# Unit Studies



## cwgrl23 (Feb 19, 2004)

Ok, you all. I need your help! I need recommendations for unit studies. This is for a boy who is anywhere between 3-6 grade in abilities. (We just started homeschooling over Labor Day.) He is very musical so if that is in a part of it some how that is a bonus but not necessary. 
What do you think of http://www.unitstudy.com/ Amanda Bennett's stuff? I don't have a lot of time right now (understatement of the year:hammer to fill in the extras as I am going to college with 20 credits plus physical therapy and my DH is also going to college full time plus working full time. :smiley-laughing013: I need a pretty complete but inexpensive unit study. We are also not really structured schooling either due to DS's issues with the thought of "school".

Also, does anyone subscribe of The Old Schoolhouse magazine? Like? Don't?

Any thoughts would be great! You all are the best support group anyone could ask for!

Carrie in SD


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## cindy-e (Feb 14, 2008)

cwgrl23 said:


> Ok, you all. I need your help! I need recommendations for unit studies. This is for a boy who is anywhere between 3-6 grade in abilities. (We just started homeschooling over Labor Day.) He is very musical so if that is in a part of it some how that is a bonus but not necessary.
> What do you think of http://www.unitstudy.com/ Amanda Bennett's stuff? I don't have a lot of time right now (understatement of the year:hammer to fill in the extras as I am going to college with 20 credits plus physical therapy and my DH is also going to college full time plus working full time. :smiley-laughing013: I need a pretty complete but inexpensive unit study. We are also not really structured schooling either due to DS's issues with the thought of "school".
> 
> Also, does anyone subscribe of The Old Schoolhouse magazine? Like? Don't?
> ...


Old schoolhouse - good mag. 
Amanda Bennett - I am not a unit study person, but she has a very good rep among homeschoolers. It is supposed to be good stuff.  

Homeschooling takes time though. It just does. Hope you can work it out. 
The one year that I had to work, some of my kids were in private school, but the one that really needed to stay home - we did Switched on Schoolhouse, because it required nothing from me, really. And that was the reality we were in. We didn't love it the way some here do, but it worked for that year with the realities we were in. Someone very kindly gave me SOS here recently, and I passed it on to a family who really had financial need for it. But if I needed to, I would use it again. It's a little "schooly" but if you don't have time to teach, you don't have time to teach. At least it's on the computer. 

JM2CFWIW,
Cindyc.


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## cwgrl23 (Feb 19, 2004)

cindy-e said:


> Old schoolhouse - good mag.
> Amanda Bennett - I am not a unit study person, but she has a very good rep among homeschoolers. It is supposed to be good stuff.
> 
> Homeschooling takes time though. It just does. Hope you can work it out.
> ...


Thanks so much for your input Cindy! I think I am going to get the digital version of that magazine. Are there any other homeschool mags out there that you love or hate??

I don't have a problem spending the "teaching" time. It is the putting everything together time, I don't have a ton of! Right now we are still "feeling our way" thru this wonderful world called homeschool! We, as a family, decided to pull DS from public school over Labor Day weekend. As my DS has a bad taste in his mouth for traditional schooling, we are looking at unit studies. We have discussed it and he said that he would rather study one theme that incorporates all subjects than trying to do a little bit in each subject each day. I am just happy that he has an opion of how he wants to learn things! This in and of it self is a HUGE improvement! 

DS will be 11 in a few weeks so this could all change. We are also trying to figure out what is the best learning style for him. All of that plus a budget that didn't account for homeschooling expenses this year limits the $$ available for curriculum. There are tons (I wish I was kiding on the weight) of books on almost every subject in our house. I don't collect shoes or clothes, just books! LOL :run: I just need some help getting it all put together for him. I am hoping by May 2011, when I am out of school for the summer, I can create/organize the homeschooling stuff better. This has been stressing me out to no end! I have found some free stuff on line, but it requires alot more work putting everything together. I am fairly creative when I have the time. LOL

Any thoughts or tips would be greatly appreciated!
Carrie in SD


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## cindy-e (Feb 14, 2008)

cwgrl23 said:


> Thanks so much for your input Cindy! I think I am going to get the digital version of that magazine. Are there any other homeschool mags out there that you love or hate??
> 
> I don't have a problem spending the "teaching" time. It is the putting everything together time, I don't have a ton of! Right now we are still "feeling our way" thru this wonderful world called homeschool! We, as a family, decided to pull DS from public school over Labor Day weekend. As my DS has a bad taste in his mouth for traditional schooling, we are looking at unit studies. We have discussed it and he said that he would rather study one theme that incorporates all subjects than trying to do a little bit in each subject each day. I am just happy that he has an opion of how he wants to learn things! This in and of it self is a HUGE improvement!
> 
> ...


check out the free resources thread. You might get some ideas there. I am really enjoying www.kahnacademy.org material that Pigeon lady suggested. And yea, if you are a unit study person, I hear Amanda Bennet is the go-to gal.  

Good luck!

Cindyc.


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## ErinP (Aug 23, 2007)

> I don't have a problem spending the "teaching" time. It is the putting everything together time, I don't have a ton of!


The two can not be separated. Planning and prep work are part of "teaching," _particularly_ in the case of unit studies. 
If you don't have prep time available, you might want to do something online, or go with a canned curriculum.


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## cwgrl23 (Feb 19, 2004)

ErinP said:


> The two can not be separated. Planning and prep work are part of "teaching," _particularly_ in the case of unit studies.
> If you don't have prep time available, you might want to do something online, or go with a canned curriculum.


The unit studies I am looking at are "canned". There is additional material that can always be added but for the time impaired, it is mostly there. 

Carrie in SD


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## ErinP (Aug 23, 2007)

Even if they're canned, there's no way to do unit studies without quite a bit of daily/weekly prepwork. :shrug:


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## cwgrl23 (Feb 19, 2004)

ErinP said:


> Even if they're canned, there's no way to do unit studies without quite a bit of daily/weekly prepwork. :shrug:


I guess I don't understand that statement. The whole point of buying a canned unit study is so that the much of the prep work is done. I understand gathering supplies for a project but that is not the kind of prep work I was talking about. I am talking about having to create everything for a unit study.

Carrie in SD


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## ErinP (Aug 23, 2007)

To be sure creating a unit from scratch is a lot _more_ work! lol (I literally cried when my Magnets unit molded last winter because it had gotten wet)

But teaching a unit is time-intensive in its own right. 
Yes, part of it is indeed the gathering of supplies, but you'll discover that's pretty minor. More will be spent on the _using_ of those "supplies." Particularly since you're talking about a child in the 3-6th grade range... 
There's a reason teaching is a full time job, you know. 

I did unit studies both as a homeschooling teacher and as a classroom teacher. It will require a lot more time than books&worksheets. And really, so far as books&worksheets, there are a lot of good options out there for those too. 

I don't want to say you can't do it. 
I'm just saying that from what you've told us (ie, a child operating in the upper elementary ages and a teacher with little time) unit studies probably won't be your best fit.


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## Ohio dreamer (Apr 6, 2006)

We use KONOS and are very happy with it.

It is not totally done for you, but 75-80% of the planning is there. It gives you a list of book possibilities, activities, scripture, etc. It is Christian, but you can easily drop that portion without damaging 90% of the studies. It is based on character traits with 2-5 unit studies for each trait. Pick and choose what you want to do or use. Each volume has enough material for 2 years of school is you do it all, don't add to it, etc.

This week we started King and Queens out of the Obedience section. I spent about 30 min in the library pulling books off the shelf, 20-30 min picking activities from the suggested list and I could have stopped here. I went on to do extra by making up spelling papers (they have a nice long list of words to choose from if you choose to do that), added in some activities from other sources I had, etc. All in all (not counting the time I entered all the information into the computer - my personal choice to do) I put about 2 hours of planning into a 3 week long study. I did 10-20 mins here and there, so it wasn't really "noticeable" time.

The volumes are about $110 each, new.....but you can get the older versions for bout $20-30 on e-bay. I've never seen the new ones, but love the ones I have from the mid-90's......there isn't too much different between these and the new ones from what I understand. Same framework. 

KONOS also have a few "in the bag" unit studies that has everything put together for you - no planning or gathering materials, from what I understand. Many people give these a try as a test before buying a volume.


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## BlueberryChick (May 12, 2008)

We're taking a break from our usual work to do a unit study from the Prairie Primer on Laura Ingalls Wilder's Farmer Boy. My son is in 3rd grade (he's 9) and my daughter is in kindergarten (she's 5).


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