3 Great Summer Unit Study Ideas

Are you a year-round homeschooler? Or do you take the summer months “off” of homeschool? In either case, summer can be a great time for unit studies! 

Summer unit studies have many benefits: 

• If you like structure, unit studies can provide some organization to those freewheeling summer days. 
• Unit studies allow students to an explore an interest they may not have had time to explore during the school year.
• Summer unit studies can stave off boredom, spark creativity, and keep the learning going—for both parents and students alike.

Need some ideas for topics? Here are three that would be perfect for summer:

Science/Nature Study
Science is just one of those subjects that seems to slide during the school year. With all the math worksheets and sentence diagramming, science often gets put on the back burner. And while you may have set great nature study goals, maybe the cold temperatures kept you inside. 

In summer, if bedtimes are relaxed, why not do a unit on the night sky? Do you have a flower or vegetable garden? Plants make great unit studies. When the weather is warm, unit study topics abound in nature, so sprinkle in some learning with your outdoor time. 

Travel Destinations
Are you headed anywhere this summer? Your travel destination would make a great unit study. 

Are you going to visit a new state? Complete a unit study on that state: its history, geography, music, food, and literature. Are you going to visit a new country? Before you go, study everything from its culture to its currency. Are you going to a national park? National parks make great unit studies that can easily incorporate science and nature. 

Holidays and American Revolutionary Figures
Summer is a great time to do unit studies on holidays and the American founding. America’s biggest patriotic holiday, the Fourth of July, falls right in the middle of summer. Memorial Day kicks off the summer, and Labor Day marks its end. 

So, why not do a study on one of the summer holidays? Study the history of the holiday—its origins and how our cultural celebrations have changed over time. To get ready for the Fourth of July, do a study on a revolutionary figure, such as George Washington, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, Patrick Henry, or Betsy Ross. 

Summer should be a time for rest and rejuvenation for homeschool parents and students alike. The secret about unit studies is that they often don’t feel like work. If you are following your children’s interests, they will be delight-filled for everyone in your family. 

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