Unit studies for 2011-2012

We do a great deal of unit study in our classroom. I spent a great amount of time finding them or creating them and this is what I came up with for this year. The boys do the unit studies as a group lesson, but obviously will have different objectives and learning outcomes.


Science

• Weather
• Food pyramid and Food groups
• Animal Families
• Matter(solids liquids gasses)
• Magnets
• Famous Scientists
• Our Systematic Body
• Cells
• Dental Health
• Plants
• Sound

History

• Where We Live
• Our Continents
• The New World
• Explorers
• Nations of the great Continents

Literature

• If You Gave a Mouse a Cookie / If You Gave a Pig a Pancake
• Frog and Toad All Year
• Dr DeSoto
• The Tale of Peter Rabbit
• Little Bear
• A House For a Hermit Crab
• Corduroy

One reason I like unit study is it allows us to study something in depth and allow it to overlap our other subjects. I will post all the projects or link to the lesson plan online so that those who wish to follow along can.

A Trip Out West!

We have been spending a lot of time talking about westward expansion and life in the old west and civil war. Our field trip was to a historical site where we could learn more about how life was back then.

We took an awesome ride on a train to get there













"this place is great!"













"look mom, no seatbelts"
















We then went inside the Mormon Battalion Historic Site









We watched a very well done presentation about moving west and what life was like.
































We tried on historic clothing



















Learned about brick making, a skill they brought out west.














Panned for gold(think Sutter's Mill  and the 49'ers)













learned how to pump water from a well
































After that we had a light lunch and took the train home....what a great day! We are so thankful to live in this modern day with all the wonderful freedoms we have and nothing drove that home more than seeing people living the simplest lives.