Unit studies allow a parent to teach a child all possible aspects of a topic or theme in a single schematic manner. This means that if a child is learning about hometown he will learn about the geography of the state and the location of the hometown. Then he will learn about the places of interest in the place which deal with the history of the hometown like museums, the city hall and other related places.
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It all fits together like a jigsaw puzzle
He will learn about the governance and the civic aspect of the city that he resides in. He will also learn about the famous people who came from the town.There will also be an introduction to the cultural aspects such as the music or fine arts that are associated with the place.If the child can learn so much about the hometown in a unit study wouldn’t it be a better idea to use this integrated method of teaching in a homeschool curriculum?
Do you need the textbooks?
While it is true that unit studies allows you to combine a number of resources to teach a set of related skills, it is too soon to start throwing out the individual subject related text books. It is reading about the different aspects of the unit in different subject books that allows the child to understand the interrelated nature of the discipline or topic that he is studying.It tells him how the history of the place is related to the geography of the place. It also shows him how the geography of the place can lead to difference in the civic governance.
Unit studies and beyond
It also tells him how the history of the place can affect the present day life. While it fun for the whole family to participate in unit studies related field trips and activities, it is the student alone who will have to use that information in a higher grade in subject specific slots. So while it is a good idea to include some unit studies in the homeschooling curriculum, the parent must also instill a healthy respect for each different subject in the child.
Article Inspiration: About Homeschooling
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