Moms who enjoy (or have enjoyed) unit studies ... help me think this through

[morningcoffee]

I'm probably being sentimental but when I reflect on my homeschooling  I think the best years was when we did unit studies .... FIAR, Weaver, and homemade studies built around Hands of a Child and Homeschool share resources. 

 

I will have kids in grade 9 and grade 5 next year. I think my youngest would benefit most from unit studies but I'm even considering changing things for the oldest too. (not sure about whether they would combined or not).

 

Is it even possible or advisable to adopt a unit study approach in high school? How would I start to research this approach? 

 

Or should I just accept that my unit study days are over now that we are facing high school and middle school?  :001_smile:

 

(please let me know if there is a better place to post this question. I wasn't sure which forum would be best). 

 

 

 

 

 

[Sweet Home Alabama]

My experience... unit studies are probably best for the 5th grader, but we've had some success in high school with American history. Dd is using TTC History of the United States 2nd edition. She clearly told me that she did NOT want to have to memorize a bunch of dates. She REALLY wanted history to be a story. I agreed with her. In our study of American history, in 11th grade, she studied the first part of American history with government. In 12th grade she is finishing American history with personal finance/economics.

 

In 11th grade, we used the lectures as a means of learning how to take notes. We also discussed the content. However, in 12th grade, I planned 6 projects: Civil War, WWI, Great Depression WWII, Vietnam, Iraq War (I think), and present. She has to present these any way she wants to. For Civil War, she made a huge bulletin board filled with what the war was about, how it came about, the major players, how it resolved, etc. With WWI she did a powerpoint presentation. She broke it down to a mini report on the countries involved and how Hitler rose to popularity. With the Great Depression she has written a work of fiction 30 pages long. She loves to write. For WWII she is writing a research paper on Richard Winters. This is where she is at the moment.

 

The Civil War project was the most like a unit study. I gave her lots of ideas about how she could report on these topics. Later I can come back and add them to this post. Time is not a luxury at the moment. She has LOVED this year in history. It has unleashed some creative juices. Learning has been fun. She has really LEARNED history-discusses it fluently. Is passionate about issues. It has been WONDERFUL.

 

 

ETA: I wanted to come back and add all of the activities I mentioned above. This is a very rough brainstorm list because I wanted my dd to have an open-ended launching pad. The list is supposed to help her consider the history topic and choose one of these ways to demonstrate learning.

 

Dd is not limited to presenting styles. She can construct a bulletin board or PowerPoint presentation. She can write a story or essay. She can give a speech or organize several tunes to play for us with commentary describing what is relevant with them. The sky is the limit! This kind of evaluation has made history meaningful. It has really worked well for us.

 

Here is the list of rough project ideas... it's much like TWTM notebook topics.

 

Use primary documents

How music/lyrics shaped/reflected history

Describe what science,inventions/technology was imporant

What language and literature were important

Biography-people of influence

Philosophy- changes of thought- paradigm shifts

Significant battles

Significant strategies

Edited February 12, 2016 by Sweet Home Alabama

[morningcoffee]

 

In 11th grade, we used the lectures as a means of learning how to take notes.  We also discussed the content.  However, in 12th grade, I planned 6 projects:  Civil War, WWI, Great Depression WWII, Vietnam, Iraq War (I think), and present.  She has to present these any way she wants to.  For Civil War, she made a huge bulletin board filled with what the war was about, how it came about, the major players, how it resolved, etc.  With WWI she did a powerpoint presentation. She broke it down to a mini report on the countries involved and how Hitler rose to popularity.  With the Great Depression she has written a work of fiction  30 pages long.  She loves to write.  For WWII she is writing a research paper on Richard Winters.  This is where she is at the moment.  

 

Love these ideas - thanks!

[justasque]

I'm probably being sentimental but when I reflect on my homeschooling  I think the best years was when we did unit studies .... FIAR, Weaver, and homemade studies built around Hands of a Child and Homeschool share resources. 

 

I will have kids in grade 9 and grade 5 next year. I think my youngest would benefit most from unit studies but I'm even considering changing things for the oldest too. (not sure about whether they would combined or not).

 

Is it even possible or advisable to adopt a unit study approach in high school? How would I start to research this approach? 

 

Or should I just accept that my unit study days are over now that we are facing high school and middle school?  :001_smile:

 

(please let me know if there is a better place to post this question. I wasn't sure which forum would be best). 

 

One way we approached our unit studies was to pick a time period (colonial America, Middle Ages, Ancients, etc.) and three science topics (Chem, Animals, etc.), then find library books, field trips, activities, songs, movies, etc to go with the topics.  Your 9th grader will probably need a more formal study, but you can still use the same basic approach.  For example, if the 9th grader is doing early US history, you can do the same with your 5th grader, obviously using different materials.  You can watch the same movies, go on the same field trips, play the same songs or historical fiction in the car.  For the ninth grader, it will be more of a family interest that surrounds and supports their formal studies, and for the fifth grader, the balance is different - more activities, less formal coursework.  If your ninth grader is using a textbook, you can map out what things are being covered each week, and create a timeline (or in the case of science, a topic schedule) that will coordinate, not always with the same topic but with something related.   For the fifth grader, you can use library materials to cover the topic with assignments created by you, or you can find a text that covers roughly the same topics as the 9th grader's.  It sounds like a lot of work, but the basics can be roughed out in a day or so over the summer, and you can fill in more details quarterly, then monthly, then weekly as you go, getting more specific with each pass.

[Lori D.]

JMO, but once you hit high school, it's super tough to combine very many subjects to make a true unit study (all or most school subjects revolving around a single idea, such as "bats", or "Native Americans", or "Australia") as you can when students are young. At the high school level, Foreign Language, Science, and Math are just not "combinable" and the topics are more inter-connected and build on one another, making it hard to pull out a topic to combine as part of a unit study...

 

However, History and high school English (Literature and Writing) can go together pretty easily. And I certainly think you can make some 9th grade subjects more project-driven. :) Sweet Home Alabama suggested some great project ideas. And justasque has a great suggestion for how to overlap some of the resources for both the 9th grader and 5th grader.

 

If you're okay with just a more out-of-the-box 9th grade (rather than needing a true unit study), I think you can get some fun projects in several subject areas, and do some overlapping activities in History with both students, and have a good time! :) BEST of luck! Warmly, Lori D.

[Jaz]

Beyond FIAR would be good for your 5th grader!

 

My dc loved Easy Simulations Pioneers. It's like an Oregon Trail game I played in school where you face obstacles and make decisions as you ride along the trail. You keep a diary of the adventure. http://www.amazon.com/Easy-Simulations-Information-Skills%C2%97-Understanding/dp/043952220X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1455225542&sr=8-1&keywords=Easy+Simulations+pioneers

 

When my ds hit high school, he wasn't interested in unit studies or working with his sister so for 2 years he worked independently or with me. I'm glad I gave him a chance to grow up on his own. This year, I'm combining them again for history, logic, and literary analysis (Windows to the World).

 

I have the Easy Simulations American Revolution and Civil War books I plan to use with my dd in high school. I'm also going to have her read through a bunch of the American Adventure series books. I think I have about 30 of them. I realize these are below high school reading level, but I really enjoyed the flow of history when I read them. Plus, they follow a family through generations, which is fun! http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_c_0_15?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=american+adventure+series&sprefix=american+advent%2Caps%2C272 She'll study primary sources and documentaries for American history too. I just thought I'd share a way I plan to incorporate a unit study feel to high school.

 

ETA: We're all interested in architecture so we may study European architecture next year which I would count as a type of unit study.

 

 

Edited February 11, 2016 by Jaz

[wintermom]

We recently did a partial unit study approach when we read-aloud Eagle of the Ninth with my gang (ages 9 - 15). We were able to pull out lots of mini-projects on history, geography, Latin, architecture, art/military awards, biology (domestication/evolution of wolves to dogs), and even some Gaelic.  It was quite ad-hoc, without a lot of pre-planning on my part. I just pulled out topics as we read. There could have been a lot more research and writing, arts and crafts and/or presenting involved.

Edited February 12, 2016 by wintermom

[Lori D.]

Doh! ::forehead smack:: … Original Poster:

I don't know why I didn't think of this sooner, but Konos (the self-proclaimed "granddaddy of unit studies") does have high school level materials: 4 years of material, based around chronological History of the World (HOW):

- HOW 1: Ancients (print)

- HOW 2: Medieval (print)

- HOW 3: Renaissance & Reformation (download only)

- HOW 4: American History (download only)

 

It looks like all units cover:

- Social Sciences (History and Geography)

- English (Literature, Writing)

- Bible

- Fine Arts: Studio Art, Drama/Speech

 

And a few other subjects are touched on in some of the specific years:

- HOW 1 = ----

- HOW 2 = some Latin

- HOW 3 = Fine Arts: Art History, Music, Architecture

- HOW 4 = Study Skills; Civics; Fine Arts: Dance/Music

 

So, it is missing Science and Math, but you perhaps that's not really a problem to use programs or textbooks for those subjects, if much of the rest of your studies are integrated as unit study… Or, perhaps Konos would give you some project ideas that the whole family could do, or do with some other local families as part of a "mini coop" ?? BEST of luck in planning a more hands-on integrated year! Warmest regards, Lori D.

[Hunter]

Layers of Learning

 

Far Above Rubies

 

Blessed is the Man

 

Student of the Word