Everything Homeschool Parents Need to Know About Unit Studies and How to Make Your Own Homeschool Unit Study

Are you wondering what a unit study is? Or maybe you’ve heard of them but are unsure how to implement them? Read on to learn more and have all your questions answered!

One of the greatest advantages of homeschooling is the freedom to tailor education to your child’s unique needs and interests, breaking away from rigid, one-size-fits-all methods. This is where unit studies are useful. Unit studies can fit a wide range of homeschooling styles.

Unit studies are an approach to homeschooling that focuses on a single topic and weaves it into multiple subjects, creating a rich, interconnected learning experience. Imagine diving deep into a subject like outer space, ancient Egypt, or even polar bears and exploring it through science experiments, or subjects like history, creative writing, and hands-on projects. It’s a method that keeps your learner engaged while fostering a love for learning.  

In this article, I will break down everything you need to know about unit studies. You’ll learn what they are, the benefits they offer, where to find pre-made unit studies, the simple steps to create a unit study for your homeschool, and some inspiring examples to get you started. 

We are a relaxed homeschooling family, so we use the unit study approach often. It also fits well with eclectic homeschooling and families who unschool. I find that learning about a subject and diving deep into it is more productive than just skimming over the content in a school textbook or curriculum.

If you are interested, you can download my FREE Human Body Unit Study to give you an idea of what a unit study can look like!

So, are you ready to learn more? Read on to learn more about homeschooling with unit studies, and see if it is the right fit for your family!

TL;DR: Main Points

• Definition: A unit study focuses on a single topic, integrating multiple subjects like history, science, math, and art.
• Benefits: Unit studies are engaging, interdisciplinary, and adaptable for multiple ages and learning styles.
• How They Work: Topics are explored deeply through hands-on activities, experiments, and creative projects.
• Examples: Outer space, ancient Egypt, rainforests, and famous inventors.
• Make Your Own Unit Study: Choose a topic, gather resources, plan activities, and stay flexible.
• Pro Tip: Use resources like Pinterest, Etsy, and free sites like Homeschool Share to find ideas and materials.

What is a Unit Study? How is it Different from Curriculum?

A unit study is a teaching method that allows you to dive deeply into a single topic by weaving it through multiple subjects. For example, if your child is fascinated by outer space, a unit study might also include science, like the science behind planets and stars, the history of space exploration, math calculations for distances in space, and even creative writing inspired by life on another planet.

This approach is incredibly flexible, making it a perfect fit for homeschoolers. Rather than a curriculum, where everything is predetermined, unit studies can be adapted to suit children of different ages, learning styles, and interests. That’s one of the main reasons I love unit studies! You can pick and choose which resources will work best for your family.

Whether you’re exploring the wonders of the ocean, uncovering the mysteries of ancient Egypt, or studying the ecosystems of rainforests, a unit study transforms learning into an exciting, interconnected adventure that engages the whole child.

Why Choose Unit Studies for Homeschooling?

Many families like unit studies because of the flexibility and the customization of the child’s interests. Here are a few reasons families choose the unit study approach:

• Engagement and Interest: Unit studies are built around your child’s passions, making learning more exciting and meaningful. Whether it’s dinosaurs, space, or art, lessons feel relevant and fun.
• Interdisciplinary Learning: Instead of teaching school subjects in isolation, unit studies integrate topics like math, science, history, and even language arts into a cohesive, real-world learning experience. This leads to a lifelong love of learning.
• Family-Style Learning: Unit studies are ideal for homeschooling multiple children. Siblings of different ages can explore the same topic together, with activities tailored to their skill levels. It can be challenging to find a homeschool curriculum that can be taught family-style, so unit studies can work nicely for families with children close in age.
• Hands-On Learning: From experiments and crafts to field trips and cooking, a unit study includes active participation, making concepts easier to understand and remember.

Resources for Pre-Made Unit Studies

If you’re looking for inspiration or pre-made unit studies to get started, there are plenty of fantastic resources available online.

Here are a few popular websites offering unit study ideas:

Free Unit Studies:

It isn’t as hard as you think to find free unit studies. Here are some links to free unit studies:

• Homeschool.com: Offers numerous unit studies for FREE!
• Homeschool Share: Homeschool Share offers free resources for homeschooling families, including lapbooks, unit studies, notebooking pages, and printables, all designed to help parents create engaging, hands-on learning experiences across a variety of topics and grade levels.
• The Good and the Beautiful: The Good and the Beautiful has a free unit study on Marine Biology. It is a Christian-based company. As a secular homeschooling family, we completed their Marine Biology unit study and just skipped over any parts that didn’t apply to us.
• Teachers Pay Teachers: A marketplace filled with ready-made unit studies on virtually any topic, from famous inventors to fairy tales to purchase and download. You can find many free options on there! If they are not free, they are fairly priced.
• Pinterest: Pinterest is a great resource for finding creative unit study ideas, as it offers a wealth of visual inspiration, lesson plans, and activity suggestions from experienced homeschooling communities and educators.

Other resources for Unit Studies

• UnitStudy.com: Provides many unit studies for purchase across a wide variety of subjects.
• Etsy: Etsy is a valuable resource for finding unique, customizable printable unit study materials, including printables, activity kits, and teaching resources created by independent sellers. Plus, you are supporting small businesses that way!
• Harbor and Sprout: This website offers nature-based unit studies for students from K-12. We will be trying out their Botany unit for older students this year.
• The Waldock Way: This website offers numerous unit studies for sale, such as US Government, Survival Skills, biographies, and more!

These resources can save you time while sparking new ideas for creating your own unique unit studies.

Examples of Homeschool Unit Study Topics and Activities

Unit studies can focus on virtually any topic, making them versatile and exciting. You can create a full unit study on one topic or create a unit study that incorporates related content.

Here are 7 options with examples of how to integrate multiple subjects:

1. Outer Space
Subjects: Planetary science, space exploration history, math with distances.
Activities: Build a model solar system, stargaze and chart constellations, read library books about space, or provide story prompts where students write a story about a space mission.

2. Ancient Egypt
Subjects: History, architecture, language arts (books about Egypt)
Activities: Create a pyramid model, read books about ancient Egypt, decode hieroglyphs, or read about Egyptian mythology.

3. Rainforests
Subjects: Ecosystems, climate science, geography, animals, biology.
Activities: Make a rainforest diorama, read books about rainforests, study animal adaptations, or graph rainfall patterns. This could be part of a bigger unit study on biomes!

4. The American Revolution
Subjects: History, government, economics, creative writing.
Activities: Role-play as historical figures, read living books, create a timeline of key events, or write a journal entry from a soldier’s perspective.

5. The Ocean
Subjects: Marine biology, environmental science, geography.
Activities: Study coral reef ecosystems, measure water salinity, read books about the ocean, or create an underwater-themed art project.

6. Famous Inventors
Subjects: History, science, technology, language arts.
Activities: Research an inventor’s life, recreate a simple version of their invention, write a biography or timeline, or come up with your own invention ideas!

7. Fairy Tales and Folklore
Subjects: Literature, art, creative writing, history.
Activities: Compare fairy tales from different cultures, write an original fairy tale, create illustrations inspired by the stories, or have your children perform a puppet show or play to summarize the story creatively.

These examples show how unit studies can transform any subject into a rich, interdisciplinary learning experience while keeping your child’s curiosity at the center.

7 Tips on How to Create Your Own Unit Study

Creating your own themed unit study can be an exciting and rewarding way to dive deep into a topic that sparks curiosity and interest. 

Download my free unit study planner below to get started, and make sure to visit my freebie library for free planner inserts and different unit study planner options:

Here’s a simple guide to help you create your own unit study, whether for homeschooling or just a fun family learning activity.

1. Choose Your Topic: Start by selecting a topic that caters to the interests of your children. Don’t limit yourself! It could be something broad like space, or something more specific like a particular animal, or maybe ancient China.

The key is to pick a subject that encourages exploration and curiosity. Think about what your children are currently interested in, or choose a subject that fits into your homeschooling goals. The topic should have enough depth to allow for various learning activities.

2. Set Learning Goals: Define what you hope your children will learn by the end of the unit study. Remember that every child is unique. These goals could be knowledge-based (e.g., understanding the basic structure of the solar system) or skill-based (e.g., improving research or writing skills).

Setting clear objectives helps guide the structure of your unit study and ensures that you cover all the necessary content, especially if you have middle school children or are beginning to homeschool high school students.

3. Plan Your Activities: Make a list of activities your child might enjoy. Once you’ve identified your learning goals, brainstorm activities that align with the topic and objectives. A good unit study should include a mix of activities to appeal to different learning styles, including:

• Books and reading materials: Include a variety of reading levels, from picture books to more advanced texts, to ensure the whole family can engage.
• Hands-on activities and project-based Learning: Build models, conduct experiments, or create artwork.
• Videos and multimedia: Use documentaries, educational YouTube channels, and interactive websites to enrich the learning experience.
• Field trips: Visit a planetarium, museum, or nature reserve, if possible.

4. Integrate Multiple Subjects: A key advantage of unit studies is that they allow you to integrate multiple subjects into one theme. For example, in a space unit study, you could incorporate:

• Science: Learn about the planets, stars, and the physics of space.
• Math: Calculate distances between planets or learn about the speed of light.
• Language Arts: Read about space explorers, write stories about space adventures, or do a research project on a famous astronaut.
• Art: Create artwork inspired by planets, stars, and galaxies, or design a space mission patch.
• History: Study the history of space exploration and the people behind the missions.

5. Design a Schedule: Break your unit study into manageable segments, usually one to two weeks. Each day or week should focus on a different aspect of the topic. Include time for direct instruction, independent activities, and reflection.

Be sure to leave room for flexibility, as students might want to explore a particular aspect more deeply than you planned. We call this “going down the rabbit hole” in our house.

6. Assess Learning: While unit studies are often less focused on traditional tests and quizzes, assessing what your children have learned is still helpful. This can be done through activities like a final project, a report, a presentation, or even a fun assignment or quiz. Encourage them to show their understanding creatively, whether through art, writing, or oral presentations.

7. Reflect and Adjust: After completing the unit study, take time together to reflect on what worked well and what could be improved. Ask your children what they enjoyed the most and what they would like to learn more about. Adjust future unit studies based on this feedback, and remember that learning is a dynamic process that can always be enhanced.

By following these steps, you can create a unit study that is engaging, educational, and tailored to the interests and needs of your children in creative ways. With a little planning and creativity, a unit study can turn any topic into an exciting learning adventure!

5 Tips for Success with Unit Studies

1. Start Small: If you’re new to unit studies, begin with a short and simple topic to get comfortable with the format. This helps you refine your approach without feeling overwhelmed. I am a homeschool mom with ADHD, and breaking things into smaller tasks helps me immensely. It is easy for homeschool parents to experience burnout when they try to “do all the things” at once.

2. Encourage Child Involvement: Let your child help pick the topic and suggest activities. Their enthusiasm and input will make the learning experience more meaningful and enjoyable.

3. Stay Flexible: Be ready to adjust plans based on your child’s interest or engagement level. If a particular activity doesn’t work, pivot to something else that sparks curiosity.

4. Use Free and Low-Cost Resources: Take advantage of libraries, free online printables, YouTube videos, and local events. Many high-quality materials are available at little to no cost, making unit studies a budget-friendly option, especially if you build your own unit studies.

5. Go “down the rabbit hole”: If your child shows interest in a certain part of the unit study, do some additional research and explore that topic more deeply. This is where organic learning happens. There is no time constraint on unit studies- you can go through them as quickly or as slowly as you like.

These tips will help you create engaging and successful unit studies that adapt to your family’s needs and keep learning fun!

Final Thoughts: Unit Studies

Unit studies are a fantastic way to make homeschooling personalized, engaging, and interdisciplinary. By focusing on topics your child loves and integrating multiple subjects, you can create a learning experience that’s both meaningful and memorable.

If you’ve never tried a unit study, start small and simple—it’s easier than you think! Whether it’s a week exploring dinosaurs or a month diving into outer space, you’ll find that unit studies can transform homeschooling into a creative and exciting journey for the whole family.

Ready to get started? Check out my free printable resources in the blog library to help you plan your first unit study. With just a little inspiration, you’ll be on your way to creating a dynamic and enriching educational experience for your kids!

Remember: Stay motivated along your family’s homeschooling journey by visiting homeschooling blogs that inspire you, reading quality homeschooling books, and staying connected to your local homeschooling community!

Try out a monthly journaling habit in which you review the past month and plan for the upcoming month. I find that this helps to keep me from thinking, “I’m not doing enough”. It helps me clear my mind of worry and set realistic goals for the next month.

I wish you the best of luck this school year, and thank you so much for reading! Do you have any comments or questions? Post below in the comments, and I’ll be sure to reply!

FAQ: Unit Studies in Homeschooling

1. What exactly is a unit study?

A unit study is an educational approach that explores a single topic in-depth, integrating various subjects such as history, science, math, and language arts to create a comprehensive learning experience.

2. Can unit studies be used for all age groups?

Yes! Unit studies are highly flexible and can be adapted for children of all ages, from preschool to high school, making them a great option for multi-age homeschooling families.

3. How do unit studies make learning more engaging?

Unit studies focus on topics your child is passionate about, incorporating hands-on activities, experiments, and projects that make learning feel like an adventure rather than a traditional classroom experience.

4. Do I need to buy expensive materials for a unit study?

Not at all! Many resources for unit studies, such as books, online printables, and community resources, are free or low-cost. You can even use books you already have at home. Libraries and websites like Pinterest and Etsy are excellent for finding budget-friendly materials.

5. How do I get started with a unit study?

Start small by choosing a topic your child is interested in. Gather resources and plan activities while incorporating multiple subjects. You can easily find inspiration and support from free resources like Homeschool Share or other educational blogs.