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unit studies

10 Key Benefits of Unit Study Curriculum (free printable)

March 3, 2026 | Leave a Comment
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

Unit study curriculum has ten key benefits. Too, look at my page Best Homeschool Unit Studies for more unit study tips and ideas.

Today, I will identify what is unit study curriculum, how long a unit study should last, and what makes a good unit study curriculum.

Besides identifying what a unit study means, you need to know how to use unit study curriculum with your multiple aged children.

10 Key Benefits of Unit Study Curriculum (free printable)

And knowing how to identify what is not a unit study or unit study curriculum keeps you from wasting your time.

First, knowing what is unit study curriculum will help you to see the benefits of it.

Unit Study Curriculum

Unit study curriculum takes one topic and includes as many subjects as possible. It builds an entire curriculum around the topic covering subjects like language arts, math, reading, art, history, science, and geography with hands-on application.

Also, unit study curriculum can build lesson plans around a piece of literature, a famous author or person.

For a history slant, a unit study can be created using an event or learning about a famous person. Regarding science, a unit study can use topics from past or current events, inventions, or focus on a scientist.

Studying character traits is another way to build unit study curriculum. On top of that art can tie in history, science, crafts, and math when art is the main topic.

Extensive Unit Study Curriculum

Next, identifying the differences in extensive versus limited unit studies will help you to make a better choice.

10 Key Benefits of Unit Study Curriculum (free printable)

Extensive unit study curriculum can include lesson plans or lesson plan ideas, language arts and maybe math. Math is the only component for both extensive and limited unit study that is normally purchased separately as well as including some aspects of it in daily learning.

In addition, it should include components of hands-on activities and project ideas.

As you can see the topics can be endless, which is a huge appeal to learners of all ages.

A few choices I like for extensive unit study curriculum are:

  • Five in a Row which now includes ages up to middle school and is based on beautiful literature;
  • Konos is another extensive curriculum and is for learners all the way to high school and is based on character traits;
  • Gather Round Homeschool is fairly new to the homeschool world and is for learners to high school and takes more of a Charlotte Mason approach;
  • Tapestry of Grace is another favorite of mine built around the main topic of history, but also has a classical approach intertwined. It too is geared for all ages up to high school;
  • Christian Cottage blends history time periods with science and lots of hands-on activities. Like KONOS and Five in a Row, it has been around for years. Although initially it was up to middle school, it is aimed for use up to high school and is still a wonderful resource; and
  • Trail Guide to Learning blends another favorite subject of ours which is geography with language arts and science. When it launched back in the day it was aimed for middle school and still is a great fit for middle school learners.

Limited Unit Study Curriculum

Next, don’t think because a unit study curriculum is limited that it can’t be of value.

The ideas or content may be excellent starting points or give extensive background knowledge. Perhaps limited unit study curriculum just gives an idea for the day versus a daily lesson plan.

Furthermore, the focus of some unit studies are narrow; that is a huge benefit when too much information is overwhelming.

Not everyone wants day-to-day hand holding, especially if you have an eager learner. You may just want a framework of knowledge on the topic. There are many ways to use limited unit study curriculum.

A few of the ones I like are below;

  • NaturExplorers was created by a homeschooling mom who gives you a framework of ideas in how to teach multiple children and it’s based on nature. We used it here Hands-On Nature Study: Bird Color Bar Graphing Activity, Hands-On Nature Study: Make a Fun Bird Nesting Bag, and Easy and Fun Nature Study: Beautiful Birds.
  • Beautiful Feet Literature is another favorite that I’ve used through the years. Although the history is deep, the focus on other subjects can be limited. For example, Beautiful Feet has a science unit study and learning geography through picture books.
  • Home School In The Woods is another one which is comprehensive in information, but narrow on including other subjects besides history. But you’ll love their hands-on ideas for history. At my post Great Empires Activity Study by Home School in the Woods you can see some of the fun.

In my 25 years of homeschooling, I’ve seen an explosion of unit studies. Some welcomed by me, others not so much.

What is NOT Unit Study Curriculum

What is not a homeschool unit study is busy work and it’s not an approach you do alongside another approach.

Because there are no rules, you can be as detailed or loose in your planning as you desire. There is no one way to do a unit study.

Additionally, because it’s an integrated thematic study, prepared laid our boxed curriculum doesn’t usually align with this approach. You need less all-in-one curriculum and more topical or thematic guides and books.

What Makes Good Unit Study Curriculum

With that being said, what makes a good unit study curriculum is one that makes your job easier. Too, it should give you support to create a richer education for your children while saving you time and stress.

How Long Should a Unit Study Last

Then, depending on the ages of your children and their interests, your unit study could last anywhere from two weeks to several months.

A few topics my children wanted to study longer, I wanted to move on to cover other topics for the year. Just know that sometimes you’re the one that wants to move on.

However, I’ve had topics planned to do for a month which only lasted two weeks.

A good rule of thumb is to plan for at least two unit studies a month. That way if your children lose interest in one topic which you had planned to do longer, you can easily move on to your next topic.

Another tip for you is to use unit studies with all your children. Having these solid tips will show you how to use unit study curriculum with all your children.

Using Unit Study Curriculum with Multiple Aged Children

  1. Aim for a resource which targets the age of your middle child or most mature learner. Tweaking assignments to meet the needs of younger learners is easier than crafting ideas for older learners. Especially if you’re new to unit studies, this sanity-saving tip will help.
  2. Doing unit studies together does not mean you have to be on the same subtopic. For example, your family may be studying about sharks. An older learner could write a research paper, your middle learner could practice his reading on a book he or she has selected, and your kindergartner may be coloring a picture or crafting a shark. Different activities while you’re on the same topic is the sanity-saving secret. All doing the same lesson plan is not.
  3. Let each younger learner stop when he or she is immersed. The unit study approach is immersion into the topic. Like everything else, your youngest learner has limits when interest has piqued. Keep going with your older learners until their interest is piqued as well. Chances are you’ll cover the topic again later in your journey and the younger ones will pick up where they left off.

10 Benefits of Unit Study Curriculum

Lastly, the best part of unit studies and unit study curriculum are the benefits.

  1. Including all of your children together with each working at their individual levels, maximizes time.
  2. Children are immersed in a topic which they chose or better known as delight-directed studies.
  3. Willing participants in learning instead of forced learning nurtures independent learning.
  4. Moving at your family’s pace allows each child to be masters of their material. They are working individually for mastering not in comparison to other children their age.
  5. Through hands-on activities and living books, learning sticks. Retention is higher because children are doing and not just reading about the topic.
  6. Instead of learning bits and pieces about topics, children stay on a topic long enough to connect their knowledge to the greater body of knowledge.
  7. Separated curriculum with various topics have no unifying effect unlike the unit study approach.
  8. One giant reference book which spans many ages can be used with your multiple children saving a budget strain. In addition, the books can be used for several years unlike grade level curriculum.
  9. Learning is a privilege and should not be rushed to stay in step with scope and sequence. Using the unit study approach makes the approach fit your family, not keep up with a curriculum schedule.
  10. My favorite benefit is that the whole family is together with a relaxed pace and fostering sibling togetherness. The focus is on maximizing the time and your kids can easily lose track of the time spent learning. Fabulous!
10 Key Benefits of Unit Study Curriculum (free printable)
  • 2. Ultimate DIY Homeschool Unit Study Planner

    2. Ultimate DIY Homeschool Unit Study Planner

    $5.99
    Add to cart

ULTIMATE UNIT STUDY PLANNER FREE PAGE

I would love to give you a copy of one of my pages from my Ultimate Unit Study Planner! It is a page I start with when I call bubble planning. I plan my thoughts and possible subjects around the main theme. You can see a sample of it here How to Create a Homeschool Unit Study – Step 2: Separation.

10 Key Benefits of Unit Study Curriculum (free printable)

Now, how to grab the freebie.  It’s a subscriber freebie.

HOW TO GET THE FREE UNIT STUDY PLANNER PAGE

That means when you sign up to follow me, you get my emails in your inbox and you get this freebie.

1) CLICK HERE ON THIS LINK TO SIGN UP ON MY EMAIL LIST & TO GET THIS FREEBIE.

2) Grab the freebie instantly.

3) Last, look for all my emails in your inbox. Glad to have you following me!

What do you think? Are you ready to give unit study curriculum a try?

Here are some more unit study helps:

10 Key Benefits of Unit Study Curriculum (free printable)
  • 5 Signs That You Need to Switch Your Homeschool Approach
  • The Big List of Unit Study Hands-on (and Hands-off) Curriculum
  • 5 Best Resources to Start a Homeschool Unit Study in a Few Hours
  • How to Grade a Homeschool Unit Study for an Older Child (& high school assessment)
  • Toddler to Teen 100 Popular Free Homeschool Unit Study Resources

Leave a CommentFiled Under: Do Unit Studies, Teach Unit Studies Tagged With: boxedcurriculum, curriculum, freehomeschoolcurriculum, homeschool, homeschool curriculum, unit studies, unit study, unit study approach

Day 10 Unit Study Beginnings 10 Days of Diving Into Unit Studies by Creating a Unit Study Together

September 4, 2025 | 3 Comments
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

It’s day 10 unit study beginnings. Also, look at my page Best Homeschool Unit Studies. I’m doing 10 days of diving into unit studies by creating a unit study together.

Last, but certainly not least important is to determine how to begin or open your unit study. 

Unit study beginnings matter because you want a hands-on activity that will hook your children onto unit studies.

Day 10 Unit Study Beginnings 10 Days of Diving Into Unit Studies by Creating a Unit Study Together

There are several ways to introduce a unit study besides reading a book though I have used that hook before to get my boys’ interest piqued in our unit study. 

Most children will engage when you open your unit study with something that is not expected like a hands-on project.

I have used many ways to introduce a unit study that moved me outside of the box or in this case the book.

6 CREATIVE UNIT STUDY BEGINNINGS THAT STICK

Take a look at this list of ways to introduce your unit study that spark an interest in any hum drum unit study.

1. START WITH AN EASY MINIBOOK TO BEGIN A LAPBOOK

Instead of doing a whole lapbook, just do one small minibook.

When we studied the Native Americans, we started by creating a pop up book. Instead of a boring quiz on what my boys knew or didn’t know about the Native Americans, we made an interactive mini pop up book.

2. DO A FIELD TRIP ON YOUR FIRST DAY OF A UNIT STUDY

Sure, you can save it for the end, but if you have enough places to visit, try to make it your first event too.

The field trip sets the mood for learning that topic and for my boys they could recall what they already experienced by the place we visited.

One year, I did a fall unit study with the boys and instead of reading about what fall is, I took them to a field trip where we could pick our own pumpkins and experience hands-on activities about fall.

3. BEGIN WITH AN EASY SCIENCE ACTIVITY

We tested out some plants when we began our Amazon rain forest unit.

Day 10 Unit Study Beginnings 10 Days of Diving Into Unit Studies by Creating a Unit Study Together

Next, begin your unit with a game.

4. GAMES ARE SOME OF THE BEST UNIT STUDY OPENERS

And if you can’t find one on the topic you are studying, you can create an easy one based off the basic games like Go Fish, Battle or even trading cards.

Day 10 Unit Study Beginnings 10 Days of Diving Into Unit Studies by Creating a Unit Study Together

You are only limited by your imagination.

5. BEGIN YOUR UNIT STUDY BY LISTENING TO MUSIC OR EVEN DOING A DRAWING, ILLUSTRATION, ART OR CRAFT.

6. BEGIN YOUR UNIT STUDY BY CREATING A MEAL OR FAVORITE DISH.

Day 10 Unit Study Beginnings 10 Days of Diving Into Unit Studies by Creating a Unit Study Together

I hope you have enjoyed this step by step series in helping you to ease down the unit study trail. 

As you can see, I feel a unit study is a superior way to teach a child though I never claim it is easy.

Sometimes it is flat out hard, but I always focus on the rewards. 

10 DAYS OF CREATING A UNIT STUDY TOGETHER

  • Unit Studies Define & Redefine the Meaning – Day 1
  • Tips For Choosing Unit Study Topics.- Day 2
  • Selecting Superior Sub-Topics. Day 3
  • Finalize Sub-topics – Day 4
  • Creating Unit Study Objectives – Day 5
  • Unit Study Resources that Stir the Imagination – Day 6
  • Unit Study Activity Ideas – Day 7
  • Creating a Unit Study Lesson Plan – Day 8
  • Flow of Our Day with A Unit Study Schedule – Day 9
  • Unit Study Beginnings – Day 10

I always look at my return in investment. 

When my sons learn research skills early and have a say in what they want to learn with my guidance, I feel it gives them a mastery of material that would otherwise take us a few years to learn.

Doing my part in the process too by using living books, choosing topics they are enthusiastic about and working hard alongside them.

I keep it all about hands-on when I would rather it be hands off at times, I have tried to reduce education boredom.

Day 10 Unit Study Beginnings 10 Days of Diving Into Unit Studies by Creating a Unit Study Together

One of the biggest payoffs though is when my oldest son who is now graduated and doing college level work tells me Thank You. 

His thank you comes from a place deep down inside because he knows I could have chosen a little easier path and some years I had no choice. 

But where possible, I always tried to bring our learning around to a central theme or topic.

It’s true small ideas give a huge payoff.

Did you come up with a theme or try one or two unit studies?

Hugs and love ya,

10 Days of Creating A Unit Study Together

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Day 10 Unit Study Beginnings 10 Days of Diving Into Unit Studies by Creating a Unit Study Together

3 CommentsFiled Under: 4. {10 Days of ... Blogging Series}, Diving into Unit Studies by Creating A Unit Study Tagged With: unit studies

Day 9 Flow of Our Day with A Unit Study Schedule 10 Days of Diving Into Unit Studies by Creating a Unit Study Together

September 2, 2025 | 2 Comments
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

We’re on day 9 flow of our day with a unit study schedule. Also, look at my page Best Homeschool Unit Studies. I’m doing 10 days of diving into unit studies by creating a unit study together.

Homeschoolers are anything but typical and that difference is reflected in the flow our day with a unit study schedule.

I cringe when I think about sharing “typical homeschool schedules” only because I don’t want to ever give you the impression that this is the best way for the season of homeschooling that you are in right now.

Day 9 Flow of Our Day with A Unit Study Schedule 10 Days of Diving Into Unit Studies by Creating a Unit Study Together

But having said that, I would rather share with you how my unit study schedule works for my day so that you see how relaxed that it can be. 

I have had many schedules, even having to schedule to half-hour increments where needed.  And all of them have worked for the various stages of homeschooling that I have been at in my journey.

So sharing the groove to our unit study day, I am hoping that you see that when planning by “blocks of time” if you can, you have more control over your day. 

UNIT STUDY SCHEDULE

Freedom with a block of time still gives me boundaries and helps me to plug along in the day.

Too, it allows me to decide if we need to focus on a previous day’s assignment or work on the next assignment in our unit study.

The Flow of Our Day With A Unit Study Schedule

Too, I am an early riser and believe in the value of getting the day started early because I don’t want to waste any time. 

No, we don’t have to start schooling right then, but I like having a little bit more time to enjoy quiet mornings.  

Believe me, it was not always possible with little ones, but they grow up, trust me.

We start our day early most mornings with school too and I do occasionally begin our day with fun subjects like geography, history and science and especially if we feel a bit of burnout coming.

However, for a majority of our homeschooling years, we begin our morning focused on the 3 Rs. 

HOW A DAY FLOWS WITH UNIT STUDIES

I have read numerous articles throughout the years and we have experienced the same thing and that is my sons prime time for learning is first in the day. 

Tackling tougher subjects first instead of giving left over time to them allows them to not be frustrated on such essential life-long skills. 

For most kids tough subjects are usually math and some of language arts like writing.

It is especially important to me to cover math and grammar first because those subjects are harder to cover in a unit study and I don’t want them to suffer. 

For the little ones, you will want to focus on phonics first as well. 

Too, a fun hands-on project waiting to be done in your unit study is a great motivating factor for you for your kids to finish the skill subjects early.

Relaxing and savoring our moment with our unit study is more satisfying when I know that I don’t have to force a subject to fit. Get it done early and move on to the delight of the unit study.

It has been my experience to not labor subjects like math, grammar and phonics. If they fit in a unit study topic, then fine.  If not, always schedule time for them separately and move on to enjoying your day.

Blocks of time work for us. And I always make sure I have time to give to my youngest son if he is struggling and allow time for them to finish up an assignment that might have taken a little longer to cover.  

A block type of schedule allows us longer stretches of time to set up our hands-on materials, work on them and not have to put them away right then for the day. 

We can come back later in the day to work on them also.

10 DAYS OF CREATING A UNIT STUDY TOGETHER

  • Unit Studies Define & Redefine the Meaning – Day 1
  • Tips For Choosing Unit Study Topics.- Day 2
  • Selecting Superior Sub-Topics. Day 3
  • Finalize Sub-topics – Day 4
  • Creating Unit Study Objectives – Day 5
  • Unit Study Resources that Stir the Imagination – Day 6
  • Unit Study Activity Ideas – Day 7
  • Creating a Unit Study Lesson Plan – Day 8
  • Flow of Our Day with A Unit Study Schedule – Day 9
  • Unit Study Beginnings – Day 10

As you can see from my schedule above, we are either together for out unit study from about 10:00 a.m.ish on or right after we finish our early lunch, which is normally around noon.

I decide each day how we will spend it depending on the previous day’s assignment.

A unit study schedule should have an ebb and flow, but be relaxed and flexible.

Do you think you can create an easy unit study schedule based on the tough subjects that you need to tackle first?

Hugs and love ya,

10 Days of Creating A Unit Study Together

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Day 9 Flow of Our Day with A Unit Study Schedule 10 Days of Diving Into Unit Studies by Creating a Unit Study Together

2 CommentsFiled Under: 4. {10 Days of ... Blogging Series}, Diving into Unit Studies by Creating A Unit Study Tagged With: unit studies

Day 7 Unit Study Activity Ideas 10 Days of Diving Into Unit Studies by Creating a Unit Study Together

August 25, 2025 | 1 Comment
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

On day 7 I have unit study activity ideas 10 days of diving into unit studies. Also, look at my page Best Homeschool Unit Studies. I’m doing 10 days of diving into unit studies by creating a unit study together.

Today, I want to stretch and expand your knowledge of what other unit study activities and ideas you could use to enhance the topic that you have chosen.

Day 7 Unit Study Activity Ideas 10 Days of Diving Into Unit Studies by Creating a Unit Study Together

One of the biggest fears about planning unit studies is that activity ideas may run slim to none (not ever the case, but it feels like it anyway) for your topic. 

So having your quiver full of ideas avoids stuck-itis when it is time to plan your unit study.

Also though depending on what subjects you want to emphasize in your unit study, the ideas here will give you options to choose from for each subject.

UNIT STUDY ACTIVITY IDEAS PAIRED TO SUBJECTS

In other words, I have organized ideas by subjects and have added activities for a variety of ages/grades. 

You can decide which activities works best for your children’s abilities regardless of age.

One last thing about the activities listed below and that is I have tried to keep the ideas as general as possible to use with any topic. 

But some ideas don’t make sense, unless I give you an example of how to use them. 

Day 7. Unit Study Activity Ideas. 10 Days of Diving Into Unit Studies by Creating a Unit Study Together

To make the ideas more clear, I give you specifics in how to connect that idea to an actual activity.

Let’s get started.

LANGUAGE ARTS IDEAS FOR A UNIT STUDY

  • Hands- On Book Report. Make a book report mobile hanger.
  • Make you own themed paper to illustrate/write. Decorate with stickers or draw an art border.
  • Do a skit based on any piece of literature. {Shakespeare}
  • Add grammar study points on a “O” ring and laminate.  Anything on an “O” ring makes it hands on instead of worksheets and you have that tool for a longer time to use with younger children.
  • Add bird seed, rice, or beans to a plastic bottle and make I Spy words.
  • Write backwards like Leonardo Da Vinci.  {Mirror writing.}  Find a penpal.  Start a cookbook.
  • Puppet Show. Create a timeline for events in a book. Round up famous speeches and study them.
  • Journal with art or journal by pictures only. Do Mad Libs for grammar.
  • Create a list of proverbs.  Add to it each day.  Do a noun hunt, verb hunt,etc. Do word dominoes.

Next, look at some hands on math ideas.

MATH IDEAS FOR A UNIT STUDY

  • Build a model bridge. Make your own abacus. Play Uno. Start a business for a child entrepreneur who sees no need for math.
  • Build place value models. Create visual number lines. Create calendars with number and values.
  • Make secret codes and decipher them. Make your own board game for math.
  • Make your own groups of ten counters by using popsicles and gluing beans or any other favorite object on it.  Skip count by actually skipping and counting.
  • Snowflake symmetry. Design your own tiling patterns.
  • Make an addition wheel, make a paper die to practice use of any of the basic 4 operations. Create your own problems on the paper die.
  • Draw and cut out templates to show Pythagorean theorem by making them puzzle pieces.
  • Play store. Create a math dictionary. (We did this one year and it is a great reference tool all year round.)
  • Math card games to teach fractions.
  • Kitchen geometry.
  • Plan, cook, and shop for a meal.
Unit Study Activity Ideas

Then look at history/geography and science ideas.

HISTORY/GEOGRAPHY IDEAS FOR A UNIT STUDY

Now look at history/geography ideas.

  • Make a compass.
  • Cook recipes from a place in the world. The Around the World Cookbook: Over 350 Authentic Recipes from the World’s Best-Loved Cuisines.
  • Make passports.
  • Create a treasure map for geography.
  • Create a timeline on just one event instead of a whole time period.
  • Make your own board game for your topic.
  • Make a paper mache globe.
  • Make a ship from milk cartons, or ice cream, or soda bottles.
  • Interview an older person who witnessed a historical event or have him tell about his life.

SCIENCE IDEAS FOR A UNIT STUDY

  • Draw/Label a cell. 
  • Build a website. There are plenty of easy free website templates for new programmers.
  • Solar System Stickers (Dover Little Activity Books Stickers)
  • Take care of a small pet.
  • Do a report about a scientist (language arts & science).
  • Make charts & graphs instead of worksheets.
  • Do a YouTube video.
  • Illustrate an invention. 
  • Raise a tadpole, have a butterfly garden Insect Lore Live Butterfly Garden
  • Create an ocean in a bottle. Instead of starting a garden, grow one vegetable.
  • Community service like a garden or visit a habitat. Do recycling projects.
  • Study an ant hill. Buy a kit for this unless you have a backyard full of them lol. Insect Lore Ant Hill

I didn’t list art or music because those subjects are a bit easier to find activities to do because by their very nature they are hands-on. 

I wanted to stick to subjects that took a bit more finesse on your part as a teacher to bring learning alive.

Also, don’t forget to memorize lists or things. For example, look at this list.

  • like continents and oceans,
  • Bible verses,
  • helping verbs,
  • skip counting,
  • quotes for history,
  • science songs,
  • months of the year, days of the week,
  • presidents,
  • 10 plagues on Egypt,
  • the 12 Knights of the Round Table, 
  • 50 states,
  • the wives of King Henry VIII (we remembered like this divorced, beheaded, died, divorced, beheaded, survived),
  • 12 apostles,
  • the planets, types of clouds and colors of the rainbow as examples.

Collect items like rocks, postage stamps from different countries, arrowheads and coins.  Check out this List of items to collect.

Though certainly not complete, I do hope this expansive general list of ideas will help you to see how each subject can be brought to life through a number of activities.

10 DAYS OF CREATING A UNIT STUDY TOGETHER

  • Unit Studies Define & Redefine the Meaning – Day 1
  • Tips For Choosing Unit Study Topics.- Day 2
  • Selecting Superior Sub-Topics. Day 3
  • Finalize Sub-topics – Day 4
  • Creating Unit Study Objectives – Day 5
  • Unit Study Resources that Stir the Imagination – Day 6
  • Unit Study Activity Ideas – Day 7
  • Creating a Unit Study Lesson Plan – Day 8
  • Flow of Our Day with A Unit Study Schedule – Day 9
  • Unit Study Beginnings – Day 10

But now that we have ALL of this information that we have been gathering, it is time to stream line this baby and create actual lesson plans we can use each day.

Next post, I will show you how to take the information I have given you and create a set of lesson plans!

What do you think? Are you starting to feel more confident about diving into a unit study?  If you have created one before, what advice do you have to add to this list?

Hugs and love ya,

10 Days of Creating A Unit Study Together

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Day 7 Unit Study Activity Ideas 10 Days of Diving Into Unit Studies by Creating a Unit Study Together. On day 7 I have unit study activity ideas 10 days of diving into unit studies. Also, look at my page Best Homeschool Unit Studies. I’m doing 10 days of diving into unit studies by creating a unit study together. I want to stretch and expand your knowledge of what other unit study activities and ideas you could use to enhance the topic that you have chosen.

1 CommentFiled Under: 4. {10 Days of ... Blogging Series}, Diving into Unit Studies by Creating A Unit Study, Hands-On Activities Tagged With: unit studies

Day 6 Unit Study Resources that Stir the Imagination 10 Days of Diving Into Unit Studies by Creating a Unit Study Together

August 21, 2025 | 2 Comments
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

Today is day 6 unit study resources that stir the imagination because supplementing is important. Also, look at my page Best Homeschool Unit Studies. I’m doing 10 days of diving into unit studies by creating a unit study together.

You don’t have to be creative to create a unit study that sparks your children’s interest. You just have to be committed.  Like all things that are practiced, the more you design a unit study, the better you become at it. 

Day 6 Unit Study Resources that Stir the Imagination 10 Days of Diving Into Unit Studies by Creating a Unit Study Together

Gathering resources plays a large part in whether your unit study is successful or just so so.

And gathering resources, for me anyway, is a constant factor in my journey. 

All teachers plan differently, but I prefer to plan as I go along.  For me, it keeps planning time to a minimal because I already have some basic resources to choose from.

I guess you can call the resources I gather my unit study starters.

You notice how I will change directions on you when we are studying one topic and post my resources that I gather up for another one.

  I just did it this week with the few resources I shared about a human body unit study. 

My secret to planning is to gather as I go and to plan one or many unit studies while I am doing another one.  It really keeps the planning part from being overwhelming when you can spread it out over a period of time.

Unit Study Resources that Stir the Imagination

Gathering resources is just one aspect.  Also, knowing which resources will help to create the love of hands-on learning and knowing which ones to ditch will keep your unit study moving along and not stagnant.

Look at my list of things that I got to on a regular basis for my unit study starters.

  • board games
  • living books
  • atlases
  • bar charts
  • student magazines
  • teacher’s guides
  • movies
  • documentaries
  • my pinterest boards
  • My Amazon Shop for boards separated by topics
Day 6. Resources that Stir the Imagination. 10 Days of Diving Into Unit Studies by Creating a Unit Study Together.

Choosing resources wisely that will capture your children’s interest is not the only caveat to be aware of.

Hands-on or Drooping Hands

While I do whole heartedly agree with the fact that hands-on learning is an inherent part of any well educated child, I do believe that an overload of them or complicated ones can exhaust both teacher and child.

As new unit study converts, sometimes they tend to go overboard with hands-on learning.

Hands-on projects are like seasonings that we add to our food.  Just a pinch of it enhances our food.  Hands-on projects should not be overwhelming or exhausting.

Planning too many or did other things that made them hard to fit into your day can make unit studies turn to blah quickly.

4 UNIT STUDY MISTAKES

Look at some of these tips for adding hands-on resources that will not exhaust you or your kids.

Day 6 Unit Study Resources that Stir the Imagination 10 Days of Diving Into Unit Studies by Creating a Unit Study Together.Also, look at my page Best Homeschool Unit Studies. You don’t have to be creative to create a unit study that sparks your children’s interest. You just have to be committed. Gathering resources plays a large part in whether your unit study is successful or just so so. All teachers plan differently, but I prefer to plan as I go along.
  1. Avoid insanity by doing one project per child or grade level. Do one project for ALL of your children. Aim for a project that satisfies the middle age range of your children.
  2. Don’t do complicated projects. Choose projects that require normal household items you already have on hand. It is okay to gather supplies you don’t have on hand too, but try to plan ones where you have a majority of supplies on hand.
  3. Weigh doing long term projects carefully.  If you have very little kids {mostly under 8 or 9 years old} choose projects that have an immediate wow factor, i.e. blow up something.  You won’t hook them on hands-on learning if they have to always grow something that takes weeks or months to build.  As they grow older, they develop the love of waiting, watching and observing and then you can choose longer projects.
  4. Avoid doing all the work. If you have older kids, let them gather the supplies, decide some of the projects and lead the projects. Even when kids are young, they can learn by gathering up items on your list.

Unit Study Resources Organized

Key to using your resources is being able to find them after you have gathered them up.

An easy system and one that you can retrieve quickly always works best. 

And though I love Pinterest, the Pinterest boards are not really able to be highly organized at this time.  Pinterest really needs sub-boards. I’ve used  Evernote in the past.  Evernote is free and I find it way more practical than bookmarks because I am able to copy/paste just about anything onto it.  I organize it and type whatever I need to remember.

My very favorite way to organize is my Ultimate Unit Study Planner.

Day 6 Unit Study Resources that Stir the Imagination 10 Days of Diving Into Unit Studies by Creating a Unit Study Together.Also, look at my page Best Homeschool Unit Studies. You don’t have to be creative to create a unit study that sparks your children’s interest. You just have to be committed. Gathering resources plays a large part in whether your unit study is successful or just so so. All teachers plan differently, but I prefer to plan as I go along.

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  • 2. Ultimate DIY Homeschool Unit Study Planner

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Then look at more tips.

10 DAYS OF CREATING A UNIT STUDY TOGETHER

  • Unit Studies Define & Redefine the Meaning – Day 1
  • Tips For Choosing Unit Study Topics.- Day 2
  • Selecting Superior Sub-Topics. Day 3
  • Finalize Sub-topics – Day 4
  • Creating Unit Study Objectives – Day 5
  • Unit Study Resources that Stir the Imagination – Day 6
  • Unit Study Activity Ideas – Day 7
  • Creating a Unit Study Lesson Plan – Day 8
  • Flow of Our Day with A Unit Study Schedule – Day 9
  • Unit Study Beginnings – Day 10

Ocean Unit Study Resources Gathered

Here are a few of the resources that I have for the Ocean Unit Study.

Update: I have since completed this unit study and have all these resources & more on free my Oceans Unit Study and Lapbook page.

Ocean Lapbook Cover Option 1 @ Tina's Dynamic Homeschool Plus
Yum. Edible Ocean Layers @ Tina's Dynamic Homeschool Plus
Ocean Vocabulary Words and Wave Pocket @ Tina's Dynamic Homeschool Plus
Message in a Bottle Language Arts Activity @ Tina's Dynamic Homeschool Plus
Ocean Lapbook @ Tina's Dynamic Homeschool Plus
How Low Can You Go Ocean Lapbook Starter @ Tina's Dynamic Homeschool Plus
Ocean Currents Minibook @ Tina's Dynamic Homeschool Plus
What is the Ocean Minibook @ Tina's Dynamic Homeschool Plus
Ocean Currents and The Galapagos1
Winter Homeschooling - Look to the Sea. 17 Hands-On Activities for Two to Teens @ Tina's Dynamic Homeschool Plus featured
Edible Geography Sea Levels
5 Days of Look Alive Winter Homeschooling. Day 1 Look to the Sea. @ Tina's Dynamic Homeschool Plus featured

Though there are volumes of links, I find that by grabbing just a few of the ones that better suit us or the ages of my children keeps me from storing links that we will not use.

Gathering resources is a practiced art no less important than teaching the unit study.  Be selective and choose ones that you think will inspire your unit study.

Do you find it hard to organize your resources or find them for your unit study?

Hugs and love ya,

10 Days of Creating A Unit Study Together

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Day-8.-Creating-A-Unit-Study-Lesson-Plan.-10-Days-of-Diving-Into-Unit-Studies-by-Creating-a-Unit.png
Unit-Study-Schedule.png
Day 6 Unit Study Resources that Stir the Imagination 10 Days of Diving Into Unit Studies by Creating a Unit Study Together.Also, look at my page Best Homeschool Unit Studies. You don’t have to be creative to create a unit study that sparks your children’s interest. You just have to be committed. Gathering resources plays a large part in whether your unit study is successful or just so so. All teachers plan differently, but I prefer to plan as I go along.

2 CommentsFiled Under: Diving into Unit Studies by Creating A Unit Study, Hands-On Activities Tagged With: hands-on, unit studies

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