Rock based recipe - Stone Soup the book. I love unit studies for cross-curricular learning. I find it easier to plan and manage too rather than each subject individually.
We love Stone Soup! Yes, unit studies are amazing for cross-curricular learning... for sure! Things are connected (not individual subjects) in the real world. Why not approach learning that way!? 😊
If you are still doing your plant unit study, you could easily add in geography where every time you learn about a flower, crop or other plant find if any state has that plant as its state plant.
Of course. You can add whatever subject you like. Our kids are still pretty young, so we focus on only a few subjects at a time. But as they get older, we definitely plan to incorporate more links between subjects.
Stone soup for your rock recipe. Its a classic. When my daughter was in preschool, they real the book then had each kid bring a random can of veggies with them. For their stones they threw in 3 big potatoes and then each kid got to add their can of veggies to the soup pot. Anyways thank you for this video, it was super helpful. I used gather round this last year and just felt like it wasn't really working our for us. It felt more like we were being dumped on with a bunch of information that had nothing to do with what was in the note books. Since my kids will range from kinder to high school this next year I don't want to spend my entire day doing school with each kid separately. I like the idea of unit studies and teaching everyone at the same time. I feel more confident about putting my own together now after this.
Yes I love stone soup. I did the same activity when I was a teacher. Unit studies are great for teaching multiple ages and doing it as a family. It's just about finding the topics/approach that works for you. Those that love GatherRound really love it, but those that don't really don't.
That's great! We're so glad we could help. All the best with your tree unit study! In case you haven't seen it, we have a free leaf scavenger hunt printable. It might not be suitable for your area, but it might give you an idea for an activity. raisingatoz.com/leaf-identification-scavenger-hunt/
Thanks! This was such a helpful video! We’re brand-new to homeschooling and I’ll be creating my very first unit study this fall. Will definitely be incorporating your tips! Especially like your point about not always saving field trips for the end of the unit study, as doing them at the start or middle can be beneficial too.
I’m doing a lent, Holy Week, and Easter unit study. Main subject: religion Side subjects: art, reading, geography, culinary, spelling, writing, and handwriting Books: stations of the cross for kids, stations of the cross coloring book (for my pre-readers), The big book of Catholic Customs and Traditions for Children’s faith formation, St Joseph picture books celebrating lent. Other resources: TpT and Pinterest Field Trips: Living Stations the local Catholic school puts on, Stations of the Cross, Mass Activities: our own living stations, making packzi and learning about Poland’s geography and neigboring countries, kindness sticks, various cross art, making crosses out of palms(and issues about sourcing palm oil, what states have palm trees), making a map of Jerusalem with flowers, rocks, and sticks, Day to day- journaling about what they gave up for lent and their kindness stick, chunking and copying bible passages about lent, Holy Week, and Easter in print and cursive like Spelling You See, and the various TPT resources I picked out.
Love this. So helpful. We love the idea of unit studies and am now planning to create an Inventors / Inventions Study. This helped me understand how much time and prep it takes to pull it all together. I’m a first time homeschooler this year so this is really helpful for me. Great ideas and thank you for taking the time to teach others!
Oh that sounds awesome! I might have to "steal" that topic idea for next year. Our oldest would love it. We just finished a scientist unit which was a total hit!
Mouse Scouts by Sarah Dillard might be a nice chapter book to read, I haven't read it yet but I'm researching for my soon to be 1st grader. We just moved into a new house with an acre, so this spring we are going to learn gardening together. This chapter book was recommended through Rainbow Resource when I searched "gardening". Thanks so so much for these tips!!!!!! I needed them!
Thank you so very much for such a helpful video. I will be starting kindergarten for my son in the fall 2022 and I am brand new to homeschooling. I am a RN so no background on homeschooling at all. I am attempting to put a kindergarten curriculum together and this was helpful. I do have a question, though it may be a silly one. How many unit studies should I make up per semester for kindergarten or even 1st grade? Thanks in advanced :)
I do about 9 a year, 1 a month and we take December off. I find a month is good for younger kids and as they get older and want to dive deeper, you can extend that to 4, 6 or even 8 weeks.
I have only found your video today and it was amazing! Thank you so much for sharing, as I found it very educational and gave me a lift out of the slump I felt I was sitting in.
Loved this, thank you so much for this video, I literally followed every step you instructed.. and it was great.. we had a penguin study in Sep, now we’re doing dinosaur and volcano in Oct and maybe Nov, I found that my oldest might be actually more interested in Palaeontology than dinosaurs.. then she wanted to study about Cats, so we’ll do that maybe after X’mas.. she also wants to study germs and how body functions.. asked many times how to make babies.. lol and then Space is another unit she wants to do..
@@RaisingAtoZ I'm struggling to think of what main subjects are in general, lol, and now i'm planning for the germs and body, could you give me some ideas or examples of what they could be? my kids are 5, 3.5yr, and almost 2yr.. lol.. my 5yr goes to SK 2 days a week( just to give myself a break) , so she came home one day saying that they had a blacklight to see germs, it's really cool, she said we should get one... lol.. i'm trying to figure out what project can be, what kind of field trip it would be if without covid.. I'd love to hear your tips and suggestions or recommendations if there're any good books about the subject, if you have time.. love your videos !
Hi! I am new to your channel. I am attempting to put together a unit study on Autumn. I love all your tips, but I’m wondering...how do I actually PLAN it out?!? What to do when, and how to work LA in, etc.
It's different for everyone, but this is how I do it. We have a workbook time 3-4 days a week where we do our regular LA and math. Then we read a book that we pick from the book wall that I've filled with books on our unit study topic. Then we certain times scheduled in our week when we do things. So like Thursday is baking day, so if I have a recipe, then that's when we do it. Certain afternoons we schedule in an activity time and that's when we do our hands-on stuff. We're kind of a unit study/unschoolers so we try to make it feel as natural as possible. For us, it's just become part of our routine. I hope that helps
We are planning to do a unit study on Minecraft (help!) for our 4 year old and a 17 year old. Then it's going to be a study on oceans. This video was very helpful for me to plan for this type of study as we have never done this type of schooling before. Thank you so much.
You might end up doing more learning than your kids with Minecraft! :) But, that's one of the cool things about homeschooling. Learning can become a whole family activity, passion, and lifestyle. We're so glad you found us that we were able to help! Thank you!
Can you show what your unit study looks like on your shelf? How you separate them from the other books? We don't have a cubby shelf, so I'm looking for ideas to organize our unit studies
Hi, Alicia. Thanks for the question! 😊 We have some picture frame ledges we use. That way, the kids can see the front covers of all the month's books and have an easier time choosing some to read every day. Here's the part of our homeschool room tour video we did last month, talking about the unit study book shelves. Enjoy! ua-cam.com/video/oEyD1WfhyJw/v-deo.html
That'll come in handy! We are all (mom, dad, and kids) fans of The Magic School Bus. It has really stood the test of time... the only dated episode being the computer one, really. Have you seen The New Magic School Bus Rides Again?
What unit studies are you planning on doing?
"Vikings" and "Bison"
stars planets and astronauts
Rock based recipe - Stone Soup the book. I love unit studies for cross-curricular learning. I find it easier to plan and manage too rather than each subject individually.
We love Stone Soup! Yes, unit studies are amazing for cross-curricular learning... for sure! Things are connected (not individual subjects) in the real world. Why not approach learning that way!? 😊
James and the Giant Peach might be a good as a chapter book
Thanks! We read Fantastic Mr. Fox a couple months ago and our girls loved that one. We'll definitely be up for some more Roald Dahl!
I am a new Homeschooler and had NO IDEA how to do a Unit Study but wanted to. You did an awesome job helping with this. Thank you so much!!!
You're welcome! We're glad you found it helpful. Let us know how it goes! 😊
If you are still doing your plant unit study, you could easily add in geography where every time you learn about a flower, crop or other plant find if any state has that plant as its state plant.
Of course. You can add whatever subject you like. Our kids are still pretty young, so we focus on only a few subjects at a time. But as they get older, we definitely plan to incorporate more links between subjects.
Stone soup for your rock recipe. Its a classic. When my daughter was in preschool, they real the book then had each kid bring a random can of veggies with them. For their stones they threw in 3 big potatoes and then each kid got to add their can of veggies to the soup pot.
Anyways thank you for this video, it was super helpful. I used gather round this last year and just felt like it wasn't really working our for us. It felt more like we were being dumped on with a bunch of information that had nothing to do with what was in the note books. Since my kids will range from kinder to high school this next year I don't want to spend my entire day doing school with each kid separately. I like the idea of unit studies and teaching everyone at the same time. I feel more confident about putting my own together now after this.
Yes I love stone soup. I did the same activity when I was a teacher.
Unit studies are great for teaching multiple ages and doing it as a family. It's just about finding the topics/approach that works for you. Those that love GatherRound really love it, but those that don't really don't.
This was EXACTLY what I was looking for!
Awesome!
This helps we are planning an invention study for my elementary age kids! Thank u
Awesome! We're currently doing a scientist unit! So fun!
Thank you so much for this great video & your channel!! :)
You are so welcome!
I am planning a tree unit study right now. I was feeling very overwhelmed, but your steps have definitely simplified the process. Thank you!
That's great! We're so glad we could help. All the best with your tree unit study! In case you haven't seen it, we have a free leaf scavenger hunt printable. It might not be suitable for your area, but it might give you an idea for an activity. raisingatoz.com/leaf-identification-scavenger-hunt/
Thanks! This was such a helpful video! We’re brand-new to homeschooling and I’ll be creating my very first unit study this fall. Will definitely be incorporating your tips! Especially like your point about not always saving field trips for the end of the unit study, as doing them at the start or middle can be beneficial too.
Thank you, Carmen! Yes, field trips can be a great way to kick off the learning. All the best on your homeschooling journey!
I’m so happy to have stumbled upon this video! Thanks so much for sharing your great ideas! It makes it sound doable and fun
Yes! Unit studies are totally doable and you can make almost anything into a unit study!
Stone baked pizza, cook an egg on a rock over a campfire, grind spices in mortar and pestle? Let's get cooking with rocks!
That rocks! Great idea!
It’s a traditional way of making pesto as well! :)
I’m doing a lent, Holy Week, and Easter unit study.
Main subject: religion
Side subjects: art, reading, geography, culinary, spelling, writing, and handwriting
Books: stations of the cross for kids, stations of the cross coloring book (for my pre-readers), The big book of Catholic Customs and Traditions for Children’s faith formation, St Joseph picture books celebrating lent.
Other resources: TpT and Pinterest
Field Trips: Living Stations the local Catholic school puts on, Stations of the Cross, Mass
Activities: our own living stations, making packzi and learning about Poland’s geography and neigboring countries, kindness sticks, various cross art, making crosses out of palms(and issues about sourcing palm oil, what states have palm trees), making a map of Jerusalem with flowers, rocks, and sticks,
Day to day- journaling about what they gave up for lent and their kindness stick, chunking and copying bible passages about lent, Holy Week, and Easter in print and cursive like Spelling You See, and the various TPT resources I picked out.
That sounds amazing! TPT is a great resource! I love seeing how others use the structure to create unique units for their families! Thank you!
Love this. So helpful. We love the idea of unit studies and am now planning to create an Inventors / Inventions Study. This helped me understand how much time and prep it takes to pull it all together. I’m a first time homeschooler this year so this is really helpful for me. Great ideas and thank you for taking the time to teach others!
Oh that sounds awesome! I might have to "steal" that topic idea for next year. Our oldest would love it. We just finished a scientist unit which was a total hit!
@@RaisingAtoZ yes, we want to do something along those lines too. So fun : )
I'm so glad I found your channel!!! soo helpful!!
Thank you! We're glad you found us!
Mouse Scouts by Sarah Dillard might be a nice chapter book to read, I haven't read it yet but I'm researching for my soon to be 1st grader. We just moved into a new house with an acre, so this spring we are going to learn gardening together. This chapter book was recommended through Rainbow Resource when I searched "gardening". Thanks so so much for these tips!!!!!! I needed them!
Cool! We'll have to check it out, too. No problem, and thank you for watching! 😊
I loved A Secret Garden to read aloud. Also has the movie of course.
The Secret Garden is fantastic. It's definitely on our list!
Thank you so very much for such a helpful video. I will be starting kindergarten for my son in the fall 2022 and I am brand new to homeschooling. I am a RN so no background on homeschooling at all. I am attempting to put a kindergarten curriculum together and this was helpful. I do have a question, though it may be a silly one. How many unit studies should I make up per semester for kindergarten or even 1st grade? Thanks in advanced :)
I do about 9 a year, 1 a month and we take December off. I find a month is good for younger kids and as they get older and want to dive deeper, you can extend that to 4, 6 or even 8 weeks.
@@RaisingAtoZ Thanks so much for your help!
I have only found your video today and it was amazing! Thank you so much for sharing, as I found it very educational and gave me a lift out of the slump I felt I was sitting in.
That puts a big smile on our faces. We're so glad it was helpful! Hopefully you can find some of our other inspiring and uplifting videos! :)
For the rock study recipe, you could use different kinds of salts.
Great idea!
Loved this, thank you so much for this video, I literally followed every step you instructed.. and it was great.. we had a penguin study in Sep, now we’re doing dinosaur and volcano in Oct and maybe Nov, I found that my oldest might be actually more interested in Palaeontology than dinosaurs.. then she wanted to study about Cats, so we’ll do that maybe after X’mas.. she also wants to study germs and how body functions.. asked many times how to make babies.. lol and then Space is another unit she wants to do..
That's awesome! We're doing germs and bodies in November! Isn't it amazing how much they love diving into a topic they pick and love?!
@@RaisingAtoZ I'm struggling to think of what main subjects are in general, lol, and now i'm planning for the germs and body, could you give me some ideas or examples of what they could be? my kids are 5, 3.5yr, and almost 2yr.. lol.. my 5yr goes to SK 2 days a week( just to give myself a break) , so she came home one day saying that they had a blacklight to see germs, it's really cool, she said we should get one... lol.. i'm trying to figure out what project can be, what kind of field trip it would be if without covid.. I'd love to hear your tips and suggestions or recommendations if there're any good books about the subject, if you have time.. love your videos !
Hi! I am new to your channel. I am attempting to put together a unit study on Autumn. I love all your tips, but I’m wondering...how do I actually PLAN it out?!? What to do when, and how to work LA in, etc.
It's different for everyone, but this is how I do it. We have a workbook time 3-4 days a week where we do our regular LA and math. Then we read a book that we pick from the book wall that I've filled with books on our unit study topic. Then we certain times scheduled in our week when we do things. So like Thursday is baking day, so if I have a recipe, then that's when we do it. Certain afternoons we schedule in an activity time and that's when we do our hands-on stuff. We're kind of a unit study/unschoolers so we try to make it feel as natural as possible. For us, it's just become part of our routine. I hope that helps
We are planning to do a unit study on Minecraft (help!) for our 4 year old and a 17 year old. Then it's going to be a study on oceans. This video was very helpful for me to plan for this type of study as we have never done this type of schooling before. Thank you so much.
You might end up doing more learning than your kids with Minecraft! :) But, that's one of the cool things about homeschooling. Learning can become a whole family activity, passion, and lifestyle. We're so glad you found us that we were able to help! Thank you!
Can you show what your unit study looks like on your shelf? How you separate them from the other books? We don't have a cubby shelf, so I'm looking for ideas to organize our unit studies
Hi, Alicia. Thanks for the question! 😊 We have some picture frame ledges we use. That way, the kids can see the front covers of all the month's books and have an easier time choosing some to read every day. Here's the part of our homeschool room tour video we did last month, talking about the unit study book shelves. Enjoy! ua-cam.com/video/oEyD1WfhyJw/v-deo.html
@@RaisingAtoZ :O YES! We don't have an extra space, we use our kitchen table, but I like the basket idea to separate for now!
Baskets do the trick!
The Secret garden maybe.
Thanks!
I am here to genuinely support anyone who wants to support me
Do you have a homeschool room tour, including your library 📚??
That's a great idea! 👍 Thanks for the suggestion!
Make your own rock candy - science experiment
Mmmmmmm.... That's a good one!
I'm glad I'm ahead of the curve having the box set of magic school bus.
That'll come in handy! We are all (mom, dad, and kids) fans of The Magic School Bus. It has really stood the test of time... the only dated episode being the computer one, really. Have you seen The New Magic School Bus Rides Again?
@@RaisingAtoZ I have not seen the Magic School Bus Rides Again. I should really look into it for the kids and my own nostalgia.