Subject: Unit Study Program (Grade School)
Introduction
Welcome to the Grade School Unit Study Program for 3rd through 6th grade students designed to simplify and streamline your home education experience. Through an integrated literature-based curriculum, your family receives clearly laid out directions for the parent(s), hands-on project-based activities for students, and a once-a-week touch-base LIVE class where discussion, sharing, and learning takes place.
How it Works
Each full year is segmented into two parts occurring in the fall and spring-- incorporating History, Science, Language Arts, Art, and Religion -- to learn all subjects together in a unit that coordinates and dovetails into one harmonized year of learning.
Your Program Description
The Four-Year Sequence
The entire program spans a four-year sequence based on the four volumes of TAN Books’ History series, The Story of Civilization. The following years of study can be taken independently or in any order.
Ancient History (Volume 1, Year One)
Medieval History (Volume 2, Year Two)
The Making of the Modern World (Volume 3, Year Three)
US History (Volume 4, Year Four)
MAKING OF THE MODERN WORLD: Reformation (1500s) to the 21st Century
Visit “The Four Year Cycle” article for more information on matching courses here:
http://homeschoolconnectionsonline.blogspot.com/search/label/4-Year%20Cycle.
The “Flipped Classroom”
The Grade School Unit Study Program uses a “flipped classroom” approach in a four-day-week course of study: families watch teacher-created videos and work together on interactive lessons (guided materials and instruction). In addition to home learning, the once-a-week LIVE online class “becomes the place to work through problems, advance concepts, and engage in collaborative learning” (The Flipped Classroom, https://www.educationnext.org/the-flipped-classroom/).
Daily Activities
Families are provided with daily lessons, checklists, and other resources and learning materials. Each week starts with a LIVE, twenty-five-minute online class meeting for parents and students together with the instructor covering student learning from the previous week.
Class Meetings
During each weekly class meeting, students discuss the past week’s readings, play games to reinforce the week’s learning, and have the opportunity to share project work and poetry recitation on camera.
Subjects: The Making of the Modern World
Your List of Subjects Scheduled for the Four School Days (Per Week)
* History (45-60 minutes per day)
* Literature (45-60 minutes per day)
* Greek & Latin Roots (10-15 minutes per day)
* Poetry Memorization (10-15 minutes per day)
* Creative Writing (60-90 minutes per week)
* Geography (60 minutes per week)
* Science (60-90 minutes per week)
* Solo Reading (time varies per family choice; suggested 30-60 minutes per day)
* Project Work (time varies per family choice; suggested 60-90 minutes per week)
Core Texts: The Making of the Modern World
Getting Your Texts/Books
The same texts are used for all three parts of the series.
● New or used copies of the texts will work for use in this course. See BookFinder.com for the best prices.
● Choosing Prices: The price range after each title reflects the lowest price (Kindle edition or used edition) to the highest price range (new and/or hardback edition).
● Total Price: The low-cost options for these books can total approximately $79 and the highest cost options (all new/hardback) would cost approximately $200.
● Text and Year Overlap: Some of the Medieval books will also be used in Year Three (Making of the Modern World).
Your Book List: The Making of the Modern World
Purchase the following books for the school year:
· The Story of Civilization (TSoC), Volume 3: The Making of the Modern World by Phillip Campbell, (ISBN-978-1-5051-0982-5) (All Year) ($10-$25) Note: Supplementary TSoC Student and Teacher texts and Audio/Video products are optional. We recommend you consider adding supplementary texts (as well as audio and video materials) as tools for further engagement.
· Exploring Creation with Zoology 2: Swimming Creatures of the Fifth Day by J. Fulbright. (ISBN-13: 978-1932012736; ISBN-10: 1932012737) (All Year) ($15-$35)
· Saints & Heroes by Ethel Pochocki (ISBN-10: 11932350519; ISBN-13: 978-1932350517) (All Year) ($5-$12)
· Around the World in 80 Days by Jules Verne (any unabridged version) (All Year) ($5-$16).
· English from the Roots Up, Volumes 1 and 2 by Joegil Lundquist. (Vol 1: ISBN-13: 978-1885942128; ISBN-10: 1885942125; Vol 2: ISBN-13: 978-1885942302ISBN-10: 1885942303). Any new or used volume works. Students have a choice to study Vol 1 roots, Vol 2 roots, or both. Many families only buy the premade flashcards rather than the book and flashcards, and this serves to be enough to study and take course quizzes. Choose the resource that works best for your family. (All Year) ($15+)
· St. Phillip of the Joyous Heart by Francis X. Connolly (ISBN-10: 0898704316; ISBN-13: 978-0898704310) (Fall 2021) ($8-$12)
· Madeleine Takes Command by Ethel Brill (ISBN-10: 1883937175; ISBN-13 : 978-1883937171) (Fall 2021) ($6-$15)
· The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle, by Avi. (ISBN-10: 0545477115; ISBN-13: 978-0545477116 (Winter Break 2022) ($5-$10)
· The Children of Fatima by Mary Fabyan Windeatt. (ISBN-10: 0895554194; ISBN-13: 978-0895554192). (Spring 2022) ($2-$12)
· The Winged Watchman by Hilda Van Stockum. (ISBN-10: 1883937078; ISBN 13: 978-1883937072 (Spring 2022, Course 3) ($7-$15)
Helpful Additions: The Making of the Modern World
These tools will help your homeschool journey in this unit study, but they will not be assigned.
Around the World coloring book (Dover History Coloring Book) by Winky Adam (ISBN-10: 0486439836; ISBN-13: 978-0486439839). (All Year) ($5)
Any World Map to hang in your home. Students will have fun tracking the journey of Phineas Fog as we read Around the World in 80 Days.
- Teacher: Jackie deLaveaga
- Teacher: Mandi Gette