We had the opportunity to review the digital download Many Nations Once-a-Week Micro Study, which is one of the Once-a-Week Micro-Studies from Homeschool Legacy.
I like the concept of the unit study – “focusing on one particular topic, while incorporating a variety of subjects.” Although it sounds interesting and exciting, I have resisted unit studies because of the amount of time I think they take. Unit studies usually cover the required subjects (as well as a few others), so they may be used as full curriculum. I have always thought since we already have curriculum we like for our required and other subjects, taking time away from those to complete a unit study just is not possible.
Author Sharon Gibson, the creator of Homeschool Legacy, has managed to put together a unit study curriculum that may be completed with the commitment of only three 30-minute weekly assignments. In one school week, that is really not much time taken away from your regular studies. On top of that, your children are still learning about something that will enhance their education.
Homeschool Legacy currently offers five micro-studies that include Cooking up History with the Founding Presidents, Victoria and Her World, Pirates or Privateers: You Decide, Thanksgiving with the Pilgrims and Many Nations. All of the studies are for first through eighth grade students.
We are studying American History right now, so we chose to review the Many Nations mirco-study. The history curriculum we are using introduces to the Native American culture and its contribution to our country. Adding the Many Nations study was a wonderful complement to our study. Gibson gives special attention to the Cherokee, Iroquois, Navajo and Plains Indians.
I really like the in depth-information Gibson includes in the micro-study. The books she assigned for the four-week study was Sing Down the Moon by Scott O’Dell. She had us read the book over the course of completing the unit study. Each week, Gibson provides suggestions for arts & crafts projects, geography with mapping, learning new languages and, of course, history. Bible, social studies and anthropology are also included in the weeks of study. See a week example.
The parent helps were having a supply list for each week and directions on how to conduct the week for completing the assigned activities. It is not tricky, but I had to make time to complete the assignments and knowing what was expected and what I needed was very helpful in planning my weeks.
The micro-study is complete with no need to purchase additional resources (except for Gibson provides a lot of resources Sing Down the Moon. The hands-ons projects are very helpful. Some of the building my children enjoyed was of a longbuilding and teepee. The hands-ons activities are listed according to a variety of age ranges, so children within the target group will be able to work on projects that are geared more towards their academic level.
Even though Homeschool Legacy micro-studies are able to be used alongside your current curriculum, they also work well independently as a main source for your science and history studies. Lab sciences for high school students will need to be completed using other resources.
Students who participate in Boy Scouts or American Heritage Girls are able to earn credit towards their merit badges. If your child is a member of 4H (we just joined, again), then they may be able to use the studies for their 4H Project Record.
Homeschool Legacy has a product that addresses the needs of a family like mine, who wants to use a unit-study, but finding the time has not been possible. The lessons are easily adaptable into a school week, not time consuming, well organized and easy to prepare because Gibson has done that for you.
PRICING AND AVAILABILITY
The Many Nations Once-a-Week Micro Study is available for $12 as a digital download.
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