Lesson 6: Create Your Own Unit Study
Locating Materials
To begin, I want to make a list of resources available to me. If you use the library, talk with the librarian and ask her to help you select several books for each child. Select books that are appropriate for each child to read alone, and others you will read together.
In my imaginary family, I will face a challenge. Josh does not read as well as his little sister. To protect his feelings, I will need to think about the reading material. One solution is to ask Josh to listen to Katelin read. Tell her that her brother will listen and she has to read the book so that he is interested, which means she is working on reading with expression. Tell her he will pretend to be a young child and will ask questions a younger child might have. In addition, I can read some of the books to Josh, since his intelligence is high, even though his reading level is low. Aaron can read, but has difficulty holding a book. His siblings can be invited to assist him as needed. I can add videos and computer programs to my list of resources as well. All the children can use the videos and all can use a good computer program with help.
Next, visit the bookstore. If possible, purchase a book or two to add to your library. A good non-fiction library is essential for homeschoolers who are writing papers. Thrift stores can be a good source of material for some subjects that don’t outdate.
Now we can turn to the internet. There are many educational resources available on the subject of endangered animals, although not all will work for my imaginary family and not all of them interest me. Initially, I will create a favorites file of sites that appealed to me. When I actually plan the unit, I will review those sites more carefully and evaluate them for my family.
When selecting a book, look at the name of the publishing company to be sure it is respectable. Look at the author’s credentials and find out if a list of resources the author used are available. Authors of educational children’s books don’t need high degrees, but the biography usually tells you something about why the author is qualified or how she learned the material.
Read books and watch videos privately before presenting them to your children. Be sure you are comfortable with the materials. I once reviewed a book about elephants and while it was extremely accurate, I quickly saw that portions were too graphic and upsetting for many younger children. Don’t be surprised in the middle of a lesson.
The internet can provide a variety of types of materials. We will search for worksheets, activities, games, and book lists. In addition, I will search for sites I can send my children to for a cyber field trip.
Finally, I will search for real world field trips related to my topic. Most subjects can be tied to a trip in your area.
