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Day 2. Tips For Choosing Unit Study Topics. 10 Days of Diving Into Unit Studies By Creating A Unit Study Together

January 25, 2014 | 2 Comments
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

Day 2. Tips for Choosing Unit Study Topics. 10 Days of Diving Into Unit Studies by Creating a Unit Study Together-1

The next big hurdle natural step whether you decide to use unit studies as enrichment or as a stand alone curriculum and after you adopt your definition of a unit study is determining a topic.

Sharing tips today on how I choose a topic, I hope you leave behind a bit of the fear that hems us in to using curriculum laid out by others and embrace the teacher in you.  Yep, teacher mom is screaming to get out.  Okay—screaming with shaking knees is fine too.  Trekking this together, we’ll both have a step by step guide.

Avoid Capture & Release Tactics

One of the very first resources I turn to when deciding a topic is to my sons.  For me, this is the part of unit studies that makes it child-led.  Engage your children and from the beginning you already have a captive audience.

The first year I asked Mr. Senior 2013 who was in 3rd grade at the time and Mr. Awesome who was a 1st grader what topics interested them, I received some great ideas.  Here are their answers: To blow up something (sounds like my kid), learn to weave or tie a knot, about bears, and grow crystals.

Sounds like a good plan to me.  The next step is to turn their idea into a topic that is teacher approved for the year.  When I mean teacher approved, it has to be something that we need as a family.  Blowing up something told me that they needed more hands-on activities so we studied basic chemistry.  (We did blow up corks in our kitchen and the indentations on my ceiling are there to prove it.)

Native American Lapbook @ Tina's Dynamic Homeschool Plus

Tying a knot was tied (pun intended) into our reading and study of Carry on, Mr. Bowditch.  Studying about bears we covered in our Native American unit studies and we grew crystals one week for our science activity.

As you can see not every idea gets a full blown unit study, sometimes it is an idea that can be part of a unit study that you want covered too.  Asking my sons is always my beginning point.

Some years, I too have kids that say: “I don’t know.”  So next, I turn to the seasons and times in our life at the present moment.  I like to teach in practical ways and learning becomes so much more meaningful when you are living and learning together.

Whether you choose to study a topic like snow flakes, the Winter Olympics, about the Arctic or how to survive in the cold if it’s the winter season or choose a topic for an event coming up in your life, moments that occur naturally have been some of our best learning moments in unit studies.

This is actually the choice I am using to determine the topic for our next unit study which is a study of the Ocean.  With our move overseas, and because South America lends itself well to studying about the Ocean, that will be our next unit study topic.

Other factors I consider when choosing a unit study to coincide with our present family life is to determine what my kids know and don’t know, whether we want an expansive unit study that lasts weeks or even months or a mini-unit study.   I always start first though with what we have previously studied so I can use that as a jump start into our next topic.

Animals of the Amazon @ Tina's Dynamic Homeschool Plus

Coral reef Lapbook @ Tina's Dynamic Homeschool Plus

We have covered some of the Animals of the Amazon  and about Coral Life so I can build on those topics when we start our Ocean Unit Study.  Things like the Amazon River and the importance of coral will help them to recall some basic information.

Remember, unit studies is about connecting information together and it is not about being a study of disjointed topics or subjects.  Try to use your previous studies of any topics to connect it with the current one or weave it together so that you help your children see connections.

Unit Study Textbook Tips – Uh?

It almost seems like an oxymoron to use unit study and textbooks in the same breath, but textbooks can be of practical use especially when you live in an area that requires stricter record keeping.

If that is the case, then use a text book or chapter from it to create a unit study which is approved for record keeping purposes.

Or, if you have purchased textbooks and feel more comfortable using it as you begin a unit study, it is a practical way to not waste what you have already purchased.  Create a unit study from your textbooks on hand and bring the topics to life.

Basically a unit study from a textbook can become enrichment or it could be a lengthy and extensive unit study.  You decide.

Tap Into Other Types of Unit Studies

Unit studies can also be prepared using a living book, based on a famous person, on geography, on a time period in history including persons like explorers, based on a family vacation, current news events, on an art topic, on an animal, on science and famous scientists, on life skills like cooking and choosing a career and on character traits like Konos uses.

Okay, I have my big general sweeping category of an Ocean Unit Study.  But now, we need to trim this baby into something we can actually study for weeks.  I need to determine what is beneficial for my family.

If you have chosen a much narrower topic, like the study of a famous person or even the study of an animal or time period in history, you still need to narrow down exactly what benefits you want your family to get from it.

Sub-topics to the rescue.  I will share on Day 3 how to determine which sub-topics are important and which ones are not.

Are you with me? What is your topic? Can you imagine if everyone shared their topic or ideas? That would be a huge benefit to each other.

I’m stoked to share my sub-topics with you next.

Hugs and love ya,

10 Days of Creating A Unit Study Together

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2 CommentsFiled Under: Diving into Unit Studies by Creating A Unit Study, Do Unit Studies Tagged With: unit studies

Day 1 Unit Studies Define & Redefine the Meaning

January 16, 2014 | 2 Comments
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

I have Day 1 unit studies.

Waiting with bated breath, I am beyond excited in sharing my first series of the year which is 10 Days of Diving into Unit Studies by Creating A Unit Study Together because it is about a subject that I am passionate about.

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

I have not always felt so dedicated to the method of teaching using unit studies.  Like a lot of homeschoolers, I too fell victim to the rank and file sort of mind-set when it came to picking out curriculum and teaching my children. 

It is not that I didn’t want to try something different, I was just afraid to mess my kids up for life.

Too, if I had a step by step guide, I think I would have felt more comfortable easing down the unit study trail.

10 Days of Diving Into Unit Studies by Creating a Unit Study Together Day 1

While I am confessing, I might as well tell you too that I felt like the unit study approach was for those “other” homeschoolers.  

The ones who were crafty and had to have crafts in their homes.  How could they possibly learn anything by “playing” all day?   Me?

I had just assume throw a bunch of papers at the kids for them to complete and then everybody would know for sure we were homeschooling.  Ouch.

Besides, the unit study approach didn’t mesh with my bent toward the classical approach of homeschooling.  Or so I thought at the time anyway.

Whatever you think of homeschoolers that use unit studies, one thing that is not debated is that it works for all ages of children. 

It is a classic way of teaching all of your children together.

I think the best way to illustrate the energizing affect of a unit study is for us to do one together as we plod along in this series.  What do you think?  You can create one that you’re interested in right alongside the one I will be designing.

Just a reminder too before I get too far off track here and that is most of the time I never do my blogging series one day right after the other. 

I have too much to say other things to talk about so I plod along and give you time to catch up.  Or like in this series, it will hopefully give you time to plan right alongside me.  No rush.

How to Adopt a Definition that Works

There are many definitions for unit studies.  The definition for a unit study is that there are no rules.  That may sound a bit cliché, but in order to embrace unit studies you have to let go of the thinking that we have-to do anything. 

  No, I’m not encouraging homeschool rebels, but I am encouraging you to avoid homeschooling robots.

From the beginning, adopting a definition of a unit study allays many fears or doubts because you will follow the definition that fits your family. 

How does this help you?  Because you can use as many or as little laid out subjects right alongside the ones you create. 

Unit studies are a lot like cooking for your family.  

Deciding which ingredients you buy prepackaged and which ones you make by hand is your choice.  

Knowing which ingredients your family loathes, which ingredients they love and which foods they need for their health are decisions only you can make too. 

Don’t make unit studies harder by adopting a rigid definition.

Adopting a definition that fits your family will be the determining factor if you lap one up or lag in enthusiasm to get started.

Here is my definition that I adopted.

Choosing any topic, book or discipline (subject) and building a number of study days, weeks, months or a year designed specifically for my family by incorporating a few or all academic areas of study on that one topic, book or discipline and sprinkling easy hands-on ideas throughout the course of our study.

How does your definition sound?

Clinging to the idea of a unit study approach is not easy if you don’t have a clear vision of how it will affect your family or your reasons for adding it to your school.

Small Idea Big Payoff

Instead of talking homeschoolers into investigating unit studies, I share what has worked for my family.  Too, I don’t talk folks into trying unit studies because it is not for everyone.

Unit studies can be a lot of work and time consuming.  I have never been afraid of working hard and especially if I knew that I would have titanic results. 

A unit study can be totally child-led or not.  I am not an advocate of child-led learning in the absolute meaning of the definition because parents are essential to daily guiding the child to the basics of what he needs to learn.  

On the other hand, children do start learning the day they are born and unless we feed and follow their craving for learning we may be severely limiting their potential.

Over 30 Free Unit Studies and growing

Look at some ways a unit study has benefited my family.

Small Idea Big Payoff

  • Research skills by the child on a unit study subject fertilizes the ground for a life-long intellect.
  • Children are not passive learners waiting for the next chapter to be assigned to them.  Seizing the opportunities for learning because they have had a say in the topic or unit study solidifies in their mind the value of their education.  Instead of constantly struggling with our children to help them treasure the value of their education, they are now partners with us.
  • At the very core of unit studies are living books or resources that are used to stir the imagination.  Unlike most textbooks which can be designed to extract every enjoyment of pleasure from a topic, living books spark a fondness for continued learning.  Even if you are using a reference based source, the sheer enjoyment of capturing the interests of your children develops a love for learning from an early age.
  • Though tough at times, managing multiple ages of children who are learning the same topic together fosters a mastery level of that topic.
  • As children become masters of their own learning, the preconceived idea that children have to be limited in their knowledge to a grade level which is based on personal whims of public educators is not brought into our homeschool.  With standards across school, children normally spend a great amount of wasted and meaningless time covering the same subjects over and over again in each grade.  Take a look at the Underground History of American Education by John Taylor Gatto.
  • As much as I had preferred my children just do worksheets, hands-on projects have shown to increase a child’s knowledge of that subject.  Much research has been written on the value of hands-on projects and yes crafts.
  • Your family can cover an in-depth study the first time around.  Avoid wasting time and reduce educational boredom by broadening the depth of the topic initially.

Have you decided yet? Will you dive into a homeschool unit study?

Follow along as we create a unit study together step by step.  Decide the topic you need for your family and I will share my topic next that I need to plan.

Hugs and you know I love ya,

10 Days of Creating A Unit Study Together

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2 CommentsFiled Under: Diving into Unit Studies by Creating A Unit Study Tagged With: unit studies

Beethoven & The French Revolution Minibook (Music Unit Study)

January 5, 2014 | Leave a Comment
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

French Revolution & Beethoven Collage

So you know we have been trying to get one more unit study in before we have to think about moving. {I think we can, I think we can.}

Zeezok Publishing Review

But, one thing I have not told you about yet that we love, is that I have been reviewing The Music Appreciation Collection by Zeezok Publishing.

Before I say anything else, let me just pause and say “Wow”!  I had no idea that we would love it so much and that it would be so extensive with background information on the life of each music composer and not just music CDs.

Zeezok Publishing Review Beethoven Lapbook and Reader

Though I do say it from time to time, I want you to know too that I do not accept every offer made to me for free curriculum to review.  But, when I do accept I am thinking it would make a great fit for our family and this curriculum is no exception. 

It tops the favorites list too and we are not finished with it yet.   One thing that appealed to me right away are the lapbooks on each composer as well as the beautiful readers.

Zeezok Publishing Review Activity Book

(activity book with a variety of extensive activities)

I won’t be posting the review until next month, but just wanted you to get a sneak peek.

Because we have been learning so much from it, I wanted to share a connection to our French Revolution unit study and that is about Beethoven. 

We were delighted to know that our composer study lined up with our unit study.  I had no way of knowing that of course when I accepted the offer.  So this was a nice surprise.

Though I recalled the time period that Beethoven lived in, I knew he was not from France.  But, after using Zeezok’s Music Appreciation activity book we realized that the French Revolution did affect Beethoven. 

Sure he knew about the French Revolution because it was a significant event of that time period, but I didn’t really know any details.  The activity for the lesson pointed out that he could not travel to Vienna because the city was not safe because of the uprising.

Too, he very much was affected by the bombing of Napoleon Bonaparte.  Though technically, Austria was bombed when Napoleon Bonaparte was emperor, it had its roots in the French Revolution.

French Revolution & Beethoven @ Tina's Dynamic Homeschool Plus

Because we are doing a full lapbook from Zeezok on Beethoven coming up next month, I created this free minibook to go with our current unit study about the French Revolution. 

We are using it to note a few facts about Beethoven so that Tiny remembers he lived during this time period.

Download the free minibook on Beethoven here.

I love it when we discover an unplanned music tie in to our unit study.  Do you seize those moments too?

Grab these other fun things

  • French Revolution 1789 – 1799 Unit Study & Lapbook
  • Homeschool Music Curriculum on the Beat
  • How To Teach Your Homeschooled Children Shakespeare
  • Shakespeare Unit Study Starters
  • Online Homeschool High School Poetry (No Teaching Involved)
  • Relax! How to Easily Add Art and Music to Your Homeschool Day

Hugs and love ya,

Leave a CommentFiled Under: History Based, Science Based Tagged With: music, musicappreciation, unit studies

Free Fall Unit Study Ideas– For Older Kids Too

September 22, 2013 | 7 Comments
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

I have free fall unit study ideas for older kids today. Also, I have this page Fall Unit Study {Pumpkins, Leaves, Corn, & More} for more fall ideas.

If I close my eyes and wish real hard, cool air may blow into my back yard here in Texas.

Though today is officially the start of fall, the truth of it is that I am sitting here typing this in my shorts and sandals.

However, I’ve rounded up some free fall unit study ideas and some of older kids too.

Whenever cool weather gets here, we always take time to do something special. It could be simple poetry reading or a craft or two.

Last year, heaven forbid, we don’t cover an apple unit before we complete homeschooling, we finally did one.

Free Fall Unit Study Ideas

This year, since we are focused on South America some poetry and delish sounding fall recipes are looking good.

So I decided to round up some free resources and construct a unit study for you.

Too, because there seems to be a gazillion things for preschoolers, (you know I love them) but not many free resources to include the older kids, I have included some ideas for them too.

Even if you aren’t a unit study lover, I know everybody likes to get off the beaten path and this gives some variety and pizzazz to the day when you need it and well, it’s FREE. Have to love that.

Free Fall Unit Study Planning Ideas | Tina's Dynamic Homeschool Plus

Free Fall Homeschool Unit Study Ideas

I am using one of my planning pages from my Unit Study Planner to show you how ideas can be taken from an idea to a study topic.

You can see above at how I fleshed out my thoughts and I still did not have enough boxes to cover a few facts under history too.

More Fall Ideas for Teens

  • How to Make Pumpkin Spice Body Scrub & 7 Fall DIY Crafts For Teens

The life of Johnny Appleseed could make for a mini geography report on the states he traveled through without making it babyish.

First, there are many subtopics that can fit under fall and some of them are:

  • leaves,
  • trees,
  • pumpkins,
  • autumn-flowering plants,
  • migration, affect of weather on animals,
  • apples,
  • early time keeping,
  • sundials,
  • fall fruits,
  • even wine making or picking grapes,
  • getting sap from a sugar maple tree; and
  • making syrup.

Sometimes just a fact or two about the subtopics can spur the creative juices in both you and your children. Everybody will want to study something different each year to keep it lively.

Next, look at a few of these quick facts or ideas for each subtopic.

Awesome Autumn Vocabulary

Vocabulary ideas for learning about studying about fall for both younger and older children.

  • equinox
  • conifer/deciduous
  • seasonal growth
  • camouflage
  • sugar maple tree
  • Fall or Autumn?
  • supply/demand regarding farming commodities like corn
  • enzymes
 

Autumn Animal Study/Quick Facts

Some oral narration or a mini report focused on one of these animals would work for your animal lover.

Arctic Fox –  It’s fur is brown in the summer to match its surroundings, but in the fall, it sheds it fur and grows a new white fur for camouflage in the upcoming months.

  • Look at my Winter Season Unit Study to learn about the Arctic Fox.

Frogs – In the spring, they are part of the pond food web. In fall, they move onto land and become part of the meadow food web.

  • Look at my Frogs and Toads Unit Study to learn more about frogs.

Dormouse – It feeds eagerly in fall to store up body fat for the winter

The Basement Workshop Store

Autumn Tree Study

Coniferous Forests – Pines and firs make up coniferous forests. These trees are evergreen providing shelter for animals all year long.

Deciduous trees – Their leaves fall off, but their berries, fruit and nuts provide food for the animals in the coming winter.

Maple Sugar – How to tap a maple sugar tree for sap.

Fall Flowering Plants

How does a scientist study in the fall? Preserving plants now to study later.

Do a hands on project and some nature art by sketching the plants, then putting them between two white sheets of construction paper and put a heavy weight on it and wait.

Retrieve them in the dead of winter when there are fewer plants to study and observe.

A chrysanthemum is normally a fall flowering plant and the topic could make a plant study.

Look at my Unit Study Historic Trees to put a history slant on studying about trees.

Fungi Great Decomposers

Field mushrooms – During the fall, field mushrooms spring up overnight in damp pastures and meadows.  Great topic for older students.

History in Autumn

The Ford Motor Company introduced the Model T in October, 1908. Check out the free printable and information.

The Panama Canal was turned back over to Panama in the fall. This would make an excellent topic for older students concerning the engineering feat of this project.

Links: Fall Printables & Lesson Ideas

  • Look at Harvest of the Month Educator’s Corner to tie in an health element or study.
Fall Apple GrowingFall Apple Printing
  • This site, Yakima Valley Museum has a 32 page download A is for Apple with the ideas and information pictured above for an easy craft for the younger kiddos and some for older kids.
  • Fun Autumn Internet Hunt for those that just want to enjoy and not write.

One of the links is not working, but the others are on this scavenger hunt around the net about autumn things. The YouTube video is a math rap song by a teacher teaching perimeter. I ‘m impressed. But I am easily impressed because BELIEVE me you don’t want me singing, much less doing a math rap.

  • Fall Poetry
  • Easy matching fall vocabulary printable
Decomposing
  • Free Lesson Plan/Background Information for Older Students to Learn about What happens to all those dying leaves.

The decomposition column looks like a great idea for a fun and easy hands on project too.

  • This next site has some nice printable flashcards for the younger kids. Click on the pictures on that site to download.
  • Here is an adorable recipe card and canning labels.
Our Journey Westward
  • Fun Notebooking Pages .
  • Check out this Lesson Plan with clickable diagrams about trees. Nice and useful.
File:Leaf morphology no title.svg
  • Helpful pdf on the background of solstice and equinox and making a sun model.
  • Another very useful lesson plan is the Exploring the Solar System toolkit.
  • Lesson on understanding leaves and photosynthesis with answers again. Thank you.
Handprint Autumn Tree Craft
(Photo Credit: Free Kids Craft)
  • Nice keepsake autumn hand print idea
  • And oh my goodness! More chocolate. Dare I admit that I am a football fan too? So when autumn comes around, that is what you catch me doing on Sundays. Look at this recipe from Sweet Simple Stuff.
Football Snack Mix
(Photo Credit: Sweet Simple Stuff)

Autumn Music

We love classical music in our home and so we listened to The Four Seasons by Vivaldi on YouTube and that would make a great music focus.

Listen to Autumn at 20:59 or close to that number.

And then finally don’t forget that I have two full page here of free printables.

I have poetry, lapbooks, apples and art.

What do you think? Either you are hungry, ready to be inspired, or exhausted from reading all these ideas.

Winter NaturExplorers 735x1102 (Pinterest)

Do you have some fall activities you are doing or lined up?

Fall Ya'll Ideas for A Fall Unit Study - Ideas for Older Kids too. Click here to grab them!

Look at these other ideas:

  • Fall Homeschool Learning Resources For Middle School
  • Fall Y’all:Pumpkin Pie in a Bag (Easy Homeschool Co-op Idea)
  • 21 Hands On Homeschooling Ideas to Keep the Winter Chill Off {Activities for Tots to Teens},
Free Fall Unit Study Ideas - For Older Kids Too.

Hugs and tuck this away for when you need it, love ya,

7 CommentsFiled Under: Free Homeschool Resources, Hands-On Activities, My Unit Studies {Free Printables & Hands-on Ideas}, Other Unit Studies, Science, Science Based Tagged With: earthscience, hands-on, hands-on activities, handson, handsonhomeschooling, middleschool, science, teens, unit studies

South America Unit Study Resources

September 6, 2013 | 8 Comments
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

I have many South America Unit Study resources. Grab more ideas on my Lapbook ideas, and on my Best Homeschool Unit Studies pages.

My first step as far as planning is to determine what I have in my home and what I can find online. 

Planning my unit studies is a lot like cooking from scratch.

First, I like to dig out what is in my pantry, then take a look at what others have too in their “pantry”.

South America Unit Study Resources

Too, at the beginning I decide whether we will do a lapbook or if we will just do some minibooks and keep it notebooking style. 

Besides, a lot of our units we do both a lapbook and some notebooking pages.

Also, I decide if our unit study will be just enrichment to what we are doing day to day or if it’s all we focus on for a while.

SOUTH AMERICA UNIT STUDY

My objectives affect how long we stay  on a unit.

Next, here is my short list for my objectives in this unit and a few goals.

  • Comprehensive overview of the physical geography
  • Focus on landforms like Andes, Machu Picchu and some reminders on the Amazon Rain Forest
  • Understanding the influence of the Spanish Colonial Empire and the key influence Simon Bolivar had in Latin America’s struggle for freedom

  • Build appreciation from our prior study of the Amazon that it is a life line for many and essential to our planet
  • Appreciate a unique design has a Designer by introducing the Galapagos
  • Allow time to immerse in the culture of people living in South America and the similarities and differences of each country though they are all considered Latin America.

We will be doing a lapbook and notebooking pages. I guess you could say for the first unit of the year, we are going all out.

South America Unit Study @ Tina's Dynamic Homeschool Plus

Basically, South America has 12 countries and 2 dependent territories so we have more than enough to keep us learning for quite a while.

You'll love these South America Free Resources Unit Study @ Tina's Dynamic Homeschool Plus

After all, we will spend time looking at what we have covered up to this time, so I can build my unit study on that foundation.

My South America Unit Study Resources

South America and Rainforest Free Notebooking Pages @ Tina's Dynamic Homeschool Plus

I have a total of 12 notebooking pages right now on my page on the Amazon Rain Forest which I could use in this study.

I have free Rainforest lapbooks too on my site.

However, because I want to focus on the other parts of South America and because the boys are a bit older, I already see that I will need some more printables. So I will be sharing those with you soon too.

You'll love these South America Free Resources Unit Study @ Tina's Dynamic Homeschool Plus
After I gathered the books I had on South America which happen to be mostly atlases, I know I need a trip to the library.

You'll love these South America Free Resources Unit Study @ Tina's Dynamic Homeschool Plus

However, the library didn’t have as many as I would have wanted in the adult section.

Besides, they had some and that is more than enough to start a good thorough unit study.

SOUTH AMERICA UNITY STUDY ACTIVITIES

In addition, look at the resources and activities I have on my page.

  • Free Machu Picchu Mini Book & Completed South America Lapbook
  • South America Unit Study– Colorful Free Printable Map
  • How to Memorize the Countries of South America & Mountain Climate Zones Minibooks
  • South America Unit Study–Vocabulary & Copy work
  • Free Mini Layered Book – South America Galapagos Islands
  • Free 8 Page Fan Book–Animals of the Galapagos Islands
  • Humboldt Who? Hands On to Understand Ocean Currents & Their Effect On The Galapagos Islands
  • How To Make A Blue-Footed Booby Bird Craft
  • Fun Chocolate Unit Study and DIY Chocolate Candy Bar Activity
  • How to Make Paper Mache Mountains to Celebrate Chimborazo Day
  • South America Geography Salt Dough Map + Printable Pennants
  • Negrinho From Brazil–South America Unit Study
  • Appreciating the Culture of South America Through Dance
  • 8 Small Things About Traveling to Cuenca, Ecuador that Make a Big Difference
  • 5 Things I Love About Cuenca Ecuador
  • Everyday Life in Cuenca, Ecuador
  • We Arrived in South America!!!!
  •  Free South America Country Reports for Kids Notebooking Pages
  • Effigies Celebrations and Customs of Cuenca Ecuador
  • How to Make a Felt Mountain Craft | 7 Andes Mountain Facts For Kids
  • Galapagos Islands Animals Fun and Simple Watercolor Flamingo Tutorial
  • Free South America Printable Lapbook and Fun Hands-on Unit Study Ideas

  • Llama Love And Creative Machu Picchu Crafts for Kids

South America Unit Study Ideas to Borrow

Additionally, there are so many talented teachers in the homeschool world, we can see what else we find. I have linked some of my favorite resources here.

1. Heather over at Blog She Wrote starts with a Geography Quest on Brazil. It starts with a treasure hunt and ends in Brazil. Then they did a map of the watershed of the Amazon River.
Geography Quest on Brazil Answers and a video.

2. Jolanthe over at Homeschool Creations has some great stuff too. She has some printables for a country study on Argentina, Chili, Peru and Venezuela.

3.  Then of course I always love Amy’s stuff over at Homeschool Share.

  • Brazil Lapbook
  • Colombia Lapbook
  • Ecuador Lapbook

4. Heidi over at Homeschool Room has a nice collection of geography resources on studying Brazil. Geography Resources for Studying Brazil

South America Unit Study Resources. I have many South America Unit Study resources. Grab more ideas on my lapbook ideas, and on my best homeschool unit studies pages. My first step as far as planning is to determine what I have in my home and what I can find online. Planning my unit studies is a lot like cooking from scratch. First, I like to dig out what is in my pantry, then take a look at what others have too in their “pantry”. Too, at the beginning I decide whether we will do a lapbook,
South America Unit Study Resources. I have many South America Unit Study resources. Grab more ideas on my lapbook ideas, and on my best homeschool unit studies pages. My first step as far as planning is to determine what I have in my home and what I can find online. Planning my unit studies is a lot like cooking from scratch. First, I like to dig out what is in my pantry, then take a look at what others have too in their “pantry”. Too, at the beginning I decide whether we will do a lapbook,
South America Unit Study Resources. I have many South America Unit Study resources. Grab more ideas on my lapbook ideas, and on my best homeschool unit studies pages. My first step as far as planning is to determine what I have in my home and what I can find online. Planning my unit studies is a lot like cooking from scratch. First, I like to dig out what is in my pantry, then take a look at what others have too in their “pantry”. Too, at the beginning I decide whether we will do a lapbook,
South America Unit Study Resources. I have many South America Unit Study resources. Grab more ideas on my lapbook ideas, and on my best homeschool unit studies pages. My first step as far as planning is to determine what I have in my home and what I can find online. Planning my unit studies is a lot like cooking from scratch. First, I like to dig out what is in my pantry, then take a look at what others have too in their “pantry”. Too, at the beginning I decide whether we will do a lapbook,
South America Unit Study Resources. I have many South America Unit Study resources. Grab more ideas on my lapbook ideas, and on my best homeschool unit studies pages. My first step as far as planning is to determine what I have in my home and what I can find online. Planning my unit studies is a lot like cooking from scratch. First, I like to dig out what is in my pantry, then take a look at what others have too in their “pantry”. Too, at the beginning I decide whether we will do a lapbook,
South America Unit Study Resources. I have many South America Unit Study resources. Grab more ideas on my lapbook ideas, and on my best homeschool unit studies pages. My first step as far as planning is to determine what I have in my home and what I can find online. Planning my unit studies is a lot like cooking from scratch. First, I like to dig out what is in my pantry, then take a look at what others have too in their “pantry”. Too, at the beginning I decide whether we will do a lapbook,
Ocean Currents and The Galapagos1
South America Unit Study Resources. I have many South America Unit Study resources. Grab more ideas on my lapbook ideas, and on my best homeschool unit studies pages. My first step as far as planning is to determine what I have in my home and what I can find online. Planning my unit studies is a lot like cooking from scratch. First, I like to dig out what is in my pantry, then take a look at what others have too in their “pantry”. Too, at the beginning I decide whether we will do a lapbook,
South America Unit Study Resources. I have many South America Unit Study resources. Grab more ideas on my lapbook ideas, and on my best homeschool unit studies pages. My first step as far as planning is to determine what I have in my home and what I can find online. Planning my unit studies is a lot like cooking from scratch. First, I like to dig out what is in my pantry, then take a look at what others have too in their “pantry”. Too, at the beginning I decide whether we will do a lapbook,
South America Unit Study resources

HOW TO GET THE FREE SOUTH AMERICA LAPBOOK

Finally, look at how to grab the free lapbook. This is a subscriber freebie.

Also, look at these minibooks which come in the free South America lapbook 27 page download.

  • Vocabulary Pocket and Vocabulary Words
  • Animals of the Galapagos fan book which includes the Giant Tortoise, Lava Lizard, Marine Iguana, Green Turtle, Galapagos Penguins, Magnificent Frigate Bird, Blue-Footed Booby, and Blue-Banded Goby.
  • Comparing Mountain Climate Zones
  • Simon Bolivar Copywork
  • Map of South America to label and one labeled
  • Machu Picchu – Lost City of the Inca
  • Negrinho – A dessert from Brazil
  • How to Memorize the Countries of South America and Dependent
  • Map Flags to put on your salt dough map
  • 2 – The Galapagos Island layered book. One prefilled with facts and one blank to add your own information.

 1) Sign up on my list and get this freebie at the same time.
 2) You’ll instantly be directed to download the printable.
3) Last, look for my emails in your inbox as a follower. Glad to have you following me!

8 CommentsFiled Under: Geography Based, My Unit Studies {Free Printables & Hands-on Ideas}, Science Based Tagged With: hands on history, hands-on, hands-on activities, handson, handsonhomeschooling, history, homeschool, homeschoolgeography, south america, unit studies

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