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Unit studies - low-cost, good quality?


Tanaqui
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I know for a darn fact that I'm not the only one who has friends who unexpectedly have their kids home with little or no meaningful work from their actual schools. Obviously they don't really want to just do whole-year planning! And they all think I know stuff when honestly, nooooo. I really hate reccing things* because if the person doesn't like it, that's on me. So I'd rather blame you all instead! Does anybody have any links to low-cost or free unit studies? Secular only, thanks - this is for my friends, and we're all liberals and atheists*.

I'm also surprisingly lacking on easy science resources. I remember now, to my shock I discovered that I thought history was super more important and so we really focused on that instead of science.

 

* except long long booklists

* Not literally all

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Build Your Library has some secular unit studies. The prehistory unit study is one of my very favorite things we have ever done for homeschool, and my oldest son is loving the WW2 study right now. There is currently a 20% off sale. 

Mystery science is free right now, I think. My younger kids loved it, and it is really easy to implement. 

Edited by mellifera33
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1 hour ago, mellifera33 said:

Build Your Library has some secular unit studies. The prehistory unit study is one of my very favorite things we have ever done for homeschool, and my oldest son is loving the WW2 study right now. There is currently a 20% off sale.

This is the first time I've looked at Build Your Library, and it looks very good and I will recommend it...but it isn't a "unit study." A unit study is when you do history, geography, science, arts and crafts--everything except English and math skills--while studying something like lighthouses, or carousels, or sailing ships.

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BYL does have some unit studies - though possibly they don't use that term as strictly as some people do! - in addition to their full-year curricula, and I've actually been recommending it left and right to people already 🙂

I was hoping for some more options if at all possible.

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Five In A Row is good for short (week long) unit studies. It might be hard if they don't have a library open around them but it shouldn't be too hard to order a few of the books for a reasonable price. Plus it is something they can do in the summer too if they end up liking it. There isn't much religion in it unless you get the separate Bible supplement. It would be best for maybe up to 2nd grade for Volumes 1 - 3 and Volume 4 and the additional digital units would be good for a 2nd or 3rd grader. Beyond FIAR does chapter book unit studies that are meant for 3rd grade to about 6th grade. I honestly think the FIAR series would be lovely educational work without being too much when schedules and routines are turned upside down right now.

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Easy (?) -- lol -- secular science resources:

Complete Book of Science -- grades 1-2; grades 3-4; grades 5-6
Under $10; secular; surprisingly nice variety in these: various topics; colorful informational and workbook pages; graphic organizer activities; hands-on activity suggestions.

Core Knowledge -- grades 3, 4, 5
FREE science units; secular; I didn't register/download, as that was what was needed in order to look at them to see how easy to use they are...

4-H Science Units -- What's On Your Plate (gr. 5-12); Electric Excitement (3 different grade levels)
NOT inexpensive, but secular, and look very straightforward to use.

Reader's Digest How _____ Works books -- (gr. 5-8)
Under $10 for used books; secular; 2-page spreads of info on specific topics; "bites" of text with lots of illustrations; details for setting up go-along hands-on activities
- How The Earth Works (earth science)
- How Science Works (physical science -- chemistry & physics topics)
- How the Body Works (life science/anatomy)
- How Nature Works (life science/botany & zoology)
- How the Universe Works (astronomy)
- How The Weather Works (meteorology)

ACS: Middle School Chemistry (gr. 6-8)
FREE lesson plans; secular; may not be as "easy" or open-and-go as desired...

Edited by Lori D.
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