options and each activity had a point value. You could pick your grade by doing a certain number of points well. I remember we got 10 points for writing a story, but writing it on a circle (and doing the writing in circles from the inside out) that we made to look like a record. We got 75 points for designing and building a pinball machine. There were all kinds of things to do. A lot of them were LA, a lot history and a lot were science. I absolutely loved it because it gave me some freedom and I could use my creativity. We were basically on our own, but I do think the teacher was there to answer any questions. It would be easy to design something like that. Just a thought! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MamaHappy Posted November 12, 2011 Share Posted November 12, 2011 KONOS comes to mind, but I've never used it,so I might be way off. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
.... Posted November 12, 2011 Share Posted November 12, 2011 I can tell you what I did in my all gifted and talented class in 4-5 grades. It was basically like we were homeschooled by a teacher at a school. We were all on individualized programs for every subject. We did a kind of unit study that I have never seen and I am going to do it with my kids when they are older. One was on the 50's. There were several different options and each activity had a point value. You could pick your grade by doing a certain number of points well. I remember we got 10 points for writing a story, but writing it on a circle (and doing the writing in circles from the inside out) that we made to look like a record. We got 75 points for designing and building a pinball machine. There were all kinds of things to do. A lot of them were LA, a lot history and a lot were science. I absolutely loved it because it gave me some freedom and I could use my creativity. We were basically on our own, but I do think the teacher was there to answer any questions. It would be easy to design something like that. Just a thought! This sounds incredible. We were really project-based until this year and I stopped doing a lot of that stuff. I need to schedule those things in again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thowell Posted November 12, 2011 Share Posted November 12, 2011 So far my girls do alot of project based learning on their own. They pick the topics and do the work. They can express themselves, and what they have learned, in any way they chose. Right now dd11 is working on a project about Malaria. She is working on creating a Powerpoint presentation to include all she has learned. Dd8 was studying ants and made her own anthill in a jar but has since moved on to dolphins. I am thinking that next year I may try Diana Warings History. She basically present the info and then gives the child multiple assignments to chose from. I think it would work great to use the idea from the above poster and place a point value to each assignment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jaz Posted November 12, 2011 Share Posted November 12, 2011 I highly recommend the Hands and Hearts History Kits. All hands on projects with most of the supplies in the box. The instructions for each project are like a mini-history lesson. Love them! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alessandra Posted November 12, 2011 Share Posted November 12, 2011 You might like Rebecca Rupp's The Complete Home Learning Source Book for ideas. it has lists of sources by subject -- despite the fact that the book is oldish, I still find most of her sources and ideas applicable. Her kids learned in much the way you describe, and she weaves a sort of diary of their projects through the book. It's oop, but available used for very little. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leeannpal Posted November 12, 2011 Share Posted November 12, 2011 I think I understand what you are saying. www.epals.com is a website that connects kids all over the world with each other. There are several ongoing projects that students can join. While it is set up for classroom teaching, there are a number of homeschool families on there as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
happycc Posted November 14, 2011 Share Posted November 14, 2011 I assigned the kids the task of building a mission and native american scene. We bought one of those missions kit from michaels and the native american scene-Scene a Rama things. I figure it would be a little fun thing to do no due date in particular. Well my husband has basically taken the whole project over. :confused: He is using his exacto knife cutting the pieces out and telling the girls that they can;t cut right and then he printed out bricks to glue onto the models. I was just going to have the kids glob on white paint. This is truly defeating the purpose of the girls doing this project. Maybe they are too young. Maybe I am nuts for even suggesting this project. How can I save this project? I love that my husband is involved and such but how can I show him how to help the girls.....not hinder....:bigear: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
happycc Posted November 14, 2011 Share Posted November 14, 2011 I was supposed to start a new topic..... Not sure how to erase that post. Carolyn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
threeturn Posted November 15, 2011 Share Posted November 15, 2011 Not sure about a curriculum, but this may give you some ideas for science and math that can be adapted to homeschool. http://www.squidoo.com/project-based-activities Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woolybear Posted January 6, 2012 Share Posted January 6, 2012 She took a long hiatus from her blog recently and apparently used the time to write a book. She recently wrote that at the end of this month, she'll have more details about the book. I can't wait. I'm not sure if I should start a new thread on this, but I am trying to learn more about project based learning. I went to the camp creek blog and the two main post on PBL seem to not be coming up when I click on them. I e-mailed her, but I'm wondering if anyone has this saved and might be able to send them to me? Maybe that's not really okay if she's using the info to write a book or something. Just wondering....... I may start a new PBL thread. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smstjohn Posted January 6, 2012 Share Posted January 6, 2012 I was thinking of a program when I was in school called ALERT. It started in 3rd grade, I think. And for each 9 weeks or so we had a different topic that we focused on-space, medicine, geology. All the reading, math, and logic we did focused on those things. We met once a week, like every Thursday or something, so we had regular classes every other day, but still had the fun and learning of a "unit study" to look forward to as well. That might be an option, too, if going down too many rabbit holes could be a problem! :001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stripe Posted January 26, 2012 Share Posted January 26, 2012 I just watched the movie The Finland Phenomenon, and you might find some of that inspiring for projects, in terms of their general approach. I borrowed it from my library but if you search online, you can actually watch it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stripe Posted January 26, 2012 Share Posted January 26, 2012 I'm not sure if I should start a new thread on this, but I am trying to learn more about project based learning. I went to the camp creek blog and the two main post on PBL seem to not be coming up when I click on them. I e-mailed her, but I'm wondering if anyone has this saved and might be able to send them to me? Maybe that's not really okay if she's using the info to write a book or something. Just wondering....... I may start a new PBL thread. I was able to load them this morning. I'd never heard if this site. What's her name? Or how will I be able to find out about her book? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woolybear Posted January 26, 2012 Share Posted January 26, 2012 Her name is Lori. That's all I know. If you go to her site, you can find a contact us button. I e-mailed her about something and she was pretty quick to get back to me (and nice too.) So, I guess you can ask her about the book. Maybe it's just a rumor. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alte Veste Academy Posted January 26, 2012 Share Posted January 26, 2012 Her name is Lori. That's all I know. If you go to her site, you can find a contact us button. I e-mailed her about something and she was pretty quick to get back to me (and nice too.) So, I guess you can ask her about the book. Maybe it's just a rumor. :) A rumor she started herself! :lol: From her blog... "But I plan to be here and blog every day of November. By the end of the month, I should be able to show you the book I finished while I was conspicuously absent — Project-Based Homeschooling: Mentoring Self-Directed Learners. Yay! There’s even a nice, fresh, new website in the works to go with the book. I’ll tell you all about it." http://www.whiteoakschool.com/camp-creek-blog/2011/11/1/im-here-and-im-blogging-for-30-days-in-a-row.html I'm very :glare::toetap05: at this point. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stripe Posted January 26, 2012 Share Posted January 26, 2012 Her name is Lori Pickert. https://m.google.com/app/contacts?unauth=1#:v=pc&g=-5029912243429914450 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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