Unit Studies

“We Salute You, Mr. President” President Unit Study (FREE)

We Salute You, Mr. President is a notebooking unit that can be used to research and report on the president(s) of your choice. The blank template includes a variety of historical, professional, and fun facts to learn about a president. Read More »

All About the Presidents Unit Study (FREE)

All About Presidents is a notebooking unit that can be used to research and report on the office of the President of the United States. TheHomeSchoolMom’s US Presidents and Office of the President of the United States pages contain links to the resources needed to complete this unit. Read More »

Clara Barton Notebooking Unit

In the midst of the Civil War, Clara Barton became known for tending to wounded soldiers. After the war, she took on the enormous project of identifying and marking almost 13,000 graves of soldiers who died in the horrific conditions at Andersonville Prison in Georgia. Clara Barton spent her life dedicated ... Read More »

Elections Unit Study / Notebooking Unit (FREE)

Every November political candidates take to the airwaves, plan town hall meetings, and go door to door looking for votes. The Elections A to Z Unit Study looks at the history of elections and how they work in the United States. Using online resources to complete the unit, ... Read More »

Martin Luther King, Jr. Unit Study

The period during which civil rights were at the forefront of American news was tumultuous, often violent, and at once divisive and uniting. One name is associated with this time more than any other: Martin Luther King, Jr. Dr. King’s philosophy of nonviolence as applied in the Civil Rights Movement ... Read More »

Pi Day Unit Study

Learn all about Pi and why it is important (and fun!). Read More »

Pirates Unit Study

Ahoy, mateys! Get to know the pirates of old in this unit for ages 8-13. You will gather information on the history of pirates, where they sailed, what their lifestyles were like, what jobs they did, how they dressed, how they divided their spoils, and more. Read More »

US Constitution Unit Study

“We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United ... Read More »

Instead of Curriculum: Earn High School Government Credits Differently

Don’t depend on boring government textbooks; use an activities approach to learning how government works. If teens do these activities, talk about their experiences with you and others, and follow rabbit trails online, they will likely retain more knowledge about how government works than if they just read from a government textbook. Read More »

Ideas for Creating a Pet Unit Study

Your dog, cat, bird, fish, ferret, hamster, or lizard may be a unit study waiting to happen. Many children are fascinated by domestic animals, and their strong interest will motivate them to read, write, solve problems, and create projects. Here are some ideas for developing a unit study around our pets. Read More »

BSA Merit Badges {Free Unit Studies}

Where can you find over 100 free high quality unit studies? Boy Scouts! The Boy Scouts of America (BSA) program offers great merit badge materials to its Scouts, which my older sons used on their way to achieving their Eagle Scout ranks. Completing merit badge requirements was often a great addition to their study of science, history, culture, government, business, and technology, and they also learned some great life skills for staying fit and healthy, managing money, and dealing with emergencies. Read More »

Contextual Learning: Homeschooling Through Fashion

This year in my role as a homeschool evaluator, I met a number of tweens and teens who are interested in fashion. As we went through their portfolio of work and talked about their year, I was fascinated with the ways they had woven their interest in fashion with their academic studies. Two of the teens I met with had taken their interest in current fashion into the past — studying the typical dress and accessorizing of women and men in earlier periods of history. They also took their fashion interest international — studying the current typical dress of modern-day ... Read More »

A Vital Unit Study Topic: Emergency Preparedness

Just over a year ago, our home and many of our rural neighbors’ homes were damaged by Hurricane Sandy, which severely (and somewhat anonymously) affected a narrow swath of property in the mountains of Virginia before making its way as Superstorm Sandy to a much better publicized hit on northern coastal towns. While my son was unlikely to have been alone in such a situation (it was long predicted to be a serious storm for our immediate area),  he was interested in our preparedness and response to the storm. After a harrowing night spent in our basement without power as the storm’s wind shook us and the rains ... Read More »