How to "Build" a Unit Study

When I’m preparing for a new unit, I start by gathering all of my resources. Some of them I own, some I get from the library, some I glean from the internet. If I haven’t read or watched them, I do so (at least skimming through). I make a list of everything I want to use. (If I own something that I decide is not worth using, I get rid of it!)

The challenging part comes next. I spend some time thinking about what are the important ideas of this unit. [I know that’s easier said than done; I always have to find this quiet time in the early morning or late at night.] For instance, here are my ideas for our U.S. history unit about the 1950’s and 60’s:

--Americans are afraid of Communism. (Truman Doctrine, McCarthy, NATO)

--The US and USSR “fight,” but not with guns. (space race, arms race)

--The “Domino Theory” drives the Vietnam War,

--Vietnam is a different kind of war than we have fought before.

--There is conflict on the home front too.

--After Vietnam, America needs to heal.

--Blacks still don’t have equal rights.

--Non-violent protests bring needed changes.

I don’t articulate these ideas to my kids, but the ideas are the focus of our activities. I plan about one read-aloud book each week, along with movies and other short readings. Sometimes we do research, like the project we did with the above unit on learning about PresidentsTruman, Eisenhower, Kennedy, Johnson, Nixon and the part each played in the Vietnam War.

Usually, I have my kids make a Flap Book, Main Lesson Book, or some other project as a way for them to gather and remember what they have learned. I often keep those projects (especially anything 3-D) in an “interest box” which the kids can get out to look at or play with later. For instance, our astronomy interest box has star charts, a model of the sun-earth-moon, our tin-can constellations, and our Flap Books. Our middle ages box has castle models, wind-up knights, costumes, illuminated alphabets, and coloring books. Then the kids can re-visit that unit whenever they want.

I should mention that I don't usually worry about incorporating ALL of the subject areas into my unit study. We usually do some writing as part of our unit and there may be charts or graphs to work with, but we continue to do our separate language arts and math work as well.

What is Science Education?

My cousin Tim noted recently that my blog doesn’t say much about science.Is this is a weak area in our homeschool, he wondered? (It is true that many homeschooling parents are nervous about science, at least in the upper grades.) Anyway, it got me thinking about what really constitutes science education. If I know what my goals are, it’s much easier to decide if I am achieving them!

My goals in science education are to give my kids the tools to learn about their world. I want them to be familiar with the scientific method—both as a way to make their own discoveries and as a way to evaluate others’ work. I want to give my children at least an overview of many areas of science so that they know enough to choose what they enjoy most. But mainly, I want to leave my children with a sense of wonder and reverence for all of God’s creation—so that they want to keep learning.

I don’t think that textbooks do that very well. I had a K-8 series of science texts when I first started homeschooling. Each grade level skimmed over the same set of units without ever really digging deep enough to “get into it.” That wasn’t very appealing.

Instead, my kids and I spend many hours outside—in the yard, in the vegetable garden, in the forest, by the river. We explore, we paint or draw, we collect. We have a small “nature shelf” at our house where we put our seasonal discoveries of rocks or acorns or flowers. (N has taken charge of this shelf and reorganizes it at least monthly.) My children know, from experience, about different kinds of rocks and where they’re found. They can identify most of the flowers and trees of the Pacific Northwest and all of the plants in our yard and garden. They’ve visited dozens of National and State Parks.

My children have pets—a dog, Guinea pigs, rabbits, and turtles at last count. The kids provide (and pay for) all of the care for these animals, and the kids also read and research just what constitutes the best care so they can make wise decisions. They become experts!

Each child in our family has a nature journal. Nothing is assigned in this notebook, but it is a place where we can draw pictures of an interesting caterpillar, take notes on the habits of a bird, write poetry about flowers, or philosophize about the seasons.

When we do have formal science classes, I like to read LIVING BOOKS, or books that are interesting in their own rights and not just “educational.” For instance, we liked The Microbe Hunters when we studied bacteria and Phineas Gage—A Gruesome but True Story… when we were learning about the brain. When we do use textbooks, it’s after hands-on experience (whole to parts). There are lots of places to get science “stuff,” but one of my favorites is Tobin’s Lab.

Of course any family—homeschooled or not—could do “real life” science this way, but I have the advantage of TIME. We can learn about science WHEN the science learning is relevant. Our science fits right in with our gnomes and fairies, because our science learning aims to instill wonder.

No, Tim, I don’t think we are weak in science. Over time, we do cover all the state learning objectives. But we definitely don’t do it the way they do in public school.

The Tomato Method of Child Rearing

It’s springtime, and I’m working in my vegetable garden almost every day. I’m already looking forward to those yummy tomatoes (my favorite), but they’re challenging to grow here in the Puget Sound. We have a short, wet growing season—without much of the sun that tomatoes need to thrive. Getting ripe tomatoes takes effort.

I start my tomato seeds in March, inside my house, near a good window with lots of light. Soon the seedlings sprout and then get replanted to bigger pots. They have to stay warm, so I keep them inside even when my other vegetable starts go out to the cold frame. When my tomato plants are finally big enough, I “harden them off” by putting them outside—first for just part of each day, then finally around the clock. Even once they get planted in the garden, though, I cover them to protect them from the rain and the cold. They’re finally “on their own” sometime in June.

What does this have to do with homeschool? No, I didn’t get confused and post something from a gardening blog. This metaphor is the way I explain one of my (many) reasons for keeping my kids at home.

One of the hardest queries to answer is when people inquire about why my kids aren’t in the public school system where they could be models for other children. This is a tough question, because I do want my kids to be a good influence on their peers. But then I remember my tomatoes. My children have their whole lives to be good examples. But I want to make sure they have the “root system” and the strength and have been “hardened off” by slow, careful exposure (to things of MY choosing) before I plant them out there in the world. Yes, they would probably grow if I let them go earlier—many children go to public school and turn out just fine. But I’m not taking any chances. If it’s worth all that care to get delicious tomatoes, it’s definitely worth it for my kids.