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 my video How to Choose a Useful and NOT Useless Homeschool Unit Study Spine on my channel How to Homeschool EZ to understand what they are and how to choose them.
All research revolves around your spine; it is the backbone of your study and it is the main resource for your chosen theme.
Additionally, depending on the type of unit study, some resources will be more helpful than others.
For example, if you’re doing a literature unit study, a beautiful dictionary is a must.
Also, as I moved away from all-in-one language arts, I used bar charts and quick study guides to zero in on skill subjects. To learn the difference between a skill and content subject read What Homeschool Subjects to Teach and When to Teach Them? Part 1 of 3.
Now look below at a few handy charts which promptly get to the nitty-gritty of language arts skills.
- English Grammar & Punctuation (Quick Study Academic)
- Common Grammar Pitfalls & Mistakes (Quick Study Academic)
- Essays & Term Papers (Quick Study Academic)
- Literary Terms (Quickstudy Reference Guides – Academic)
Further, while comparing and choosing books, here are features I look for when choosing a superior resource:
- Background information about the topic in the text.
- Ideas for hands-on projects.
- Anecdotes.
- Words for vocabulary.
- Diagrams or charts.
- Questions in the text or at the end.
With that being said, look at the breakdown for the different types of unit study spines which help you to plan in a few hours.
The very first reference books I started with were DK Eyewitness books.
They’ve improved through the years; they’re timeless. A wonderful collection is an inexpensive way to prep for a unit study beginner.
Science Homeschool Unit Study Spines
One of my favorite and timeless publishers is Nomad Press. They have many books which make for great themes. Look at some of them below.
Another set of books are the DK Smithsonian Encyclopedia which are keepers for science unit study spines.
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.
Nature Homeschool Unit Study Spines
- Peterson Field Guide To Medicinal Plants & Herbs Of Eastern & Central N. America
- Peterson Field Guide To Reptiles And Amphibians Eastern & Central North America
- Peterson Field Guide to Animal Tracks
- Trees, Leaves, Flowers and Seeds: A Visual Encyclopedia of the Plant Kingdom (DK Our World in Pictures)
- A Day in a Forested Wetland
- A Field Guide to Mushrooms: North America
- Peterson Field Guide To Birds Of North America
- Peterson Field Guide to Freshwater Fishes
- National Parks of the USA: Activity Book: With More Than 15 Activities, A Fold-out Poster
- A Day in the Salt Marsh
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 listed just 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.
Living Books for Beginning Reading Levels
- Aesop’s Fables
- The Story of Ferdinand
- Paul Bunyan
- The Boxcar Children Bookshelf (The Boxcar Children Mysteries)
- Peter Rabbit Naturally Better Classic Gift Set
- The Frog and Toad Collection Box
Living Books for Middle Reading Levels
Additionally, look at these examples of living books for middle school.
- Seabird
- Pagoo
- Indian Captive: The Story of Mary Jemison
- The Chronicles of Narnia
- Minn of the Mississippi
- The Sign of the Beaver
Living Books for Upper Reading Levels
- J.R.R. Tolkien 4-Book Boxed Set: The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings
- The Leatherstocking Tales (Complete and Unabridged): The Pioneers, the Last of the Mohicans, the Prairie, the Pathfinder and the Deerslayer
- Sir Gawain and the Green Knight (Penguin Classics)
- Frankenstein
- The Count of Monte Cristo
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.
- World War II for Kids: A History with 21 Activities
- Heading West: Life with the Pioneers, 21 Activities
- Beyond the Solar System: Exploring Galaxies, Black Holes, Alien Planets, and More; A History with 21 Activities
- George Washington Carver for Kids: His Life and Discoveries, with 21 Activities
- Native American History for Kids: With 21 Activities
- Nikola Tesla for Kids: His Life, Ideas, and Inventions, with 21 Activities
- Cleopatra and Ancient Egypt for Kids: Her Life and World, with 21 Activities
- Code Cracking for Kids: Secret Communications Throughout History, with 21 Codes and Ciphers
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?
You’ll love these other unit study helps:
- A to Z List: 100 Fun Summer Homeschool Unit Study Ideas
- What You Must Know to Teach High School Unit Studies
- 5 Simple Ways to Enhance a Homeschool Unit Study
- How to Grade a Homeschool Unit Study for an Older Child (& high school assessment)
Hugs and love ya,
