Beaver
I like to create unit studies around a favorite book, animal or special interest of the children. One day I read the book Paddy the Beaver by Thornton Burgess. My children liked it so much that we started a unit study on it.
As in the case of the previous comment, I look for activities in each of the classic disciplines and find ways to tie them into the topic of the unit study.
Language Arts:- Reading Paddy the Beaver and other books about beavers. Learn to spell the word beaver and write a letter from the viewpoint of Paddy the Beaver.
Math: We found the average size of a beaver and made an outline of a beaver to size. We found the average weight of a beaver and then filled a pillow case with dried beans so that we could feel that weight. We used kidney beans to represent beavers and a cottage cheese box to add and subtract beavers going in and out of their lodge.
Social Studies: We studies beaver trapping and it’s impact on settlement in Canada.
Science: We experimented with many different materials to try to make a dam hold water.
Art: We studied many different art pieces with images of beavers and then used various mediums to draw beavers. We used these for illustrating books that we wrote about beavers.
Music: We adapted songs to sing about our gowning knowledge of beavers.
PE: We played a game at the local swimming hole of taking turns slapping the water to warn of danger and then everyone diving under the water and trying to swim all the way back to our lodge.
Evelyn
Hands-on Creative Unit Studies for teachers, parents and homeschoolers offered to you by a retired teacher and homeschooling mom. Evelyn Saenz: Lensography of a Teacher
Lessons from the Frog Pond 
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