Unit Study

Becoming a
Unit Study...
Gina Burmeier
Consultant, Rainbow Resource Center
consultants@rainbowresource.com
Questions? Ask our Curriculum Consultants.
Email us at: consultants@rainbowresource.com
Janice Price
Donna Krahn
Deanne Crawford
Sara Carothers
Gina Burmeier
Ruth Tennis
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Unit Study
PRO
What is a Unit Study? It is a thematic or topical approach to teaching as opposed to the
traditional by-subject approach. Rather than teach each subject separately, a unit study
attempts to integrate many or all subject areas into a unified study—usually centered on a
particular subject or event.
Unit Study Categories
1. All Inclusive (or Complete)
Covers all subjects in an organized (chronological) flow. In many cases you may need
to add math, phonics, etc.
2. Literature Based
Centered on a child’s book or series of books.
3. History Based
Centered on historical time or event.
4. Subject/Topic Based
May be a science topic, event, thing, art/music. Usually not a one year curricula. There
are several publishers that provide guides on a variety of topics/subjects.
Unit Study Resource List
All Inclusive:
Guides for Topical/Subject:
KONOS (C)
Weaver (C)
Trail Guide to Learning (C)
Sonlight (C)
Learning Adventures (C)
Layers of Learning (N)
Introduction to Classical Studies—Memoria
Press (C)
Kym Wright (C)
Galloping the Globe/Cantering
the Country(C)
Friends & Heroes Series (C)
Celebrate Thanksgiving (C)
Celebrate the Savior (C)
Historical:
History Revealed: Diana Waring (C)
Literature:
Five in a Row (C/S)
Prairie Primer (C)
Further Up & Further In (C)
Where the Brook & River Meet (C)
Portraits of American Girlhood (C)
Creating Curriculum Children’s Books (S)
Unit Study P.R.O. Resources:
Booster Shot Energize Your Homeschool
with Unit Studies
Joy of Discovery
Unit Study Daily Lesson Planner
Everything You Need to Know About
Homeschool Unit Studies
(by Jennifer Steward)
(C)-CHRISTIAN (S)-SECULAR (N)-NEUTRAL
Notes:
1
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Unit Study
PRO
Auditory Learners...
• Learn through listening.
•L
ike to read aloud and often like to talk to themselves or create
musical jingles to help them learn new materials.
• Like to talk through a problem.
•R
emember by talking out loud and they like to have things
explained orally rather than through written instructions.
Like to hav
music on e
while they
study.
Visual Learners...
• Learn through seeing.
•L
ike written instructions and prefer to take detailed notes as
they listen to lectures.
•L
earn best with visual materials such as pictures, charts, videos,
illustrated textbooks, and handouts.
•L
ike to have a quiet place to study and use colorful highlighters
to mark notes and texts.
Remem
visual detbaer
with ease.ils
Kinesthetic Learners...
• Learn through moving, doing, and touching.
•N
eed to take frequent study breaks and like to chew gum or to
snack while they study.
• Like to stand, rather than sit, when learning something new.
•E
xplorers at heart and like to learn through active participation
in what they are learning.
2
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Mo
around vweh
talking oren
listening.
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Unit Study
P
PRO
lan Your Topic
R
R
R
R
Ages of your children
Interests of children and mom
Family dynamics
Available resources and time
Notes:
R
esearch Your Topic
R
R
R
R
R
Internet
Library
Your bookshelves
Field trips
People resources
Notes:
O
rganize Your Topic
R
R
R
R
S
elect books, videos, and websites you will be using
Determine activities to be incorporated
Contact people who are knowledgeable in subject area
Schedule field trips
Notes:
3
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Unit Study Tools
Websites:
Activities:
Videos:
Field Trips:
Topic:
Books:
4
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People Resources:
Unit Study Topic
(Topic or Theme)
Spelling/Vocabulary:
History/Geography/Social Studies:
Penmanship:
Science:
Writing:
Math:
Literature/Reading Comprehension:
Music/Art:
Bible/Character Lessons:
P.E.:
5
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Unit Study Tools:
Sample
Websites:
Activities:
- www.titanic1.org
- www.titanic-titanic.com
- www.onlinetitanicmuseum.com
- Map route of Titanic
- Study ship speed
- Timeline
- Morse Code
- Study hypothermia
- Study styles, clothes and
culture of 1912
Videos:
Field Trips:
- Titanic (1953 version)
- A Night to Remember
- History Channel:
Titanic the Complete Story
- National Geographic
Books:
- Titanic
- Icebergs/Glaciers
- Ships
- Morse Code/Samuel Morse
- Biographies
Contact us: consultants@rainbowresource.com
Topic:
Titanic
- Titanic Exhibit
- Ocean
- US Coast Guard
People Resources:
- YouTube : “Survivors and what
they saw”
- Coast Guard or Navy personal
Unit Study Topic:
Sample
Titanic
(Topic or Theme)
Spelling/Vocabulary:
History/Geography/Social Studies:
- Nautical terminology
- Hypothermia terminology
- Glacier terms
- Timeline
- Map activities
- Biographies of those on board ( Archibald Butt,
Isidor Straus, Captain Edward J. Smith)
- Learn Morse Code
Penmanship:
- Copywork: quotes from books, Bible verses
Writing:
- Research projects
- Be a newspaper reporter and report on
Titanic disaster
- Compare/contrast Titanic movie with real story
Literature/Reading Comprehension:
- Book reports
- Narration/dictation
- Magic Treehouse guide & book on Titanic
Music/Art:
- Study life of band leader: Wallace Hartley
- Draw Titanic ship and label
- Draw iceberg
P.E.:
- Row boat/canoe one knot per hour
- Energy: move to increase body temp
and battle hypothermia
Contact us: consultants@rainbowresource.com
Science:
- Hypothermia
- Glaciers
- Salt water vs. fresh water
Math:
- Calculate Titanic’s speed: convert knots to MPH
- Graph answers from experiments
- Number of life boats compared to number
of people
- Calculate number of life boats necessary for
all to survive
Bible/Character Lessons:
- Women and children first
- Leadership and responsibility
- Pride
- Scripture:
Job 37:10
John 15:13
Song of Solomon 8:7
Acts 16:31