unit studies (or not)
Ren
"So maybe I just see unschooling as the unit study of everything in the whole
wide world."
Yeah, I like that.
We did "unit studies" for a couple of years before totally unschooling. What it involved was the kids telling me some topics of interest and I would gather books, recipes and fun projects surrounding that topic. The problem was, I still had certain expectations, though all of the "doing" was very fun and hands-on. The kids really enjoyed it for the most part, but it still wasn't quite there.
I still love themed experiences. Reading about China, eating some Chinese food, watching a video and doing some paper lanterns perhaps. Can you tell what we did today? (The Chinese New Year is tomorrow and Anne Ohman inspired us to have a celebration a thread at unschooling.com).
Problem is, my unschooled kids don't understand my need to keep the topic neatly tied together...they're truly like little fairies flitting from topic to topic, good for them!
After visiting a little Asian grocery store tonight, Jared enthusiastically exclaimed that he LOVES cultural foods and he thinks American food is boring. He discovered Meditteranean fare earlier this month, and now he's really into the Asian stuff. Cool.
On the way home he said "I know what I'm going to do when I get older....I'm going to travel from country to country and learn their language and foods"
Wow.
Then he said "and if I need money I'll work as one of those guys that helps people talk that don't know the language "(an interpreter).
I mentioned how he could teach English in some countries where they might give you room and board in exchange.
The thoughts he has at 10 years of age are SO beyond what my world would have allowed at that point in my life, his "units" SO much fuller and richer than anything I could think up for him.
I love that he sees no boundaries, only his dreams. I really hope he always believes in those dreams and just DOES it!!
Back to the unit thing...So my "units" now look very haphazard. We get interested in something and gather some fun resources...but on the way we might get totally sidetracked and instead of being bothered that we aren't staying on topic, I happily follow them down the meandering path to who-knows-where.
Unschooling units don't always stay neatly packaged like structured unit studies! A bit of China here, some India there, a smidgen of the Civil War and the anatomy of a squirrel thrown in, it doesn't really matter where the questions and interests lead as long as we're having fun together and learning things we want to.
I love looking at as connecting the dots, the way Sandra describes this process of gathering bits of seemingly disconnected information and slowly beginning to connect them, over long periods of time.
Unschooling rocks!!
Ren
"I never teach my pupils; I only attempt to provide the conditions in which they can learn."
Albert Einstein
wide world."
Yeah, I like that.
We did "unit studies" for a couple of years before totally unschooling. What it involved was the kids telling me some topics of interest and I would gather books, recipes and fun projects surrounding that topic. The problem was, I still had certain expectations, though all of the "doing" was very fun and hands-on. The kids really enjoyed it for the most part, but it still wasn't quite there.
I still love themed experiences. Reading about China, eating some Chinese food, watching a video and doing some paper lanterns perhaps. Can you tell what we did today? (The Chinese New Year is tomorrow and Anne Ohman inspired us to have a celebration a thread at unschooling.com).
Problem is, my unschooled kids don't understand my need to keep the topic neatly tied together...they're truly like little fairies flitting from topic to topic, good for them!
After visiting a little Asian grocery store tonight, Jared enthusiastically exclaimed that he LOVES cultural foods and he thinks American food is boring. He discovered Meditteranean fare earlier this month, and now he's really into the Asian stuff. Cool.
On the way home he said "I know what I'm going to do when I get older....I'm going to travel from country to country and learn their language and foods"
Wow.
Then he said "and if I need money I'll work as one of those guys that helps people talk that don't know the language "(an interpreter).
I mentioned how he could teach English in some countries where they might give you room and board in exchange.
The thoughts he has at 10 years of age are SO beyond what my world would have allowed at that point in my life, his "units" SO much fuller and richer than anything I could think up for him.
I love that he sees no boundaries, only his dreams. I really hope he always believes in those dreams and just DOES it!!
Back to the unit thing...So my "units" now look very haphazard. We get interested in something and gather some fun resources...but on the way we might get totally sidetracked and instead of being bothered that we aren't staying on topic, I happily follow them down the meandering path to who-knows-where.
Unschooling units don't always stay neatly packaged like structured unit studies! A bit of China here, some India there, a smidgen of the Civil War and the anatomy of a squirrel thrown in, it doesn't really matter where the questions and interests lead as long as we're having fun together and learning things we want to.
I love looking at as connecting the dots, the way Sandra describes this process of gathering bits of seemingly disconnected information and slowly beginning to connect them, over long periods of time.
Unschooling rocks!!
Ren
"I never teach my pupils; I only attempt to provide the conditions in which they can learn."
Albert Einstein
[email protected]
In a message dated 1/21/04 10:07:38 PM, starsuncloud@... writes:
<< "I know what I'm going to do when I get older....I'm going to travel from
country to country and learn their language and foods"
Wow. >>
And you guys live in Florida, so he can go to Epcot Center as apprenticeship.
<bwg>
<<I mentioned how he could teach English in some countries where they might
give you room and board in exchange. >>
Heck yes!!
Somewhere I described our "Hawaii unit." I'll look. (Warning: it was lame,
but real <g>)
Sandra
<< "I know what I'm going to do when I get older....I'm going to travel from
country to country and learn their language and foods"
Wow. >>
And you guys live in Florida, so he can go to Epcot Center as apprenticeship.
<bwg>
<<I mentioned how he could teach English in some countries where they might
give you room and board in exchange. >>
Heck yes!!
Somewhere I described our "Hawaii unit." I'll look. (Warning: it was lame,
but real <g>)
Sandra
Wife2Vegman
>Does he know he doesn't have to wait until he grows
> In a message dated 1/21/04 10:07:38 PM,
> starsuncloud@... writes:
>
> << "I know what I'm going to do when I get
> older....I'm going to travel from
> country to country and learn their language and
> foods" Wow. >>
up, thanks to the internet!
Back when we did unit studies, we did world geography
through food. There are some great websites for
recipes. Maybe he could play around with them and
keep track on a world map of the countries he has
"visited", either with push pins or stickers or
something. If he wanted to see how many countries he
could visit, or whatever. You could even watch
"Around the World in 80 Days"...if he wanted to.
=====
--Susan in VA
WifetoVegman
What is most important and valuable about the home as a base for children's growth into the world is not that it is a better school than the schools, but that it isn't a school at all. John Holt
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