How to create a Unit Study

A unit study is a theme or topic that you approach from various angles and resources. Content areas such as History, Math, Science, Bible, and the Arts are better suited for unit studies than skill areas like math and English because these areas must be taught precept upon precept. Of course, there are many fine companies that provide pre-made unit studies, such as Amanda Bennett, Hands of a Child and Beautiful Feet, but, perhaps you’d like to create your own. Here’s how:

1.      Brainstorm your initial topic and get it defined to the point that you can create a course description with objectives and goals. (i.e. my 8 year old wants to learn more about horses, my 11 year old wants to learn more about the 1800’s, my 16 needs a great study on the 20^th century for a high school lit/history unit.

2.      Do an internet search/ initial research on your topic and refine as needed, (i.e. define it clearly enough so that it is not so broad that it consumes the entirety of your elementary life, or so narrow that there is not information about it).

3.      Create a reading, movie, T.V. list based on your course description and research

4.      Brainstorm activities and projects, for instance:

1.      dioramas

2.      presentations/short skits

3.      field trips

4.      community experts

5.      cooking/foods

6.      games

7.      posters

8.      oral and written reports

9.      maps/geography

10.  memory work

11.  scrapbook

12.  video/ stop action animation

13.  Blog article (or a blog created to showcase the unit/YouTube

14.  Play mobile / Lego re-enactments,

15.  lap books

5.      Fit the activities and projects that you’ve chosen into various curriculum areas:

 

1.      literature

2.      history

3.      science

4.      math

5.      the Arts (music, fine arts, drama)

6.      phys.ed.

6.      Plan your Study (Create a notebook for your study- you might want to do it again!)

1.      Determine the time for the study- how long will it be, how often will you work on it.

2.      Schedule the resources you have readily available- books, DVD’s, people, etc.

3.      Schedule the projects for the unit –allow enough time for them!

4.      Schedule the reading for the unit

5.      Schedule the memory work for the unit

6.      Schedule field trips

7.      Create a fitting close to your successfully completed unit study like a grand finale field trip or a presentation/reenactment for Dad and Grandparents!

Unit studies are fun for young and old alike and can be either simple (the zoo) or complex (the 20^th Century). They are only limited by your imagination!

I’d love to hear about the unit studies that you are creating!

@Golden Grasses 2008-2013. All photographs, artwork and text are the property of the owner unless otherwise stated. Don't miss a thing! Subscribe to Golden Grasses and get our articles right to your inbox!

Blog Love and New Friends!

Did you make it to the Facebook Party last night? If not, don't worry, there will be more! I wanted to make sure that you had a chance to meet two talented and fantastic women that I've recently had the good fortune of befriending and learning from! Sandra from Little Learning Lovies and Crystal from Serving Joyfully.

Please hop over to Little Learning Lovies and meet Sandra! She is a business woman, homeschooling Momma and generous friend. I'm in love with the stuff in her store- great graphics combined with wholesome learning- can't get any better than that! Check out her 2014

Little Learning Lovies Packs

And while you are hopping around, please go meet Crystal at Serving Joyfully. She has a lovely All About Winter Pre-K/ K pack that is FREE! 

 

And soon to be released (in 10 days, y'all!)  Intentional Marriage! 

Serving Joyfully

 

The world is really a small place, isn't it?

So glad you are part of my world- thanks once again for reading Golden Grasses!

@Golden Grasses 2008-2013. All photographs, artwork and text are the property of the owner unless otherwise stated. Don't miss a thing! Subscribe to Golden Grasses and get our articles right to your inbox!

Giant Sun-Catcher Craft

It's deep winter here in the Territories. It hit hard and early, with several days of negative temps and more to come. Throw in some nasty wind chill and, yes, I live in one of the coldest cities in America. The saving grace of this wind swept prairie is the sun shines more often than not.

In retaliation of the super cold winter, Flower and I made giant sun catchers. I first read about them over at We are THAT Family and decided that this was gonna happen.

Kristen suggests that this works better in a metal cake pan, but I only had glass pans, so that's what we used.

 

1. Gather up your pony beads.

 

2. Choose a design, have fun with the colors or do something totally random.

3. Gently insert into oven and bake for 30 minutes at 400 degrees. It does smells like burning plastic. My 13yo flipped out a bit- olafactory flashbacks to the fire- so I sent him outside to run around with the dog.

4. Let cool and remove.You'll probably have several small holes that didn't close completely during the melting process from which to thread string or thin wire, or carefully drill a hole with a thin bit.

We discovered after the fact that there are glow in the dark beads in the design, which makes this really fun to view in a dark room. Can't wait to make a few more!

@Golden Grasses 2008-2013. All photographs, artwork and text are the property of the owner unless otherwise stated. Don't miss a thing! Subscribe to Golden Grasses and get our articles right to your inbox!

Share It Saturday

Teach Beside Me and The Sugar Aunts and I all team up to bring you Share It Saturdays- check out there blogs they are full of inspiration!

And now, here's the HOP:

Have a link back to this post if you are participating (on your blog or in your post)

If you link up, click on at least one other link for each one that you share.

You don't have to comment or follow, but I really do love both of those things! (A Lot!)

HAVE FUN! On to this week's link. Bring it on.....

 

Share It Saturday!

110. Memorizing System for Kids

Moms Have Questions To shares a great memory system. If you want to do more memory work but aren't sure how, check it out!

95. Teacher Appreciation Week Gift Ideas

Second Chance to Dream share 15 GREAT teacher appreciation gifts! Simple and adorable!





Art Club Blog has some great ideas for what to do with your lonely socks !

Teach Beside Me and The Sugar Aunts and I all team up to bring you Share It Saturdays- check out there blogs they are full of inspiration!

And now, here's the HOP:

Have a link back to this post if you are participating (on your blog or in your post)

If you link up, click on at least one other link for each one that you share.

You don't have to comment or follow, but I really do love both of those things! (A Lot!)

HAVE FUN! On to this week's link. Bring it on.....

Share It Saturday

 

You  know we love and memorize poetry, right? Education Matters shares how to Teach Poetry.

I love specialty yarn and I love daisys- this Spring Wreath, from Optimistic Mommy is just perfect!

Peanut Life Adventures shares her goal updates- always great to evaluate where you're at!

Teach Beside Me and The Sugar Aunts and I all team up to bring you Share It Saturdays- check out there blogs they are full of inspiration!

And now, here's the HOP:

Have a link back to this post if you are participating (on your blog or in your post)

If you link up, click on at least one other link for each one that you share.

You don't have to comment or follow, but I really do love both of those things! (A Lot!)

HAVE FUN! On to this week's link. Bring it on.....

 

Share it Saturday!

Last week's featured party go-ers!



56. Grungy Grad Jewelry

 

Got Graduates? You'll want to stop by the Jewlery Making Journal to find out how to create grunge inspired jewlery! I'm there, cause Feeche has about a month to go- woot!

 

117. Create a Space For Art to Happen

Cause you gotta have art, right? I was just thinking I needed to do a whole post on our latest art projects. Would LOVE to create an art studio! Growing book by book is my kinda place- books and art ; )

130. 3 Tea Party Recipes 

We are tea- party-ers 'round here. If you aren't you should start the tradition. If you are, you'll find fun inspiration at Princesses, Pies and Preschool Pizazz!

And don't forget to stop by Teach Beside Me and The Sugar Aunts, whose blogs are full up of educational and living inspiration!

And now, here's the HOP:

Have a link back to this post if you are participating (on your blog or in your post)

If you link up, click on at least one other link for each one that you share.

You don't have to comment or follow, but I really do love both of those things! (A Lot!)

HAVE FUN! On to this week's link. Bring it on.....

Share It Saturday

127. Paul Revere House

Just What I Need does a lovely study on Paul Revere- a beautiful tribute given the events of this past week.

 

115. Paint Chip Flower Craft 

Despite the actual weather, we are hoping for spring some time soon. Be Inspired Momma shares a simple way to make a spring bouquet!

 

 

72. Learning State Capitals 

You know how much I love memory work. Homeschool in the Hills has a great tutorial on memorizing the capitals!  

 

And don't forget to stop by Teach Beside Me and The Sugar Aunts, whose blogs are full up of educational and living inspiration!

And now, here's the HOP:

Have a link back to this post if you are participating (on your blog or in your post)

If you link up, click on at least one other link for each one that you share.

You don't have to comment or follow, but I really do love both of those things! (A Lot!)

HAVE FUN! On to this week's link. Bring it on.....

Here is this week's code:

Share It Saturday!

Featured Party-goers from Last Week:

Life with Moore Babies shows how they made their own compass as they read Katy and the Big Snow, totally appropriate for this week!

I love nooks so much I have a whole Pinterest board dedicated to them. Here is a simple one for you to build from We've Got Our Hands Full.

My Nearest and Dearest shows how to have to create a tin can sculpture. What I loved about this idea is that you could really use this with any kind of theme or unit study- like an inverse diorama. Simple and clever!

And don't forget to stop by Teach Beside Me and The Sugar Aunts, whose blogs are full up of educational and living inspiration!

And now, here's the HOP:

Have a link back to this post if you are participating (on your blog or in your post)

If you link up, click on at least one other link for each one that you share.

You don't have to comment or follow, but I really do love both of those things! (A Lot!)

HAVE FUN! On to this week's link. Bring it on.....

Share It Saturday!

As a self confessed Bibliophile, I'm always on the look-out for good books, especially in the areas of education. The Tiger Chronicles Book Recommendations for New Homeschoolers has a great list going. Check it out!

You know I have a love affair with chalkboard paint, right? Barb, at Second Chance to Dream has come up with another totally clever and cute way to use it!

The Art Club blog has a great tutorial for a lovely origami flower. I know my Flower lover will have fun making this!

And don't forget to stop by Teach Beside Me and The Sugar Aunts, whose blogs are full up of educational and living inspiration!

And now, here's the HOP:

Have a link back to this post if you are participating (on your blog or in your post)

If you link up, click on at least one other link for each one that you share.

You don't have to comment or follow, but I really do love both of those things! (A Lot!)

HAVE FUN! On to this week's link. Bring it on.....

Link up your posts with educational ideas, Kid crafts, and teaching tips. Please include a link back to this blog if participating.

Easter Garden How To

You'll need a

wide, shallow pot- we just re-used the one we'd made a fairy garden in - 

potting soil,

small rocks,

a small pot,

grass or wheat seed,

sticks, string

A rock big enough to cover the opening of the smaller pot.

Fill your wide, shallow pot with potting soil. Lay the small pot in the middle, on it's side, and mound over the top and sides with potting soil. Sprinkle your seeds all over, except for an area in front of the small pot's opening. We soaked our wheat seeds to give them a head start. Put small rocks in front of smaller pot on it's side, and a few at the mouth of the pot itself as the opening of the tomb. Put the larger rock to the side of the pot- (or cover the "tomb" on Good Friday and "open" on Easter morning!) 

Create crosses out of sticks and string and "Plant" on top of the hill you created when you mounded over the top of the smaller pot.

Water daily. Flower also cut up small socks as "tomb clothes" and put them inside the side turned pot.

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead... 

Flower loved this project and tended her sweet Easter garden with care. Wishing you a blessed Easter!

@Golden Grasses 2008-2013. All photographs, artwork and text are the property of the owner unless otherwise stated. Don't miss a thing! Subscribe to Golden Grasses and get our articles right to your inbox!

Share It Saturday- Easter Edition

This is a great object lesson for Easter.

A detailed step-by-step will walk you through the process of making Easter Story Cookies  over at Princesses, Pies and Preschool Pizazz.

 

 

We have spring fever around here and are cleaning and sorting, fixing and getting to the next thing. I have a couple of "to do" projects waiting for some time. How 'bout you? I love this gorgeous girlie room from Night Owl Corner. Great details and color! Check it out: Room Reveal

 

Lessons in Homeschooling shares how they manage long road trips (and isn't it about the season?). You'll love her ideas (complete with printables!)

 

Teach Beside Me and The Sugar Aunts and I all team up to bring you a great Share It Saturday each week! Stop by their wonderful blogs for some educational and living inspiration!

And now, on to the HOP:

Have a link back to this post if you are participating (on your blog or in your post)

If you link up, click on at least one other link for each one that you share.

You don't have to comment or follow, but I really do love both of those things! (A Lot!)

HAVE FUN! On to this week's link. Bring it on.....

Link up your posts with educational ideas, Kid crafts, and teaching tips. Please include a link back to this blog if participating.

Share It Saturday

This week's featured posts:

The Grammar Grump

 

As a recovering Grammar-phobe I appreciated this post!

 

 Weekly Review

I do a weekly review each Friday and love reading others. You'll be inspired reading this!

 

What I Live For

 

Wasn't I just extolling the virtues of the box as a toy? yes I was! Great idea!

 

Don't forget to stop by Teach Beside Me and the Sugar Aunts and say "hi!"

 

Have a link back to this post if you are participating (on your blog or in your post)

If you link up, click on at least one other link for each one that you share.

You don't have to comment or follow, but I really do love both of those things! (A Lot!)

HAVE FUN! On to this week's link. Bring it on.....