It’s summer and I’m in planning mode! Are you?
In our eclectic Charlotte Mason style homeschool, we often use the unit study approach for teaching history and science topics. Why?
- We can learn together.
- We can incorporate various learning styles, hands-on activities, real learning and learning projects easily.
- We can immerse ourselves in the time period through living literature.
- We can cover a lot of educational ground in a relatively short amount of time.
One resource I’ve used over and over again as I plan our history studies are A Kid’s Guide Books.
They are super for background information, hands-on ideas and project ideas – and have become the “spine” of my units many times. In other words, I’ve used these as my main unit planning books many times over.
As you click on the graphics below to learn more about each book, you’ll notice varying age recommendations, but each of them are very adaptable for almost any student from K-8. My library has a copy of most of them, but they’re very reasonably priced if you need to buy them.
The books I’ve used and recommend…
The same company that publishes these hands-on history books (Chicago Review Press) offers science, geography and drama selections using the same format. You can check out all those books here.
What are some of your favorite unit study planning resources?
-Written by Cindy, eclectically Charlotte Mason mom of 3. You can find her blogging at Our Journey Westward or find her nature studies at Shining Dawn Books.
The biggest reason Cindy chose to homeschool was because she loves experiencing life with her children and watching them grow inside and out. She's sure that’s why the Charlotte Mason method first caught her attention. It allows her to be creative in scheduling, rigorous in learning, yet opens the door for plenty of close-knit time, opportunities for her children to explore their interests and offers enough free time for them to be children. She implements many of Charlotte Mason's methods with an eclectic twist of things that work for her family! At Cindy's website, Our Journey Westward, you will find a blog packed with fun learning ideas and a shop full of creative curriculum, including the NaturExplorers studies.
Alicia says
July 7, 2010 at 8:05 amThanks for the review, Cindy! I have and love several of these books. I would recommend buying them only because then you don’t have to keep checking them out at the library, because you will use them over and over. I’m planning on buying the Knights book for our Middle Ages study this school year.
(ps…i think there might be a problem with your link to chicago press??)
.-= Alicia´s last blog ..Help- =-.
Brenda says
July 8, 2010 at 10:53 amI also like Lewis and Clark for Kids and Hands and Hearts History kits.