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Tour through a Christian Cottage Unit Study 1. Main Points to Study and Vocabulary: Our first stop on the tour is the list of Main Points to Study and the Vocabulary Lists. The main points are really a list of objectives and test items in one. We included some specific points for each level which you will cover in the unit to follow. Scan these main points periodically as you work through the unit of study to see if your children are mastering the material you've covered. As the teacher, you can decide which main points you wish to cover. When you complete your unit study, quiz your child with these questions and terms to grade them on their mastery. Periodically through the year we recommend that you play games to review your vocabulary and main points. (Pictionary, 20 Questions, Password, Scattergories, etc.) Isn't it amazing to see how much content is covered through these units in only one year? 2. Resources: Our next stop on the tour is our Resources List. here we have listed particular books which we consulted while writing this unit. These are OPTIONAL SUPPLEMENTS!! We strongly recommend that you select and request literature for each unit. The rest is purely optional. If your library does not have these specific books, simply browse the shelves in those sections. You will probably find better books than we did! The Boy Scouts Merit Badge Books have proven to be extremely helpful. They are well organized and have excellent condensed content. You may wish to purchase some of these ahead of time because their cost is so reasonable. Many libraries also carry them. "How do I use the Literature List?" Each unit usually includes some literature recommendations for each level. We hope each child will be able to read or listen to at least one good book with each unit. these will enrich your unit study greatly. Schedule about 30 minutes per day for reading (reading aloud, or silently, or both). "What do I have to buy?" TEXTS: You don't have to buy any books to successfully complete these unit studies; it can all be done through a weekly trip to the library. However, for families with small children (or distant libraries) it may be more convenient to have some books on hand. We have listed Christian textbooks which we consulted for these units. Please note: a well-written text is often useful for a variety of grade levels. Use texts as resources! Don't try to read the entire textbook plus do all of the unit studies! Younger students will enjoy listening to it and looking at pictures, while older students will be able to use it for independent research. REFERENCE: A dictionary will prove invaluable. You may wish to invest in a set of encyclopedias as well. Used ones from book- and yard-sales can work very well. We highly recommend you buy encyclopedias that are written for children (for example, World Book or Book of Knowledge).
"special" needs. 3. Activity Calendars: For our second stop we will see the wonders of activity calendars. Watch your step, please, as you will notice that the calendars are organized into four different levels. We assume that Intermediate and Advanced students will have the support of a textbook. These activities are intended to create depth and meaning to enhance their knowledge of the material. It is important to note that you are welcome to choose activities from any of the calendars and activity pages at any time. We have organized the units this way to enable you to repeat a unit with your child(ren) four years later. "I have children in each of three levels; how can I teach them with this system?" Because Christian Cottage Units were initially taught to groups of 10-12 children ranging in level from first to eighth grade, we understand. Simply teach the content to the oldest student, and break it down for the younger children. Assign a research activity to the older students to do independently, while you do some of the lighter hands-on games and pictures with the younger children. Many of the activities are labeled "ALL LEVELS." These will be perfect with your multi-level group. "Do I have to follow this schedule?" No! Absolutely NOT! We have tried to plan an interesting sequence of activities, but you do NOT have to do them all!! Many families only do a few projects from each unit. We encourage you to browse through the activity calendars and "shop around" for those that appear to be the most interesting. Please don't get overwhelmed. There are many things to do; just do as many as you can or want to. (True confessions: We never did ALL of the activities either, but we really had a great time with the ones we completed!) 4. Scriptures of the Month/Day: Now we come to my favorite section of each lesson, the Scriptures. (In the initial volumes, these Scriptures are located at the beginning of each month In later volumes, an applicable verse or chapter has been selected to introduce each lesson.) These can be used for devotional ideas, memory verses, bible essays or whatever you wish. Each unit has been written to help you to understand the hand of God in your life, and we pray that these verses will be a blessing to you as you apply the Word of God to your lessons. 5. Daily Activities: The last stop on our tour is the best. Each day of activity is written out for you with ideas and illustrations. Enjoy learning together with your child(ren). REMEMBER, IF YOU DON'T DO EVERY ACTIVITY, YOU HAVE NOT FAILED!! WE DON'T GET EVERY ACTIVITY DONE EITHER! HAVE FUN! DISCOVER TOGETHER!! "How do I begin?" Step One: Read over the unit calendar(s). Highlight the activities you want to complete. Step Two: Go to the Literature list and choose the selections you want each child to read as part of this unit. Step Three: Collect materials and ingredients for the units each week when you go shopping. Plan a trip to your library about once a month. Step Four: Begin to teach by reading the daily lesson with your children. Complete any listed "preliminaries", and then do the activity. Step Five: Schedule "literature reading time" each day. You may choose to read classics aloud to your children, or they may prefer to read independently (or both). Step Six: Test your child(ren) for mastery by asking questions about the main points to study and words from the vocabulary lists. Step Seven: Review your vocabulary and main points regularly by playing word games like 20 Questions, Pictionary, Scattergories, Password, Wheel of Fortune, etc. If these games are not familiar to you, "20 Questions": Player 1 gets 20 questions to guess what another player is thinking about (generally an object). "Pictionary": Two teams: Player 1 draws a picture of the word, and his/her teammates get 60 seconds to guess the word. Score points for each word correctly done. Each team member gets a turn to draw. "Scattergories": Two teams: Player 1 has to guess the category based on the items the other members of the team can list. "Password": Two teams. Player 1 gives partner one-word synonyms to help him/her guess the word. Score 10 points if guessed on first clue, 9 points on second clue, etc. "Wheel of Fortune": Guess the letters which appear in the word. Roll dice or use numbered spinner to earn points for each letter. REMEMBER: Enjoy learning together! Relax and don't be afraid to learn right alongside your children!
How To Balance Unit Study Activities With Textbooks PRIMARY LEVEL: In first through the third grade, it's important that 90% of the science and history studies are taught through practical learning with hands-on activities. Only about 10% of the learning should come from textbook studies. ELEMENTARY LEVEL: In the fourth through sixth grades, the student can now read independently, but would really prefer to be actively discussing, dramatizing, and creating new ways to learn the material. At this age, about 50-75% of the learning should be through activities, and only about 25-50% of the learning should come from reading texts. INTERMEDIATE LEVEL: By the sixth and seventh grades, the student begins to earnestly study text material. Now, about 50-75% of the learning comes from the textbooks, and only 25-50% comes through activities. ADVANCED LEVEL: In the eighth grade and above, activities are used primarily to enhance the text material and provide opportunities for research projects. By selecting simpler, yet concise texts, students will still have time to apply their learning through projects and activities. This applied knowledge will stay with the advanced student far longer than recited pages from a textbook. How to Integrate Textbooks with Unit Studies We are recommending texts because they contain content which has been written and illustrated at your child's learning level for these unit studies. You will notice that, in many of the units, we have written much of the content to the older student and the parent's level. You'll need to read the activity first, and paraphrase the information for your younger child(ren). You are NOT required to use any textbooks to complete these units successfully!! Many parents choose to use only the public library or encyclopedias for resources.
REMEMBER: The textbooks are recommended for you to use as resource books! (Parents of younger children may find it advantageous to order a few advanced textbooks to use as a teacher's resource.) FINAL NOTE Have a wonderful year! We'd love to hear about your learning adventures! Please send us an e-mail, we may even post it here on our site! |
DON'T WORRY ABOUT COMPLETING THE ENTIRE TEXTBOOK PLUS THE UNIT STUDY! THE UNIT STUDY MATERIAL WILL COVER ALL OF THE INFORMATION YOU WILL NEED FOR THIS SCHOOL YEAR!