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Creating these homeschool high school literature suggestions for teens is more satisfying now that my teens graduated. Looking back, I know their love of reading came from being exposed to a variety of genre. Also, look at my page How to Homeschool High School.
Having a variety of genre to choose from is just one element of keeping teens reading into adulthood.
Beyond reading to fill a high school credit, use your time with your homeschooled teens to shape and develop their thinking.
Contrary to what some educators think, teens are still questioning beliefs. Their thinking is not fully matured. Issues raised in literature gives you the opportunity to analyze beliefs.
Too, high school and college courses require your teens to interpret literary terms and techniques.
I found this was best done by classic literature.
The point is whether your teen is reading American, British, or World literature he is gaining a greater understanding of the world.
That is something which will stick with him well into adulthood.
This high school literature list will give you a starting point in choosing the best literature for your family.
Moreover, don’t fret if your teen is still not loving to read.
Some of these books will ignite a fire and did I mention some are short?
Whether you have a teen who is a voracious reader or who is an unenthusiastic reader, I have some high school literature suggestions for all.
See, I had to learn the hard way that a teen should have a choice in what he reads.
I remember being in English class in middle school and reading about boring topics.
I was a good reader, but not an enthusiastic reader until I read The Raven by Edgar Allen Poe. He’s not an author I thought I would be drawn to as a teen.
However, his stories and poems invoked a love for reading detective stories along with his great storytelling. I loved everything about that poem, the figurative language, the dynamics, and the theme.
Homeschool High School Reading
The point is I would have never picked up his book on my own when evaluating my choices.
So your teen needs your help. It literally takes one book your teen can’t put down for your teen to look at reading differently.
Now as a parent, it is a learned balancing act when each teen got to the high school level.
I tried to find their interests and themes they loved to weave that with other genre they weren’t interested in or thought so at the time.
Also, another way to engage your high school kids is to learn through a theme.
We love history in our house and learning history through living literature has been one of our very favorite ways to learn history.
Why Some Homeschoolers Choose to Read Banned Literature
Next, I also had to decide how I wanted to talk to my teens about sensitive subjects.
A lot of homeschoolers, including myself, reject some modern reading lists.
However, the similarity stops there when choosing literature. Families and teens differ in how they want to handle sensitive topic.
When you research about banned books, the Washington Post stated, “The American Library Association launched Banned Books Week in 1982 to celebrate the freedom to read.”
However, every since then, the topic of banned books sparks controversy for any education.
You too have to decide if you’ll present these banned books to your teen.
It’s been my experience that the sensitive subjects in books allows me the chance to direct my children about mistakes of the past.
I didn’t want to cover up mistakes in history, but to expose them so we learn from them. Most important that we don’t repeat them in the future.
Children relate to everyday things and some kids lives have had painful turns they couldn’t control. Although my kids didn’t experience the sadness of divorce and death at the time, they had friends who did.
Homeschool High School Books
It helped my sons to form a compassion for their friends. Every child has a different maturing rate and I was sensitive to each teen’s emotions.
The point is that you are the only one to know whether you want your children to read banned books or not. Me? I will do the choosing for my family and determine the values; you probably feel the same way.
As you see from this quick list that the books reflect personal tastes of each teen. In the end, you want your child to enjoy reading.
I stressed way too much about balancing the genre when my focus should have been on the short time I had with each teen.
Besides being forced-fed never worked for any reader. So use this list to begin your list for your unique teen.
Lastly, this is by no stretch all that each kid read in high school.
As I pore over my huge amount of books, I’ll update this post for you.
The point today was to get this quick glance to you.
In the end what matters is creating a lifelong reader.
Remember what Francis Bacon said “Some books are to be tasted, others to be swallowed, and some few to be chewed and digested; that is, some books are to be read only in parts; others to be read, but not curiously; and some few are to be read wholly, and with diligence and attention.”
I’m reminded of what my homeschooling mother used to say. You learn new things one of two ways. One is by example and other is by experience.
Instead of learning the homeschooling ropes the hard way by having to experiment on your kids, learn how to homeschool from those who’ve gone ahead of you or from their example.
Besides, nobody wants to experiment on their kids, but it happens.
Hoping to lessen your stress of beginning new to homeschool, look at these 32 things new homeschoolers should avoid.
Mistakes New Homeschoolers Should Avoid
1. Remember your WHY or what brought you to homeschooling. Write it down somewhere so you don’t forget when times are tough.
5. Comparing your children, your home, and your spouse to other homeschooling families is a huge joy sucking trap. Your family is unique and homeschooling needs to fit your family’s needs.
Beginning to homeschool with unrealistic expectations is joy zapping and it’s huge among things new homeschoolers should avoid.
Homeschooling Mistakes
6. You don’t have to run your homeschool day like other homeschool moms although they may tout only one way works.
7. Keep pushing curriculum which isn’t working is another big do not do.
8. Thinking your kids will all learn the same way is another hurdle. It’s okay to use various programs to meet each child’s needs.
9. Curriculum is a tool, not the boss. You are the boss.
Mistakes to Avoid When Homeschooling for the First Time
12. Thinking your school needs to look like public school with tons of worksheets and textbooks is another mistake. Your school doesn’t have to look like public school. Look at my post The Great Homeschool Hoax – Public School At Home.
13. Don’t stress over the small stuff. Learning doesn’t just happen with a book in a kid’s face. Learning happens through everyday interaction and meaningful conversations. Take time to deschool and understand what it means for your family.
14. Do not think you have to cram everything a child needs to learn in a day. Take it one day at a time.
15. You’re not a one act entertaining committee. Sometimes learning is not always fun, it’s just learning. Constantly feeling like everyday has to be over the top fun is exhausting and can zap the joy out of the day.
16. Don’t forget to ask your kids what they want to learn. It’s their education. When you have a willing participant in homeschooling, kids work harder and retain what they’re learning. That makes your job easier.
Homeschooling Potholes to Avoid
17. Do not skip field trips. They are essential to bringing learning to life. Kids learn by being out in the world.
18. Don’t underestimate the value of play. Playing is the first introduction to self-education.
19. Assuming homeschooling will be expensive is another mistake. You can spend as little or as much as you want depending on your needs.
21. Using curriculum because somebody else uses it is a costly mistake.
What NOT to Do When You Begin Homeschooling
Also, why do we focus only our kids’ needs when beginning to homeschool? When you focus on your education which doesn’t have to take long you truly can help each child meet his potential.
You’ll experience one or two mistakes, but they can be minimized.
There seems to only be two mindsets when new homeschoolers start.
There seems to only be two mindsets when new homeschoolers start. There are over achievers who are looking to right all the wrongs in a few months or under achievers who feel a rich learning environment just happens with no intentional effort of the parent.Avoid these two mindsets!
Neither mindset works, but it can set you for failure. Achieving balance is absolutely key in your first year of homeschooling.
Do you find you’re making some of these mistakes already?
You’ll love some more tips below about how to start homeschooling:
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I must be doing this wrong because homeschooling is sucking the life out of me. I hear it a lot and I felt like that at one time too. Also, look at my page The Dynamics of How to Homeschool Easily and Smarter for more tips and resources.
Too, a lot of families who bring kids from public school can find it harder to appreciate the homeschooling lifestyle; many families who have homeschooled from the beginning equally can struggle.
Add in the mix of kids’ lackadaisical attitude toward anything, let alone school work and you have a recipe for quitting.
You may even feel public school is better for your kids.
When Homeschooling Sucks the Life Out of You
Although I don’t claim to have all the answers, from my over 20+ years of homeschooling from prek to high school AND conducting workshops with new homeschoolers, I do have tips that will help you.
Besides, I care. I mean I TRULY care about your success.
I KNOW the homeschooling lifestyle is a superior approach to education. I will tell you why in a minute.
Am I Selfish For Wanting to Send Them to Public School
Homeschooling being superior may not be a popular mindset among public school advocates, but I’m not here to win a popularity contest; I want to see you succeed without you feeling like you have to give life and limb for a lifestyle which is backed by numbers.
I’m here to tell you that you CAN succeed without tons of anxiety and stress and how it can be done.
First, it starts with knowing stats.
Don’t get me wrong, I love math and science, but it’s not the way I normally help people. However, we need to start with an analytical view before I speak from my heart.
When Emotions Are High Judgment Is Low
See when our emotions close in on us and doubt hits our day whether we’re doing enough or not, numbers like how much time we spend teaching our child doesn’t change.
What I’m saying is that one-to-one tutoring is a superior approach to thirty kids to one teacher. It’s simply a matter of odds and time.
Even at times when I felt I was at my breaking point like when my husband almost died, and my sister too, my kids learned way more at that time about what was really important.
Additionally because we did get behind when life hit hard, I was able to catch up far quicker than public school. We did NOT have to wait for a full school year or until other kids got the concepts.
My focus was simply my kids and my family. Although I didn’t feel like I was in control of my life and homeschool and sometimes I wasn’t, I know now that I definitely was.
Unless you’ve checked completely out, meaning you’re not doing one thing to teach your child like having meaningful conversations with him, reading to him, or playing with him, the odds are STILL in your favor of succeeding.
I was making the best decisions based on the odds and time actually spent.
Whenever I feel that deep down nagging tug that I’m not doing enough, I remind myself of how much time it actually takes to homeschool.
We have time for many interruptions at home and still have time to make progress.
So I changed my mindset from a choice of sending my kids to public school as my default solution to one of using my time to make homeschool work to the best I could. Instead of putting energy into an approach where my kids odds of learning were actually lowered, I made the homeschooling lifestyle priority.
Next, before I jump into sharing multiple tried and true tips to cope when homeschooling sucks, I want you to know that I don’t believe one should homeschoolat all cost.
That belief too is not exactly a popular one with some of the faith-based community.
With all of my heart I know that homeschooling is a superior approach because a child gets a uniquely individualized education; however, there are other factors like health, mental health, and even finances which deter some families.
Homeschooling your children is a very personal decision and one that a family should make for their children without guilt or judgment.
We really do not know what goes on inside of every family’s home and so I respect the decision each family has to make.
10 Tried and True Trips When Homeschooling Sucks
Next, look at these ten tips to cope when homeschooling is sucking the life out of you.
Tip. 1. Just STOP, STEP AWAY, and RESET.
First, we may think we have to keep pushing. Why do we do that to ourselves and our kids?
When in fact, from a complete stop comes rejuvenation, power, and refocus. Sometimes we can try to squeeze homeschooling into a busy life. We may need to stop and look at our schedule again to see what is really important to keep and what can we let go.
Tip 2. Deschool.
A lot is said about deschooling in the homeschool world. Some of it I agree with, other information not so much.
Deschooling is not just something you do when you’re a new homeschooler. It’s a technique for burn out too.
Look at some of these ways to use the deschooling process:
Do you need rest? STOP. Take care of your needs and your children’s physical needs. There is nothing selfish about self-care. A break does not mean a stop. It just means a break.
Deschooling does not always mean idleness. Deschooling is different for each family. I know kids who do well with routine. However, can you scale back your expectations until whatever is the object of the stress subsides? Have you heard of the power of little done often? It’s true.
Moreover, if you have a younger household and still have naptime, use about 15 or 20 minutes of the time for a quick tidy up.
Even though it may not be the type of cleaning you really need, don’t forget the power of little. Every bit counts when you have a house full of littles.
I used to run myself almost completely ragged while two of my kids napped.
Twenty years later, I realized some of the time should have been spent relaxing and just sitting down to put my feet up.
Tip 5. Occupy the Older Kids with their Devices During Naptime.
Likewise, something else I shouldn’t have felt guilt about was allowing my older kids to be entertained while my young children slept.
Thinking I had to constantly school my kids when I was at the point of exhaustion was not balanced.
Homeschooling at all costs, even costing your health is not healthy.
It’s okay to allow kids time to entertain themselves while you rest.
Tip 6. Read.
In addition to using naptime to rest, reading has been one of my best ways to relax.
I read an article that stated: “researchers found that reading is one of the best ways to relax, and even six minutes can be enough to reduce the stress levels by more than two-thirds.“
Too, what I’ve learned now is that even if all we did was reading for the day it was enough.
My kid’s fondest childhood memories are of us reading together as a family.
Reading IS school; all the elements needed for learning like concentration, comprehending, and studying are associated with reading.
Also, reading aloud to your kids has many key benefits, but remember taking time to read what you enjoy rejuvenates YOUR love of learning. That is equally important.
Homeschooling 31 Day Boot Camp for New Homeschoolers is a real eye-opener on homeschooling. It will alleviate a lot of the anxieties about getting started homeschooling. Reading each chapter’s highlights will give you encouragement, knowledge, guidance, and peace of mind to homeschool with confidence. The best part is that you’ll be educating the person who loves your kids the most in this world--YOU! Armed with the knowledge to make better choices in curriculum will empower you to continue the path of home education. Unlike many books based on one family’s experience, Homeschooling 31 Day Boot Camp for New Homeschoolers is also based on Tina’s many years of mentoring hundreds and hundreds of new homeschoolers at live workshops. When you don’t know where to begin Homeschooling 31 Day Boot Camp for New Homeschoolers equips you to successfully homeschool your children.
Homeschooling is a wonderful, worthwhile pursuit, but many homeschool parents struggle with feelings of burnout and frustration. If you have ever felt this way, you’re not alone! Most of us need to be reminded of the “why” of homeschooling from time to time—but "The Unhurried homeschooler" takes parents a step further and lifts the unnecessary burdens that many parents place on themselves.
Those who have made the decision to homeschool their children have done so out of great love for their children and a desire to provide them an excellent education in the context of a warm, enriching home.
Parents who are deeply invested in their children's education can be hard on themselves and their kids. When exhausted parents are living the day-to-day grind, it can seem impossible to muster enough energy to make learning fun or interesting. How do parents nurture a love of learning amid childhood chaos, parental self-doubt, the flu, and state academic standards?
Education has become synonymous with schooling, but it doesn’t have to be. As schooling becomes increasingly standardized and test driven, occupying more of childhood than ever before, parents and educators are questioning the role of schooling in society. Many are now exploring and creating alternatives.
Tip 7. Do a 4-Day Schedule.
Next, one year I switched to a 4-day schedule and never looked back. It’s true, at home we can accomplish more in less time.
However, until you try it you don’t really know.
When I switched to a 4-day schedule, it was one of the BEST things I did early in our journey.
I took off Monday to have a slower start to the beginning of the week. Taking time to get caught up on house cleaning, meal planning, and bill paying gave me a sense of control when my kids were very young.
As my kids grew older and could help more with chores, I switched to having off Friday as a day to rest and rejuvenate.
Another tip I learned was that some of my part in the feeling of lackluster towards homeschool was I didn’t take time to educate myself.
Why do we not think twice about dropping hundreds of dollars on our kids’ education, but don’t take time to learn how to choose curriculum or how to get organized?
Educating children is rewarding and at the same time it’s one of the most draining jobs I’ve ever done.
I needed the essentials in how to homeschool to smooth my path as I educate my children.
Many years, I ago I taught workshops to new homeschoolers and wrote a curriculum.
Having taught that workshop for 10 years, I now put those workshops online for you.
Go from Overwhelmed to Got this! The detailed courses: Teaching the Stages of Homeschool, How to Choose Curriculum for Beginners, Homeschool Organization for Beginners, and The New Homeschooler Boot Camp are real eye-openers. You already know homeschooling will give your child the most benefit. Now, take time to educate the person who loves your kids the most – YOU!
Tip 9. Find the Balance Between Rigid and Too Relaxed.
Furthermore, it seems when I’m not feeling the love of how easy homeschooling is supposed to be, I’ve had to look at my expectations.
Many homeschoolers are too rigid, but I’ve also seen more homeschoolers who don’t have a plan for the day.
Find out what your children need.
It’s not always a problem of being too rigid, but it could be you don’t have a list of expectations or a routine for the day.
Your children may need more routine instead doing school by knee-jerk reactions. Ouch. It’s hard to self-analyze – always.
Or, are you so rigid that your children feel crushed under the weight of unnecessary sternness?
Again, you are the only one to make this analysis. Achieving homeschool balance is possible if you’re willing to be flexible.
Tip 10. You are doing more than homeschooling AND your children need to know that too.
Finally, you’re doing more than homeschooling your children; you’re training them far beyond academics.
It’s flat out hard to parent while being a homeschool educator.
They’re intertwined. And you do not want to keep your two roles separate.
Because parenting and homeschooling are weaved together, your kids have responsibilities beyond their academics for the day.
Hear my heart when I say it’s hard to STOP and take time to train your kids to clean, cook, do chores and put away their toys or objects.
However, not only are you teaching them to be independent, you’re instilling pride and confidence.
Many kids who are grown lack self-confidence. Although doing chores is not a complete problem solver, it is a solution.
Chores give kids a sense of pride, belonging, and a way to help others.
Many years I had to accept a kid friendly cleaned house; it wasn’t always easy because I had high expectations.
However, I’m FOREVER grateful that instilled an ethic of hard work in each of my sons.
Is Homeschooling Really Freeing
Now that they have roommates, their roommates thank me for my sons’ positive mindsets and neat and clean habits.
Encourage your child to be a good friend when he is an adult.
It does start with his surroundings, taking care of his room, and other areas in the house.
I love when I get positive feedback from my son’s roommates and moreover I hope in the future, their spouses will too.
Respect comes first from caring for themselves and their area in your home; it pours over then into a child’s live when they’re away from you and now adults.
They extend that same courtesy to others and learn how to truly be happy.
What I’m saying is sometimes homeschooling is a heart problem and not a homeschooling problem.
What genuinely makes kids happy is being fulfilled each day no matter how small the task.
Do not forget that the odds are in your favor for succeeding.
Go slow and remember your kids deserve to know how to take care of themselves, clean, cook, know how to follow a schedule, and take care of others.
Kids will NEVER forget how you SKILLFULLY prepared them for life not just academics.
Don’t forget to think about what brought you to homeschooling in the first place and look up from the pit of despair.
Most circumstances are temporary at best although we don’t feel that way at the moment.
Having an online homeschool group is important too. You need to know you’re not alone. You’ll love my facebook group if you do facebook.
With Power Struggles Give Choices and Freedom
With plenty of rest or even stopping for a bit until you rekindle your love of homeschooling, I hope this heart to heart talk nudges you in the right decision for you family.
From my heart to yours, homeschooling has been worth every bit of stress and tears.
If you’re struggling right now, please let me hear from you. I may not have a solution, but I may be able to steer you in the right direction.
Although I feel we need to teach our kids how to write a book report or two, some of the same learning concepts can be done assigning a movie report.
Don’t misunderstand me, I didn’t assign a lot of books reports.
However, a required book report or two helped my kids to prepare for literary analysis in high school.
The same can be done with an oral report. It’s great to have choices is my point.
So I think you’ll love adding this free editable movie report to your language arts curriculum.
Editable Movie Report for Homeschool
Look at how I created it:
There are two versions of the same copy. One version has color and if you need to preserve your ink, one version is grayscale.
Both versions are editable. If you want your kids to practice his beautiful penmanship, just print without using the editable fields.
If your child prefers to use the editable form, type to fill in and then print.
Also, I created more of a book-ish type of report meaning I encourage writers through my form to think deeper than what is happening on the screen. That is how we want to sneak in a bit of critical thinking through the fun of watching a movie.
Movie Review Form
Movie reports are not only fun, but have a way of reviving a love lost in writing or analyzing.
Too, if a child has special needs, he may not able to read without great difficulty or write well. Still, he certainly can be encouraged to express himself in beautiful language.
An editable movie report form can help him to jot down fascinating facts and still think about the elements of literature.
Through a movie, his thoughts can be formed in a visual way instead of reading the pages of a book.
In addition, on the last page I have a place for a writer to draw his or her favorite scene/s.
This page is unnumbered so that your writer can decide if he wants to illustrate more than one scene and print the same page multiple times.
On the other hand, he can divide the last page into 4 squares using his pencil and illustrate more than one scene on the one page.
Your writer decides if he wants to illustrate one scene per page or various scenes on one page, or print one page per scene.
I love options while teaching and I know you do too.
Also, adding the unnumbered last page in this download allows you the freedom of including your youngest learner. He may be at the drawing pictures stage right now.
This way your youngest learner is part of language arts instruction for the day.
Another important component I added to the form to help with older learners is a comparison between the movie and the book.
Because this section simply asks the child to compare the two, you decide which literary elements of the book and which movie parts you want your child to compare.
Lastly, the movie report shares some of the same literary elements or the elements of fiction included in a book report like:
plot;
setting; and
characters.
Another important distinction I made in this form because my kids had a hard time with it too is making the distinction between the plot and the theme.
Teach with Movies
So I have both a Main Idea (more like the theme) section and Plot so that your kids can learn the difference too. It helps them to think critically when filling out these parts.
Some kids do understand the difference between plot and theme until the teens years which I find is normal.
And filling out the section about what is advertised as the main idea about the movie, versus what are the plot and theme (Main Idea on form) can lead to many interesting observations about the movie.
Analyzing literature is something I’ve tried to make fun in our house; analyzing movies is another way to bring fun to language arts.
I hope you’ll love this form. Do you see other ways you can use this form?
HOW TO GET THIS FREE MOVIE REPORT
Now, how to grab the freebie. It’s a subscriber freebie.
That means when you sign up to follow me, you get my emails in your inbox and you get this freebie.
Homeschool unit study spines can make or break your unit study.
While you can use any living book for a great unit study, some resources are more helpful than others to help you plan quickly.
Too, I’ve used many resources through my years of planning unit studies; choosing a spine is key to a successful unit study.
Before I jump into listing some helpful unit study spines, look below at the definition of a spine.
What is a Homeschool Unit Study Spine
A homeschool unit study spine can be a living book, magazine, mentor, reference book or chart, art or art object, play, musical piece, brochure, movie, encyclopedia, or any other type of book, object, or person which is the main reference or authority for your unit study topic.
In addition, a unit study spine is used to launch your lesson plans, topics, and sub-topics.
To easily plan, a superior spine will support additional ideas, projects, objectives, and concepts about the main topic.
It guides you down a trail to dive deep into the topic.
Look at some of the timeless ones we have used below along with some new ones.
17 Favorite Unit Study Science Spines
I love to pair a living book about a topic with a reference book to use as spines. Sometimes, it’s easier to use a reference book as a spine and add living books as we go along. These are some of my favorite science spines.
Drip―Drop―Splash! Water is essential to all forms of life. So let’s learn all about it! The Water Cycle! With 25 Science Projects for Kids captures kids’ imaginations with a deep look at the world of water. Combining hands-on activities with history and science, The Water Cycle! invites kids to have fun learning about the water cycle, water resources, drinking water and sanitation, water pollution and conservation, water use, water folklore and festivals, and the latest in water technology.
What would happen if you had no bones? You might fall over flat on the floor!
Bones are those hard parts of our bodies that make up our skeletons and skulls, and we need them in lots of different ways. In Skulls and Skeletons! With 25 Science Projects for Kids, readers learn about the bones in their bodies and why we can’t live without them. And bones aren’t just good for humans―many animals can’t live without them! But do all animals have bones? No, they don’t! And why do fish look so much different from birds, even though both have bones? Organisms use their bodies in different ways to successfully live in different habitats. For example, a bird’s light bones are great for flying, but would not support them deep in the ocean.
What’s it like outside? Is it a day for building a snowman, constructing a sandcastle, or planting a garden? Weather and Climate! With 25 Science Projects for Kids introduces kids ages 7 to 10 to the fascinating world of meteorology and all of the ways what’s going on in the atmosphere above our heads can affect us here on the earth! Plus, discover how weather and climate change are linked but not the same, and figure out ways to be part of the solution to the problem of global warming.
The activity in our atmosphere plays a critical role in our lives and in the health of our planet. Today’s weather determines what clothes you wear and what you are going to do after school, while the local climate influences what kind of car your parents drive, what kind of house you live in, and―believe it or not―what foods you eat!
Did you know that without rivers, human life might not have developed as it did? We might be a very difference species if it wasn’t for rivers, as would the other plants and animals who depends on rivers and streams for food, transportation, water, and power!
In Rivers and Streams! With 25 Science Projects for Kids, readers ages 7 to 10 dive in and discover how rivers change the shape of the land while plants, animals, and humans change the shape of rivers. Through fun facts, engaging content, and essential questions, kids learn about the vital role that rivers and streams have played in human history and explore the ways rivers and streams might affect our future. Science experiments that promote critical thinking and creative problem solving encourage kids to make their own discoveries about the waterways they might pass every day.
Bring chemistry to your kitchen with a book that offers hands-on science activities that can be done with ingredients from your pantry and the refrigerator!
What’s going on when you cook in the kitchen? Science!
In Kitchen Chemistry: Cool Crystals, Rockin’ Reactions, and Magical Mixtures with Hands-On Science Activities, readers ages 9 to 12 discover that the cooking, mixing, and measuring you do in the kitchen all has its roots deep in science―chemistry to be exact!
Explore Rivers and Ponds! with 25 Great Projects, introduces kids to the fascinating world of freshwater habitats and the creatures they contain. Combining hands-on activities with ecology and science, kids will have fun learning about the freshwater biome, including lakes and ponds, streams and rivers, and wetlands. Entertaining illustrations and fascinating sidebars illuminate the topic and bring it to life, while Words to Know highlighted and defined within the text reinforce new vocabulary. Projects include assembling an ecologist’s field kit, creating a fishless aquarium, pouring casts of animal tracks, and building a watershed replica. Additional materials include a glossary, and a list of current reference works, websites, museums, and science centers.
Where was the last time you saw a robot? Did you read about one in a book or see one in a movie? Maybe you saw one in a video game!
Some people think robots exist only in our imagination, but actually, robots are all around us right now. Robotics! With 25 Science Projects for Kids offers readers ages 7 to 10 an introduction to the history, mechanics, and future use of robots! Readers explore the history of robotics and discover how the first types looked and moved and what people expected they could do. Compare these early robots to those we have today, some of which don’t even have bodies! Kids discover how robots have changed as decades have passed and see how they now look, think, sense, move, and do things.
Hands-on space science projects help launch kids ages 8 to 11 into learning about fearless female astronauts who broke barriers across space and gender in this full-color book full of real-world connections!
Do you dream of going into space? Do you wonder what it’s like on the moon? In Gutsy Girls Go for Science: Astronauts with STEM Projects for Kids, readers ages 8 through 11 explore the lives of some of the world’s most amazing female astronauts, including Bonnie Dunbar, Sally Ride, Mae Jemison, Sunita Williams, and Serena Auñón-Chancellor―all pioneers in the field of space exploration. Their hard work and dedication to science and experimentation gave the world much new knowledge about space, biology, and more. These brave women took risks and pushed the limits of what we know about life in space.
Energy is a vital part of our lives. It powers our computer, lights our home, and moves our car. It also costs a lot of money and pollutes our environment. In Energy: 25 Projects Investigate Why We Need Power and How We Get It, kids ages 912 learn about the history and science of the world’s energy sources, from nonrenewable fossil fuels such as oil and natural gas to renewable sources such as solar and wind power.
This visual reference book starts with the question "what is an animal?" and takes you through the animal kingdom - mammals, reptiles, birds, and sea creatures. It uses a unique head-to-toe approach that showcases in spectacular detail special features like the flight feathers of a parrot, the antenna of a moth, or the tentacles of coral.This visual encyclopedia is filled with clear and fascinating information on everything about the social lives of animals. Read exciting stories like how animals communicate, defend their territories, and attract mates.
This inspiring children’s reference guide welcomes you to the animal kingdom where you can meet more than 1,500 species, ranging from ants to zebras and everything in between. Stunning pictures bring you face to face with giant predators you know and love, including polar bears and tigers, as well as mysterious microscopic life, including amoebas and bacteria.
From the Moon, Sun, and planets of our Solar System to space exploration, black holes, and dark matter, this completely revised and updated children’s encyclopedia covers all you need to know about the cosmos. The most up-to-date images from space agencies such as NASA and ESA combine with info panels, timelines, interviews, diagrams, and activities you can do at home to help you understand the majesty and wonder of space.
BIOLOGY IS THE STUDY OF LIFE. Life is everywhere, thriving in the city and in the country, teeming in ecosystems around the planetin deserts, oceans, and even the Arctic. And life is right outside your door! Backyard Biology invites children ages 9 and up to investigate living things especially in yards, parks, nature areas, and playgrounds. Trivia and fun facts bring animals, plants, and microorganisms to life, in all their wonder.
This stunning visual guide explores and explains the greatest inventions, ideas, and discoveries throughout the ages, and introduces their inventors. From fire, stone tools, and the wheel to ploughs and paper, discover the first inventions that shaped societies and grew mighty civilizations and empires such as those in ancient Greece, ancient Rome, and ancient China.
From the first strokes of paint on prehistoric caves to contemporary street art in the 21st century, every artistic style and movement is explored and explained in stunning detail. Special features celebrate the lives of groundbreaking painters, sculptors, and photographers, from Dutch master Johannes Vermeer to photography pioneer Julia Margaret Cameron. Many best-loved pieces of art are showcased in iconic images. Marvel at Leonardo da Vinci's mysterious Mona Lisa, the most famous painted lady. March alongside China’s statues of the Terracotta Army, and gaze in awe at Barbara Hepworth's stunning Pelagos sculpture.
From the shimmering surface to the darkest depths, this breathtaking visual encyclopedia presents our blue planet as never before. Stunning photography, accessible information, and fascinating facts are spilling over in this essential guide to the oceans. Take a dip in all the world’s waters to experience their incredible diversity. Make a splash in the icy Arctic waters before warming up in the tropical Indian Ocean. Experience the super size of mighty whales compared to swarms of tiny krill. Cast your eyes to the skies to see circling sea birds before diving down to meet mysterious creatures of the deep.
Moreover, there are no shortages of books and references for nature; I prefer field guides which are concise nuggets while teaching a nature unit study.
Of course taking the guides to our outside classroom is the best reason.
Further, many times I’ve used two unit study spines as companions.
For example, the resources I’ve listed above are reference books. I find reference books are extremely easy in helping me to plan a unit study because they put topics in a nutshell.
Living Books For Homeschool Unit Study Spines
However, along with a reference book, some unit studies are better taught alongside a living book.
I find when I add a living book, language arts becomes a natural fit and not a forced fit.
Living books contain two main important things.
The book is written by an authority on the topic; and
They are written in a narrative form meaning a book would explain events and give vivid details in a story form which engages the mind of readers.
In addition, a living book should stir a reader’s emotion and imagination even doing so in a picture book.
However, one of the best features of a living book is that a reader doesn’t realize that he is learning facts in a natural way. Living books are opposite of textbooks.
Lastly, I look for classic books, but they aren’t always living books. Foremost I look for a well-written book which has a high literary quality.
Adding a living book alongside a reference book has been the key to my family covering almost all the subjects in a unit study.
Below, I’ve listedjust a few books we’ve used through years; I want you to have examples of living books for the various ages.
I’ve divided the living books into three sections or lower, middle, and upper reading levels.
Also, keep in mind I’m giving you examples of them and then you can decide where to add them to topics.
Moreover, a series of books like the Shakespeare Can Be Fun introduces sophisticated literature to younger kids in a fun way.
Let a young learner’s introduction to Shakespeare be one he understands. There is plenty of time in middle and high school to learn about literary terms.
Next, I want to share a few more reference books which I’ve used plentifully. The books below are by Chicago Review Press.
Even though these resources are some of my favorite, they are by no means an exhaustive list. My focus in this roundup is to give you visual examples of unit study spines which ease lesson planning by giving you a plethora of examples.
How Unit Study Spines Are Cost Effective
In conclusion, but certainly not less important is knowing the value of unit study spines. Homeschool unit study spines are cost effective for several reasons:
spines cover many ages and that means I divide the price by how many years I’m using it or by how many kids are using it for one year,
there is less waste of resources because we choose exactly what we want to study,
because unit studies are a mastery approach, less money is spent on covering one topic for several years, and
spending less time on curriculum which may not cover our specific educational goals and focusing exactly on my kids’ needs is not only a huge savings, but an outstanding education.
What do you think? Are you ready to give unit studies a try?
