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saintanneshs
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| Posted: March 24 2006 at 12:20pm | IP Logged
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Like many of you ladies, I love real learning within unit studies, but planning units back-to-back is (for me) exhausting if I don't keep it super simple right now. (We're mostly just doing lots of literature units and following rabbit trails right now.) I'd like to know how long it takes some of you unit-study enthusiasts to pull together a unit for multiple ages. I love the thought (for when they get older) of being able to give each child a notebook with their unit-related assignments for the week. I'm hoping this is realistic and am wondering how much preparation it takes to find websites, reading lists, hands-on projects, etc.
How LONG does it take?
Do any of you alternate units you plan with ones you buy already planned?
And what do you think of Konos??
... or the Heart of Wisdom science/history related unit studies that were mentioned in the Duggar thread? I know very little about either one of these. I do like Five in a Row and Homeschool Share...
Are there any Catholic Unit studies out there, besides the ones on this board, that I've overlooked?
Thanks!
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Kristine
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Elizabeth
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Dear Kristine,
When I am on a creative roll, it probably takes me 10-20 hours, start to finish, depending on the length of the unit. That includes researching and finding books and writing it all up in a "share-able" plan. The very best way to plan, imo, is to plan with a friend. The synergy gets things going and keeps things moving forward.
We used KONOS extensively about 8 years ago.Now I prefer my units to be more literature based and less "hands-on" (big activities). I also really like to lapbook or scrapbook with a unit.
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Elizabeth Foss is no longer a member of this forum. Discussions now reflect the current management & are not necessarily expressions of her book, *Real Learning*, her current work, or her philosophy. (posted by E. Foss, Jan 2011)
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lapazfarm
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I agree with Elizabeth on the timeframe. I tend to piece them together over several days as ideas come to me or the kids. Most of my work is done at night after dc are asleep and I can scour the internet for ideas.
I design my units with the older child's interests in mind, adding related activities for the younger, who is happy just to be included.
For ds (10) I have gotten to the point where I make a folder with a checklist of assignments (a sort of overview of the unit) on one page. Stapled inside are the more detailed instructions for each item on the list (with specific websites, book chapters, etc). For dd(4) I have a folder where I stash any coloring pages, letter practice, etc that ties in to the unit, and I make a note to myself about other activities we will do together such as read-alouds, games, crafts, etc.
I have never used prepared units because I REALLY enjoy making my own. Plus, I've never found any that are just exactly what we want to study (I guess we are a bit odd)and I am adament about tailoring the study to the child's interests-and nobody knows them like me! Plus, we don't do a lot of the activities that are included in traditional unit-studies, such as vocab definitions, spelling, comprehension questions, etc, so I think it would be a waste of money for us.
Oh, and unlike Elizabeth, we really like hands-on! 
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Theresa
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Leonie
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| Posted: March 25 2006 at 12:19am | IP Logged
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I really like Valerie Bendt's unit study guidelines in her book Unit Studies Made Easy.
She begins by taking two weeks off to plan - the children have a natural learning time, amid chores, etc. She only plans two five week units in this time - then there is another two weeks off.
Mrs Bendt also talks about older children planning their own units or planning units for the rest of the family.
Jennifer Steward has a few forms for planning/recordkeeping unit studies with older children in her book Everything You Need to Know About Homeschool Unit Studies.
HTH!
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lapazfarm
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| Posted: March 25 2006 at 8:45am | IP Logged
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Oh, yes, I meant to mention that we generally take a couple of weeks off between units as well while planning the next. During that time dc just do the basics like math and reading-very relaxed. I find dc need this down time as much as I do. Our units usually last about 4 weeks as well, though our lent one is longer. I definitely elicit plenty of planning help from older son since he is the one that will be doing the work! Looks like I have been taking Valerie Bendt's advice all along without even knowing it! 
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saintanneshs
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| Posted: March 25 2006 at 9:41am | IP Logged
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Thanks everyone for sharing.
Now, I have another question, and maybe the answer is in another thread  ...
What are your favorite Unit Study "Planning" websites?
Do you just google every new topic, or do you have a few favs that you always return to for inspiration?
(I'd like to find a few more online resources and don't really want to invest in another book--I have been using unit studies for little ones for years now but would like some ideas for transitioning to using unit studies for older children. The concept of unit studies I get and the planning too. I just need some new resources without spending a fortune at the teacher's store or the bookstore. Sadly, my library doesn't offer the books mentioned above.  )
THANK YOU!!
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lapazfarm
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The best resource I have come across is the clickschooling yahoo group. They send out an email daily with excellent websites in every subject. I simply check them out to see if I like them, and add the link to the appropriate folder in my favorites. I have my favorites set up according to subject area. For example I have a folder for history sites with subfolders for American, Ancient, medieval, discovery, etc. Then I have a folder for science, with many subfolders, etc. Whenever a link comes up I like, I pop it into the folder so it is there when I need it later. I do the same with sites I find myself or others recommend and have built up quite a collection of links that way on every subject. Plus, I google every new unit, too.
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Theresa
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Leonie
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| Posted: March 25 2006 at 5:53pm | IP Logged
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Theresa, the clickschooling group sounds good. Thanks!
Kristine, I like to check out sites with free units for ideas - we don't follow the plans but I glean activities etc that I think my children will be interested in. Or the older ones go to these sites themselves and glean. You could, perhaps, print the ideas and use an assignment sheet.
homeschool unit planning forms
unit studies, many for older grades
literature guides by grade level to grade 12 - good for unit ideas
the solution site - do a search for theme studies for grade levels
easy fun school
directory of online unit studies - many for older grades
book units through to grade 12
high school units of study
literature units for high school
penguin book guides for teachers
Now, we don't like to follow set plans - anyone who knows me knows that is impossible for me and we are more unschooly. However, looking at online unit studies related to my childrens' interests saves me time in finding activities - a lot of good ideas are there already and we can pick and choose.
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TracyQ
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Kristine,
I love finding websites that help with writing unit studies. I wrote one (literature based on www.homeschoolshare.com) on the book, All the Places to Love. I had so much fun writing the study, and though it's a lot of work, there's a lot of satisfaction that comes from it as well.
Here are some really neat resources that may be helpful in writing your own:
EHO Eclectic Homeschool Online (look on the righthand side for already written unit studies
sites for teachers (this has lots of great sites to use with planning unit studies)
Enchanted Learning(I use this site more than any other for unit studies, lapbooking, notebooking, etc.
Peg's unit study page(this is a great checklist, and a help in planning unit studies
How to plan a unit study
Units 4 Teachers (check out their archives..they have an Easter and Advent units and resources)
Donna Young's hs unit study planner
planning a unit study
I hope these help. If I come across any other sites, I'll be sure to post them. 
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Blessings and Peace,
Tracy Q.
wife of Marty for 20 years, mom of 3 wonderful children (1 homeschool graduate, 1 12th grader, and a 9th grader),
 homeschooling in 15th year in Buffalo, NY
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Mary G
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Ladies -- these are all awesome sites that I've bookmarked -- thanks for sharing! 
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MaryG
3 boys (22, 12, 8)2 girls (20, 11)
my website that combines my schooling, hand-knits work, writing and everything else in one spot!
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Elizabeth
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lapazfarm wrote:
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Oh, and unlike Elizabeth, we really like hands-on! |
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Oh, we like hands-on, but I the books drive the study, not the activities. I found that KONOS was driven by activity and, imo, really did lack in literature. I also found that activity-driven units didn't span a wide range of ages the way literature-driven units did. I was utterly exhuastd trying to come up with and keep up with activities (frankly, messes) for teaching pretty much everything. And we were so consumed by doing that there wasn't as much time for reading. I didn't mean to imply that we don't DO; it's just not the focus of my planning. The focus is the books and if the books inspire doing, then we do it.
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Elizabeth Foss is no longer a member of this forum. Discussions now reflect the current management & are not necessarily expressions of her book, *Real Learning*, her current work, or her philosophy. (posted by E. Foss, Jan 2011)
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lapazfarm
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| Posted: March 28 2006 at 9:02am | IP Logged
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Elizabeth wrote:
| I didn't mean to imply that we don't DO; it's just not the focus of my planning. The focus is the books and if the books inspire doing, then we do it. |
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And I certainly didn't mean to imply that you don't DO. It is obvious from your posts here that you DO... ALOT!.
What I meant is that I am trying to make DOING the focus, and I bring in literature to supplement the project, which is sort of opposite of your approach, as I see it (and I may be wrong here). It's easier for me because I am only schooling 2 dc right now. Notice, also, that I said I was TRYING to do so. It doesn't always work out that way. 
I have heard from many people that KONOS can be overwhelming with so many hands-on projects. Especially for multiple ages.
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Theresa
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saintanneshs
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| Posted: March 28 2006 at 10:19am | IP Logged
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Thank you, ladies! It looks like I'll have lots of webpages to bookmark!
And thank you for pointing out some of the pitfalls to both sides of the literature-based vs. activity-based methods. I like doing both, but dh is always telling me I just need to make things easier on myself and find something someone else has planned, rather than always trying to design everything myself. (Habit from ps teaching days, I suppose ) We've compromised by alternating the units I plan with the ones I use from someone, somewhere else. (I LOVE the planning but he doesn't love the time it takes me to pull things together!) I'm glad to know that some of you take time off between planned units to plan new units...and here I was wondering where I'd find 10-20 hours to plan! Duh!
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Elizabeth
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Kristine,
It's a sacrifice of sorts for me to use someone else's plans. I to plan. But it's one I really do NEED to make. My time can get so gobbled up at the computer writing plans that we never have time to do them ! My vision for the Rabbit Trails forum was a place where we could share plans and plan for each other.
Last month, when I couldn't even get to the computer  , I showed my kids where Kristin's Snowflake Bentley plans were. I had several Bentley books already on my shelf because I had planned to do the FIAR unit and embellish it heavily. Instead, I let my kids plan their own lessons, using Kristin's plans as a a springboard. I put the big kids in charge of planning for the little kids and told them I wanted to see a lapbook when they were finished. They did really well, all things considered!
Wouldn't it be great if we had a huge archive of threads like that to lean on?
Someone did write and tell me that they saw that I wasn on the board all the time but they couldn't figure out why I wasn't posting. It's because it wasn't me at all; my kids were using 4Real as a resource.
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Elizabeth Foss is no longer a member of this forum. Discussions now reflect the current management & are not necessarily expressions of her book, *Real Learning*, her current work, or her philosophy. (posted by E. Foss, Jan 2011)
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saintanneshs
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| Posted: March 28 2006 at 11:25am | IP Logged
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Elizabeth wrote:
| Wouldn't it be great if we had a huge archive of threads like that to lean on? |
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But don't we though? I suppose, for those of us who like to plan (kids too), that inspiration is 90% of it and resourcefulness is the other 10! I've taken this week "off" to gather materials and ideas for a geography lapbook (our 1st attempt) and these boards are helping me tremendously. With lots of lapbooking experience, your kids were able to find just what they needed to put a plan together!
Elizabeth wrote:
| Someone did write and tell me that they saw that I wasn on the board all the time but they couldn't figure out why I wasn't posting. It's because it wasn't me at all; my kids were using 4Real as a resource. |
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Too funny! How great that the kids could find inspiring work to do independently, even when mom's not at her best! ...I'm remembering high school days of sitting around, doing nothing productive when the "teacher" was absent from her class... and they say homeschoolers won't know what to do when mom's not in charge!
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Thanks for all the great links and thoughts here everyone and I think there is definately enough material on this forum and the ladies that link to their sites to last for a lifetime of learning!!!
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Meredith
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Jenny
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| Posted: April 14 2006 at 11:16pm | IP Logged
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I am trying to get a grasp on everything that I am learning, so please be patient.
How do you transition from study to the next? Do you seem to follow a certain pattern? (i.e. people, places or things)
You obviously will not study oh, let's say rabbits in depth for every child right? Or will you do a Beatrix Potter unit every child?
What is the continual theme, where's the continuity? Is it the given courses like religion, math, phonics and language arts?
Trying to understand in OK
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Jenny
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saintanneshs
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4mothermary wrote:
| How do you transition from study to the next? Do you seem to follow a certain pattern? (i.e. people, places or things) |
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Since my kids are still pretty little, I'm keeping my unit studies simple and fun. As for transitioning, we spend anywhere from 1 to 4 weeks on a given unit and in the time I try to provide an intro to the topic(s) for exploration at the beginning of the unit and then a closure type of activity at the end. For example, we started our plant unit by going for a nature walk on the farm and picking out the new plants we saw growing. This got the kids excited about learning about how plants grow. Then we gathered lots of living books from the library on plants. We will spend about 4 weeks (total) on this unit and when we're finished we'll transplant all of the things we've grown in our "indoor garden" outside. Starting our summer garden will finish the unit. After 4 weeks, the kids are ready to move on and I'm sure we'll follow other rabbit trails. We've already begun a butterfly nursery and are hoping to find some tadpoles at the creek today...can you guess what unit's next? 
4mothermary wrote:
| You obviously will not study oh, let's say rabbits in depth for every child right? Or will you do a Beatrix Potter unit every child? |
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Well, we did an apple unit 2 years ago (the boys were really little, so it was lots of books and art, a little math and field trips) and last fall I didn't feel like doing it, so we skipped apples and went with trees instead. I'm not planning to do apples this fall either. I know we will eventually do apples again, and I loved the unit, but I do know that when we do cover it again, it will be a few old activities but LOTS of new ones too.
4mothermary wrote:
| What is the continual theme, where's the continuity? Is it the given courses like religion, math, phonics and language arts? |
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Continuity for us comes from religion, math, phonics and language. It also comes from designing a "schedule" for the year of given areas in science to study. In April and May we're doing botany. March was animal science and we read the Kevin Henkes books and Frances books by Russell Hoban for our literature unit and did the FIAR recommended "zoology" wall poster for the characters in the stories (mammals, reptiles, amphibians, etc). I like beginning with a science schedule and building literature units around the science topics. I also just choose literature units and see what I can pull from them that fits into our science topic of study. If the past is any indicator of change for us, then I'll probably change things up every year (I have so far) as I discover new ideas! For now we just do history where it fits in.
4mothermary wrote:
| Trying to understand in OK |
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Me too! 
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Jenny
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Ok, I have more questions. Again, I'm trying to understand this so if my questions are not relevant, let me know.
Do you have a goal or requirement that must be met at the end of the year. Do you look at your states scope & sequence (are those bad words ) and know that by the end of 2nd grade the child should know x, y & z. Then in the formation of the study you are careful to include these things?
Is this type of study year round?
Is there a difference between Charlotte Mason and Unit Study?
I am reading A Charlotte Mason Companion right now. I actually read a few years ago but my children were so young it really didn't click. I am on my way to the library to pick up Catherine Levinson books. Is there something else I should be reading? Will this start to make sense the more I read? Should I give this a try by letting someone else figure this out for me Mater Amabilis.
I just don't get it do I?
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Jenny
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lapazfarm
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We have done what some might call a unit-study approach for the past couple of years. I generally let my older ds choose the topic, we brainstorm what we want to learn, then I start pulling resources: websites, books, science experiments, etc for both him and dd(4). The only things I try to be SURE to include are a challenging literature selection and opportunities for writing. The science or history may or may not be part of the study, depending on the topic.
As far as continuity: there really isn't much and for my ds, that's a good thing. He has pretty serious ADD and variety, for him, is essential. I do make sure there is a certain constant rhythm to our days.
I do not follow our state's scope and sequence because my son is on so many different levels for different things, that it doesn't really make sense to do so. I set broad yearly goals (for instance, next year we master fractions, percents, and decimals), but plan mostly in even broader chunks. For instance, by the end of elementary I want ds to be able to do/know certain things. Other knowledge/skills/abilities I want him to achieve by the end of middle school, and still more by the end of high school. So as long as I can see he is on the right track for these benchmarks, then all is well.
All that being said, mine is probably the more relaxed approach to unit study, bordering more and more on unschooling as time goes by. I don't do formal grammar, spelling, vocab, reading comprehension, etc so no need for me to bother with planning that into my units. Others will certainly have a very different approach, suited to the needs and temperaments of their families. I'm sure you will find the groove that suits you, too. you may want to try out some pre-planned units to start off. There are some very good ones out there.
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Theresa
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4Real Forums : Planning and Ordering our Days
Topic: Planning a Unit Study ?
