unit studies Archives - Look! We're Learning!

Homeschool Unit Studies: Penguins Unit Study

January 17, 2019 by Selena Robinson 2 Comments

We’re sharing a brand new edition of our homeschool unit studies today with a free penguins unit study! Just in time to cover it this winter!

Penguins are super fun animals. If you get a chance to watch them interact, they’re playful and intelligent and incredibly considerate of one another. Whenever I see pictures of emperor penguins standing together to fight off the cold air, my heart practically explodes.

Read on to see some incredible facts you can learn about penguins – right along with the kids. And for more winter learning, don’t miss our All About Snowflakes unit study! It’s loaded with 30 pages of winter lessons for grades 1-4!

Penguins Unit Study

It’s not just adults. Kids love penguins too! So they’ll love learning about them this winter in this free penguins unit study! There are videos, crafts, books, and more for learning about how these incredible birds live and play!

Penguins Notebooking Pages

Start by collecting a set of printable penguin notebooking pages!

They’re perfect for jotting down facts, organizing ideas for a report, or writing a story about these cool birds!

To get your set free, sign up for our email newsletter! You’ll receive these and lots of other learning printables in our exclusive Subscriber Library!

Penguins Facts for Kids

On to learning about what makes a penguin a penguin! Watch the video below with the kids and then see if they can answer the questions that follow.

1. Are penguins warm-blooded or cold-blooded? (Answer: Warm-blooded)
2. How are penguins different from most birds? (Answer: They do not fly.)
3. Where do penguins lives? (Answer: Antarctica, Africa, South America, Australia, and the Galapagos Islands)
4. How many different species of penguins are there? (Answer: 17)
5. What is the smallest species of penguin? (Answer: Little Penguin/Blue Penguin)
6. What is the largest species of penguin? (Answer: Emperor Penguin)
7. How do penguins stay warm? (Answer: Thick layers of blubber and tightly packed feathers)
8. What do penguins eat? (Answer: Krill, fish, squid, and other small aquatic animals)
9. How many eggs do penguins lay each year? (Answer: One to two)
10. Why are penguins endangered? (Answer: Bad weather, habitat destruction, and overfishing by humans)

Penguins Books and Activities for Kids

Add these penguin books for kids and penguin activities for kids to your penguin unit study for a complete lesson! (This section contains affiliate links. For details, see our Disclosure Policy.)

1. Coffee Filter Penguin Craft – Look! We’re Learning!
2. Penny Penguin Finds Her Way Home by Philip J. Damiani
3. Marshmallow Penguin Snack – Eats Amazing
4. Penguin in Peril by Helen Hancocks
5. A Penguin Story by Antoinette Portis
6. No-Sew Sock Penguin Craft – Easy Peasy and Fun
7. Be Brave, Little Penguin by Giles Andreae
8. Penguin Says “Please” by Michael Dahl
9. Waddling Penguin Craft – Buggy and Buddy
10. Penguin and Pinecone by Salina Yoon

For more penguin learning fun, don’t miss our roundup of even more Kids’ Books about Penguins!

And check out even more penguin crafts for kids too!

See more ways to learn about winter animals!

Plus get more ideas for winter learning on my Winter Activities for Kids Pinterest board!

Homeschool Unit Studies: Animal Homes Unit Study

October 15, 2018 by Selena Robinson Leave a Comment

Today we’re sharing another one of our homeschool unit studies! We’ve already talked about hibernation and this time I wanted to share some information we’ve found about how animals make their homes in various environments.

Read on to check out our Animal Homes Unit Study!

Kids love to learn about where animals live. And, really, it is fascinating to study how different kinds of animals adapt to their environments and manage to raise their young, no matter the climate in which they live. Personally, I don’t think I could get by without heating and air conditioning, but that’s another story…

Want to see more of our homeschool unit studies for kids? Don’t miss our beach unit study or our penguins unit study!

Disclosure: I am a BookShark brand ambassador and am receiving free curriculum as part of my role.

Homeschool Unit Studies: Animal Homes Unit Study

We started by learning about different animal homes in The Usborne World of Animals (part of our BookShark Level 1 curriculum).

As our lesson plan suggested, we went out to explore animal homes in our local area.

We saw this eight-legged guy living in a tree.

We even found insects living under a fallen tree branch on the ground.

Naturally, we couldn’t leave it there. So we went to the zoo to see even more animal habitats.

There were birds living in trees…

…in ponds…

…and in the Arctic!

We saw elephants living on the savanna.

And alligators living in swamps.

The kids thought it was cool that animal homes look so different from one place to another. And, as we learned, the homes vary by region and by species.

So one animal in the rainforest has a certain kind of home, while a different animal has a different kind of home that suits its needs.

But an animal that lives in the rainforest may have a very different home than a related animal that lives in our area.

As our BookShark lesson pointed out, this is no different than people. Different people have different kinds of homes based on where they live and their specific needs.

Animal Homes Notebooking Pages

As you and the kids learn more about different animal homes and habitats, grab these free notebooking pages to write down your discoveries!

To download your set, sign up for our email newsletter! You’ll get access to these and other exclusive subscriber freebies when you enroll using the widget below.

Animal Homes Unit Study Video

To learn more about animal habitats, check out this video and see if the kids can answer the questions that follow!

1. What is a habitat? (Answer: The area where something lives)

2. What do animals need to live? (Answer: Food, water, shelter, and space to live)

3. What is the food chain? (Answer: The model that describes the flow of energy between living things)

4. What is a food web? (Answer: Tangled system that includes every plant and animal in a habitat)

5. Do food webs and food chains look the same all over the world? (Answer: No, they are different, depending on the conditions in each habitat.)

Animal Homes Books and Activities for Kids

Try the following affiliate animal habitat books and animal habitat activities to add to your Animal Homes unit study!

1. Sea Monster Notebooking Pages – Look! We’re Learning!

2. National Geographic Wild Animal Atlas: Earth’s Astonishing Animals and Where They Live

3. Habitat Sensory Bins – Mama’s Happy Hive

4. Welcome Home, Bear: A Book of Animal Habitats by Il Sung Na

5. Animal Habitat Mural – True Aim Education

6. I See a Kookaburra!: Discovering Animal Habitats Around the World by Steve Jenkins

7. Farm Shoebox Diorama – Look! We’re Learning!

8. Scholastic: Matching Animals & Habitats Lace-Up Cards by Maria Chang

Don’t miss these other science-based unit studies for kids!

$Learn about the science of beaches, plus get fun math, language, and geography practice, in this printable beach unit study!$

To get even more ideas for your homeschool unit studies, follow my Unit Studies board on Pinterest!

Printable Beach Unit Study: All About Beaches

May 17, 2018 by Selena Robinson 10 Comments

Who loves a trip to the beach?

*ducks as everyone raises their hand*

While we’re waiting for our family trip to the shore this year, I thought we’d try a fun printable beach unit study with the kids and that’s how All About Beaches was born!

There’s so much more to the beach than sand and surf! There are animals that live on the beach, scientific principles that explain how sand is formed, ways to learn about notable beaches around the world, and more that kids can discover in this printable unit study!

This pack is full of beach-themed activities that you can use with young learners and early elementary kids. Read on to see how to get your copy!

Looking for more beach-themed fun for the summer? Don’t miss our list of beach books for kids and our beach play sand you can make at home!

$Learn about the science of beaches, plus get fun math, language, and geography practice, in this printable beach unit study!$

Printable Beach Unit Study: All About Beaches

To use this printable beach unit study: All About Beaches, you’ll need the following: (This post contains affiliate links. For details, see our Disclosure Policy.)

Printer (with ink)
Printer Paper
Pencils
Crayons
Laminator (optional)
Scissors (for separating the flashcards)

All About Beaches begins with a two-page lesson about how sand is formed.

Then we’re on to geography with an activity that helps kids place the locations of beaches around the U.S. and around the world. (A full answer key is located at the back.)

Complete a fun unscramble activity to spot the names of animals that live on the beach!

And kids who love word games will have fun with a printable beach word search!

There’s a two-page story about a day at the beach, followed by a grammar exercise to help kids review parts of speech.

Several beach-themed coloring pages are also included!

And little ones can practice counting to ten with beach ball flashcards in English…

…and Spanish too! You might want to laminate these for durability, by the way.

Scroll down to get your copy of our Printable Beach Unit Study: All About Beaches!

Don’t miss these other beach activities for kids!

Find even more fun ways to learn over the summer on my Summer Activities for Kids Pinterest board!

To get your copy of our printable beach unit study: All About Beaches, click the image or the link below to visit our store!

>>>Printable Beach Unit Study: All About Beaches<<<

Homeschool Unit Studies: Hibernation Unit Study

November 9, 2017 by Selena Robinson 1 Comment

We’re sharing another entry in our homeschool unit studies series today: a free hibernation unit study!

Since winter time is fast approaching, I thought it would be fun to look at hibernation – how it works, what it is, and which animals do it every year. Plus, it’s a great excuse for talking about sleep, which I desperately need more of these days. (I’m sure I’m not alone there.)

Even if your kids are always on the move and rarely want to sleep (like mine), learning about hibernation is just plain fun! It’s really amazing to learn about mammals that sleep most of the winter season and what they do to prepare for that time of year. And that’s what this hibernation unit is designed to help kids do!

If you enjoy this unit, don’t miss our bears unit study and our list of children’s books about owls!

Hibernation Unit Study

When we put together a unit study, we typically include books, crafts, printables, and more. While I don’t always use every resource, I like to have as many as I can. That way, we can always stretch a topic out if the kids are super interested.

In this hibernation unit, you’ll find books about hibernation, hibernation notebooking pages, crafts and activities for learning about hibernation, and a super cool hibernation facts video that really explains this process in kid-friendly terms.

Hibernation Notebooking Pages

These free hibernation notebooking pages are great for keeping up with the facts kids learn about hibernating animals.

Students can even use them to write down some of the answers to the questions about hibernation they learn during the hibernation unit!

Get your set free by just clicking the image or link below!

>>>Free Hibernation Notebooking Pages<<<<

What is Hibernation?

Watch the video below and see if the kids can answer the questions that follow! (The hibernation notebooking pages are great for taking notes as the kids watch, by the way.)

1. What is hibernation? (Answer: The long sleep that some animals take during winter.)
2. Why do animals hibernate? (Answer: Because the weather gets cold and food becomes hard to find.)
3. How do animals prepare for hibernation? (Answer: As winter gets closer, they eat a lot of food to store fat that will keep them alive during winter.)
4. Why do some animals store food before winter? (Answer: These animals wake up from their hibernation to eat a little.)
5. Name a few animals that hibernate. (Answer: Bats, snakes, bears, hedgehogs, ground squirrels, groundhogs, and marmots)
6. Where do animals hibernate? (Answer: Wherever they feel safe from predators. Some hibernate in caves and some hibernate under the ground.)
7. What is the difference between sleep and hibernation? (Answer: During hibernation, the animal’s body temperature drops and its heart rate slows down. These things don’t happen during regular sleep.)
8. What is it called when animals hibernate during summer? (Answer: Aestivation)

Hibernation Books for Kids:

Share a cozy storytime session with these kids’ books about hibernation! (Affiliate links provided here. For details, see our Disclosure Policy.)

Don’t Wake Mr. Bear! by Jill Newton

Scholastic Reader Level 2: Hibernation by Tori Kosara

Hibernation Station by Michelle Meadows

Hibernation (Patterns in Nature Series) by Margaret Hall

What is Hibernation? (Science of Living Things) by John Crossingham

Over and Under the Snow by Kate Messner

Sleepover with Beatrice and Bear by Monica Carnesi

National Geographic Kids: Sleep, Bear! by Shelby Alinsky

When It Starts to Snow (An Owlet Book) by Phillis Gershator

Baxter’s Hibernation by Michelle M. Birkenstock

Hibernation Crafts and Printables:

Try these crafts and printables about hibernation for more learning fun during your hibernation unit!

Did you enjoy this hibernation unit study? Check these posts out also!

Plus, get more ideas for homeschool units on my Unit Studies Pinterest board!

Want even more ways to make unit studies fun? Sign up for our email newsletter to get plenty of great homeschooling tips and resources in your inbox!

Homeschool Unit Studies: Owl Unit Study

October 31, 2017 by Selena Robinson 1 Comment

Fall is a great time of year to learn about nocturnal animals and owls are no exception.

We don’t see a lot of owls down here in the South, but we sure hear them after dark. When I was a kid, owls were kind of scary to me. But now that I’ve learned more about them, they are truly fascinating, incredible animals. I mean, the head rotating alone marks them as one of the coolest animals around.

Which is why I wanted to share this owl unit study as one of our homeschool unit studies! Read on to learn more about these incredible creatures! And be sure to check out our fun coffee filter owl craft for a cool art project!

Homeschool Unit Studies: Owl Unit Study

Owl Notebooking Pages

Grab these free printable owl notebooking pages to help kids organize the facts they learn about owls! You can use these for copywork, report writing, or handwriting!

To download them, just click the image or the link below.

>>> Printable Owl Notebooking Pages <<<

Facts About Owls

Watch the video below about spotted owls and see if the kids can answer the questions that follow.

Where do spotted owls live? (Answer: Along the west coast of North America)
What is a spotted owl father’s job? (Answer: To hunt food for the owlets)
How far can a spotted owl turn its head? (Answer: 180 degrees)
Why don’t spotted owls make any noise as they fly? (Answer: Their feathers are so light and thin they make no sound.)
How long can a spotted owl live? (Answer: Up to 16 years)
How long is the wingspan of a spotted owl? (Answer: Up to four feet)

Learn about the snowy owl with the video below and try to answer the questions.

Where do snowy owls live? (Answer: In the Arctic)
What do snowy owls eat? (Answer: Lemmings)
How long can snowy owls go without eating? (Answer: Up to 40 days)
How do snowy owls adapt when food is scarce? (Answer: They may have fewer owlets.)

Owl Crafts and Activities for Kids:

These fun owl crafts and activities are a cool way to make learning about these creatures into a hands-on experience!

1. Coffee Filter Owl Craft – Look! We’re Learning!

2. Paper Plate Owls – Happy Hooligans

3. Owl Skip Counting Craft – Kids Activities Blog

4. Owl Eyesight STEM Exploration for Kids – J Daniel 4’s Mom

5. Simple Origami Owl – Easy Peasy and Fun

6. Sponge Painted Owls – Buggy and Buddy

7. Feathery Owls Color Matching Activity – To Be A Kid Again

8. Autumn Owl Black Glue Art – Artsy Momma

9. Paper Bag Snowy Owl Craft – I Heart Crafty Things

10. Owl Painted Rocks – Frugal Fun 4 Boys and Girls

11. Potato Print Owl Craft – Crafty Morning

12. Cupcake Liner Owl Craft – A Little Pinch of Perfect

13. Pinecone Owls – Fireflies and Mudpies

14. Stone and Shell Owl Craft – Rhythms of Play

15. LEGO Owl Building – Frugal Fun 4 Boys and Girls

16. Owl Addition 1-10 Printable – Simple Fun for Kids

17. Printable Owl-Themed Alphabet Game – The Educators’ Spin On It

18. Owl Mini Eraser Math Worksheets – Royal Baloo

19. Dissecting Owl Pellets Science Experiment – Kid World Citizen

20. Montessori-Inspired Owl Printables – Living Montessori Now

Books about Owls for Kids:

Check out this list of lovely children’s books about owls with the kids for read-aloud time!

20 Beautiful Owl Books for Kids

Ready to share more fall learning activities? Try these ideas!

Get more ideas for learning about autumn on my Fall Activities for Kids Pinterest board!

Plus, you can subscribe to our email newsletter for plenty of fun homeschooling lessons and ideas!

Homeschool Unit Studies: Harvest Unit Study

October 16, 2017 by Selena Robinson 2 Comments

Down here in the South, it’s pretty common to see farms and farming equipment. My youngest boy is smack dab in the middle of the “I love everything mechanical” phase, so he was excited about learning how farm equipment works.

I made this harvest unit study with him in mind. But it would be a great one of our homeschool unit studies for any kid, especially during fall!

Be sure to try some of our other fun fall activities, including our list of fall books for kids and our list of 50 fall crafts to make this year!

Homeschool Unit Studies: Harvest Unit Study

Harvest Notebooking Pages

Pick up these free harvest notebooking pages to use with this unit! Kids can use these printables to organize the facts they learn about harvest time from the video below or from the books you share together.

>>> Free Printable Harvest Notebooking Pages <<<

What Happens At Harvest Time?

Watch the wheat harvesting video and let the kids try to the answer the questions that follow.

What does the rotating wheel on the front of the combine do? (Answer: It pulls the wheat toward the sharp blades. The blades cut the wheat.)
What happens inside the combine? (Answer: The wheat heads are cut from the stalks. Then the heads are sifted to remove the chaff, leaving grains of wheat.)
How is the wheat chaff reused? (Answer: The chaff is tossed out of the combine back onto the ground. It will be reused to make straw bales.)
What happens once the combine’s storage tank is full of wheat? (Answer: The driver turns on a flashing light to call a tractor. The driver dumps the wheat out of the storage tank into the tractor’s trailer.)
What happens to the wheat inside the storehouse? (Answer: Drivers use trucks to collect all of the wheat into a neat pile.)
How much wheat can the combine harvest in one hour? (Answer: Enough to make over 70,000 loaves of bread)
What does the baler do? (Answer: Collects the wheat straw from the ground and forms it into blocks. This straw will be used for animal bedding during winter.)

What is a Harvest Moon?

Ever heard of the “harvest moon”? What is one and how did it get its name? This video is a neat (and brief!) explanation!

Harvest Activities for Kids:

These fun harvest activities for kids are a wonderful way to add some hands-on learning to this unit study!

1. Apple Harvest Scissor Skills Printables – Toddler to K

2. Harvest Play Fall Sensory Bin – Toddler to K

3. Alphabet Letter Harvest Game – Toddler to K

4. Apple Harvest Pom-Pom Tree Craft – Toddler to K

5. Coffee Filter Pumpkin Craft – Toddler to K

6. Paper Plate Corn Craft – Toddler to K

7. Apple Tree Playdough Counting Mat – Toddler to K

8. The Little Red Hen Retelling Sensory Activity – Toddler to K

9. DIY Pumpkin Slime – Toddler to K

10. Coffee Filter Apple Craft – Toddler to K

11. Apple Tree Circle Game – Toddler to K

12. Cardboard Apple Tree Craft – Toddler to K

13. Apple Counting Puzzles – Preschool

14. Pumpkin Measuring Math Activity – Preschool

15. Pumpkin Ordinal Number Worksheets – Preschool to Grade 1

16. Printable Corn Counting Book – Preschool to Grade 1

17. Apple Array Math Practice Worksheets – Grade 2

18. Pinecone Apple Necklace – Elementary

19. Colored Corn Mosaic Art – ALL AGES

20. Corncob Harvest Craft – ALL AGES

21. Harvest Pumpkin Watercolor Art Project – ALL AGES

And don’t miss our list of harvest books for kids to read!

Check out these other resources for fall learning!

Get exclusive learning tips and printables when you sign up for our email newsletter! Just use the widget below to get started.

And see more fun fall ideas on my Fall Activities for Kids Pinterest board!

Free Homeschool Unit Studies: Fall Leaves Unit Study

August 31, 2017 by Selena Robinson 6 Comments

Once the air starts to turn crisp, we know to watch for leaves to start changing color and falling. Down here in the South, this actually happens about a month after fall officially begins. But that doesn’t matter. I start getting into the fall spirit around September 1.

To help our kids learn more about this time of year, we put together a fun fall leaves unit study – one of our easy homeschool unit studies that you can use to discuss themes with your kids! Below you’ll find fall leaf books, leaf arts and crafts for kids, and leaf printables and activities that will be fun to use with your children!

If you enjoy this unit, don’t miss some of our other fall activities, including our leaf identification flashcards and our easy coffee filter apple craft!

Homeschool Unit Studies: Leaves Unit Study

Leaf Notebooking Pages

Pick up these free leaf notebooking pages for the kids to use as you cover this unit study! These are great for copywork exercises, handwriting practice, or for collecting the facts they learn along the way! You might even use them to answer the questions in the video section that follows!

To download the free leaf notebooking pages, just click the image or the link below!

>>>>>Leaf Notebooking Pages<<<<<

Why Do Trees Shed Their Leaves?

Watch the following video to find out why leaves fall off trees during autumn. See if the kids can answer the questions below afterward.

1. What is photosynthesis? (Answer: The process plants use to turn light, water, and carbon dioxide into sugar and oxygen.)

2. What is chlorophyll? (Answer: A colored pigment that plays a role in the process of photosynthesis.)

3. What are carotenoids? (Answer: Yellow and orange pigments that provide color to some plants)

4. What are anthocyanins? (Answer: The red and purple pigments that provide color to some plants)

5. Why do plants have more chlorophyll than other pigments? (Answer: Because chlorophyll is involved in photosynthesis, the plant’s primary job.)

6. Why do trees need less chlorophyll during winter months? (Answer: Because they spend less of their energy doing the word of photosynthesis during these months.)

7. Why do leaves fall off of trees? (Answer: Trees form a thin layer of weak cells near the base of the leaves. In addition, trees form another layer of cells at the base that gradually pushes the leaves away.)

So leaves aren’t just falling off of trees. They’re being nudged off by the trees themselves. Neat!

Fall Leaves Concentration Game

Add some math practice to your fall leaves unit study with this fun concentration game! Kids can take turns matching numbers and dots while keeping with the leaves theme!

$Fall Leaves Math Concentration Game - Fall Leaves Unit Study$

To get your copy of our fall leaves math concentration game, click the image or the link below to visit our Store!

>>>> Fall Leaf Math Concentration Game <<<<

Fall Leaf Arts & Crafts

Share some of these easy fall leaf arts and crafts with the kids as part of your unit study!

Fall Leaf Snow Globe Craft

DIY Fall Leaf Garland

Fall Leaf Painting

Fall Leaf Books for Kids

Fall is a wonderful time for family reading! Share some of these fall leaf books for kids this autumn! And be sure to pick up our free fall reading journal printables to check comprehension for older kids!

Fall Leaf Activities and Printables for Kids

Add even more educational fun to your fall leaves unit study with these activities and printables!

$Leaves Even and Odd Practice for Second Grade - Look! We're Learning!$

Want even more awesome fall leaves fun for kids? Follow my Fall Activities for Kids board on Pinterest!

Homeschool Unit Studies: Hurricane Unit Study

July 24, 2017 by Selena Robinson 2 Comments

It’s the end of summer and that’s usually the time that the Atlantic Hurricane Season kicks into high gear. We’ve been learning about hurricanes all summer long, so I thought I’d share a hurricane unit study! If you like using homeschool unit studies, this is a perfect way to talk about wild summer weather!

Hurricane Unit Study

I’ve always been fascinated by hurricanes. They’re basically cyclones over water, which is amazing in itself. They’re incredibly destructive, but the weather phenomena they produce is breathtaking.

We had to evacuate a couple of times when I was a kid and I thought it was exciting. As a kid, you don’t understand that the possibility of your house being destroyed is not a fun thing…lol.

Hurricane Notebooking Pages

Start off your hurricane unit study with these printable notebooking pages! They’re free and they’re super handy for writing down some of the facts the kids will learn in this unit. Just click the image or the link below to get your set free!

>>>>> Tropical Storm Notebooking Pages <<<<<

What is a Hurricane?

Watch the video below to learn about hurricanes form. Have your kids answer the questions that follow and record their answers on the tropical storm notebooking pages.

Where do hurricanes form? (Answer: They form in the warm ocean waters near the Equator.)
How do hurricanes form? (Answer: Warm air above the ocean rises, creating low pressure under the water. Surrounding air rushes into the low pressure area, forming an area of warm, moist low pressure that rises above the water. As air continues to rush in, clouds form. The ocean’s warmth and water vapor causes the clouds and wind to spin.)
How large can hurricanes become? (Answer: Up to 300 miles wide.)
What is the eye of a hurricane? (Answer: The calm center of the storm.)
What is the eye wall of a hurricane? (Answer: The wall of winds that surround the eye. These winds are the most damaging. The eye wall can be up to 30 miles in width.)
What are the rainbands? (Answer: The rain clouds that surround the eye wall. These can be up to 300 miles in width.)
Which hurricane categories are the most dangerous? (Answer: Category 3, Category 4, and Category 5)
How powerful is the energy released by a large hurricane? (Answer: Energy equal to the blast of 10 atomic bombs per second.)
What are hurricanes that form in the Pacific Ocean called? (Answer: Typhoons)

Hurricane Activities for Kids

These are plenty of ways to learn about hurricanes! Try some of these activities!

Label the Hurricane Activity – A printable diagram that displays the parts of a hurricane
Hurricane In a Jar – An easy science experiment that demonstrates how hurricanes form
Hurricane Comprehension Worksheet – Printable summary of facts about hurricanes
Free Printable Hurricane Booklet – A great tool for tracking hurricanes that develop during the season
Ridiculous Weather Report – Fun activity for kids who want to create their own weather forecast
Hurricane Fill-In-the-Blank Worksheet – A printable report that helps kids understand more about hurricanes
Hurricane Tracking Activity – Printable tracking map for hurricanes
Hurricane Printable Mini Unit – 16-page printable pack with facts and activities about hurricanes
5th Grade Hurricane Worksheets – Excellent hurricane printables for upper elementary kids with answer key
Middle School Hurricane Katrina Unit – Printable analysis activity for understanding the formation of Hurricane Katrina

Want to learn more about weather with kids? Don’t miss these other posts!

Plus, see more units on my Unit Studies Pinterest board!

Homeschool Unit Studies: Ice Cream Unit Study

July 6, 2017 by Selena Robinson 3 Comments

What kid doesn’t love ice cream? And there’s no way to make summer learning more fun than to learn about dessert, right?

So that’s why I put together a this Ice Cream unit study. Believe it or not, there are actually educational topics related to ice cream, especially chemistry. Of course, you can always make a taste-test graphing activity if you want to include math. (Totally going to do that one, I think.)

Read on to find some fun ice cream books, ice cream activities for kids, and easy ice cream recipes that you can use to make a fun ice cream unit kids will love! And if this unit study is a hit, don’t miss our beach unit study for even more summer fun!

Ice Cream Unit Study

This ice cream unit study is full of neat facts about ice cream history, fun ice cream activities for kids, and cool kids’ books about ice cream that your kids will go “bananas” for!

Ice Cream Notebooking Pages

Start this unit by picking up these free ice cream notebooking pages! They’re perfect for writing down the answers to the questions in the section below. Kids can also use them to write reports or come up with their own ice cream recipes to try!

Just click the image or the link below to get your copy of these free ice cream notebooking pages!

>>>>> Ice Cream Dreams! Ice Cream Notebooking Pages <<<<<

Ice Cream Facts for Kids

Watch this video featuring facts about ice cream with your kids and see if they can answer the questions below:

1. What is the most popular flavor of ice cream? Answer: Vanilla

2. Which U.S. president was a big fan of ice cream? Answer: George Washington

3. How much money did George Washington spend on ice cream during the summer of 1790? Answer: $200 (worth $5000 today!)

4. Why was the bendy straw invented? Answer: To make drinking milkshakes easier

5. Name one kind of frozen treat served during ancient times. Answer: Ancient Grecians and Persians mixed snow with fruit; Ancient Chinese mixed rice with frozen milk

I had no idea that people have been enjoying frozen treats for so long! Super cool!

Ice Cream Activities for Kids:

After you and the kids learn about the history of ice cream, try some hands-on crafts, learning ideas, and recipes in your ice cream unit study with the following ice cream activities!

1. Ice Cream Shape Sorting Activity – Look! We’re Learning!

2. Ice Cream Math Activity – Fun-A-Day

3. Ice Cream Shop Play – Pre-K Pages

4. Melted Ice Cream Play Dough – Kids Activities Blog

5. Pass the Ice Cream Sharing Activity – Sunny Day Family

6. Ice Cream in a Bag – I Can Teach My Child

7. Ice Cream Dough Science Experiment – Lemon Lime Adventures

8. Ice Cream Letter Sounds Sorting – This Reading Mama

9. Puffy Paint Ice Cream Cone Craft – Crafty Morning

10. Make Ice Cream in a Coffee Can – Coffee Cups and Crayons

11. Ice Cream Number and Ten Frame Matching – Playdough to Plato

12. One-Ingredient Banana Ice Cream – Happy Hooligans

13. Ice Cream Do-A-Dot Printables – Gift of Curiosity

14. Ice Cream Beginning Digraph Sort – The Letters of Literacy

15. Ice Cream Pattern Cards – Simply Learning Kids

16. Ice Cream Sundae Cupcakes – Frugal Mom Eh

17. Mad Scientist Ice Cream Lab – Left Brain Craft Brain

18. Sense of Sight Ice Cream Color Grading Activity – Gift of Curiosity

19. Paper Plate Ice Cream Craft – Easy Peasy and Fun

20. Ice Cream Count and Match Game – The Measured Mom

21. Ice Cream Blend Puzzles – Playdough to Plato

22. No-Churn Funfetti Cake Batter Ice Cream – Spaceships and Laser Beams

23. Five Senses Ice Cream Taste Test – No Time for Flashcards

24. Homemade Chocolate Ice Cream Play Dough – Kids Activities Blog

25. Painting on Ice Cream – Tinkerlab

Add some reading practice to your ice cream unit study with these super cool ice cream books for kids!

And make your own creamy treats using these super fun cookbooks featuring easy ice cream recipes for kids!

This ice cream unit study is sure to be a big hit with your kids! Don’t forget to stock up on their favorite flavors before you get started!

Don’t miss these other fun summer learning ideas!

And follow my Unit Studies Pinterest board for even more awesome homeschool unit studies to try with the kids!

Homeschool Unit Studies: Beach Unit Study

June 15, 2017 by Selena Robinson Leave a Comment

If you’re using homeschool unit studies, I’m sharing a fun beach unit study that’s a perfect way to learn about these natural wonders!

I absolutely adore the beach. What can I say? I’m from Florida. 🙂

It turns out that beaches actually provide lots of educational opportunities. You can learn about animals that live near or on the beach, how beach sand is formed, and weather that frequently occurs near shorelines – just to name a few.

Beach Unit Study

This unit study features plenty of beach activities for kids, some beach books for kids, lots of beach crafts for kids, and some educational videos that teach students about how beaches are formed, how waves develop, and what kinds of cool creatures live near the beach!

Beach Notebooking Pages

Pick up these free beach notebooking pages to get started on this beach unit study! They’re perfect for writing down the answers to the questions in the next section!

Or you can use them with the kids to write a report on what they learn or to practice copywork! Just the click the image or the link below to get your set. 🙂

>>>>> Shells by the Shore Beach Notebooking Pages <<<<<

How are Beaches Formed?

It takes many, many years for beaches to form. What makes up a beach anyway? Watch the short video below and see if your kids can answer the questions that follow.

1. What landform do beaches start from? (Answer: Mountains)

2. How do mountains lose particles? (Answer: Particles from mountains are eroded away and washed down rivers.)

3. How do particles from mountains end up on the beach? (Answer: They sink to the bottom of the river floor and are transported to the shore over time, forming beaches.)

4. Why don’t plants grow on the beach? (Answer: The salty air prevents plants from growing.)

How Are Waves Formed?

Waves also contribute to the shape of beaches. As they land onshore, waves wash particles away from the beach, eroding sand off the shore and down to the ocean floor. Watch the following video to learn about how waves form and see if your kids can answer the questions below.

1. What causes waves? (Answer: Weather events happening far away from the shore)

2. What determines how big waves are? (Answer: 1) How strong the winds offshore are blowing, 2) How long the winds have been blowing, and 3) How large an area the winds have been blowing over)

3. How do localized winds affect waves? (Answer: Localized winds are winds that blow just a few miles offshore. These winds can cause smaller waves near the beach.)

Animals That Live On the Beach

Did you know that there are animals hiding in tide pools near the beach? They hide under rocks when the tide goes out, but they’re there! Watch this video to find out which animals live in ocean tide pools and challenge your kids to answer the questions that follow.

1. What is the correct name for a starfish? (Answer: Sea star)

2. How did the Leather Star get its name? (Answer: It feels like wet leather when touched.)

3. What animals are sea anemones related to? (Answer: Coral and jellyfish)

4. How long can a nereid worm grow? (Answer: Up to 2 feet in length)

5. Name three types of crabs found on the beach. (Answer: Purple Shore Crab, Striped Shore Crab, Pacific Rock Crab)

6. How are prickleback fish different from most fish? (Answer: They can breathe air.)

7. How long can prickleback fish get? (Answer: Up to 2 1/2 feet in length.)

Printable Beach Scavenger Hunt for Kids

Want to have some simple fun at the beach with the kids? Pick up this printable beach scavenger hunt and let the kids mark off the things they find!

This is just a suggestion, but it might help: Consider laminating this scavenger hunt and using a dry-erase marker. Then you can reuse it afterwards!

Sign up for our email newsletter to get this printable beach scavenger hunt as part of our free exclusive Subscriber Library!

Beach Activities and Crafts for Kids

Try some of these fun beach-y activities with the kids during your beach unit study!

For more ideas, check out this list of 25 beach crafts kids can make!

Add in some reading with these wonderful books about the beach for kids!

I hope you and your little ones enjoy this fun beach unit study! Looking for more fun homeschool unit studies?

And don’t forget to follow my Unit Studies board on Pinterest for more resources!