I am excited every time we get to review unit studies. I love fully immersing ourselves in a topic and applying its concepts in multiple subject areas. This comprehensive method helps you learn more, retain it longer, and have fun while doing it.
I was recently introduced to Techie Homeschool Mom who offers many different unit studies. Beth Napoli, the creator of the site, has embraced this technology-prevalent world that we live in. Her enthusiasm for digital learning along with her researching skills inspired her to combine some of the fabulous resources she's found into digital unit studies. Originally, she created these studies as a way to educate her own five girls; now, she's sharing her work with the rest of the internet. She offers studies from artists to inventors to the solar system and more, but it was her Ancient Egypt Online Unit Study that grabbed my attention.
My kids are fascinated by Ancient Egypt--mummies, pyramids, hieroglyphics, all of it. We've studied this time period before, but there's always more that we learn, especially since we've added little ones to our family since then.
This unit study couldn't be simpler to use. There are no additional books you need to collect or resources you need to find. Everything you need for this E-course is only a click away with the exception of hands-on materials for projects. The course list is to the left of the screen. As you finish a lesson, it is automatically checked as completed on the list and the next lesson appears. The phrase Beth uses is "just click," because that is all you do to find the materials for the study.
Here are the main modules of the course:
This unit study couldn't be simpler to use. There are no additional books you need to collect or resources you need to find. Everything you need for this E-course is only a click away with the exception of hands-on materials for projects. The course list is to the left of the screen. As you finish a lesson, it is automatically checked as completed on the list and the next lesson appears. The phrase Beth uses is "just click," because that is all you do to find the materials for the study.
Here are the main modules of the course:
- Egyptian Civilization
- Hieroglyphics
- Rosetta Stone
- Egyptian Daily Life
- Inventions and Technology of Ancient Egypt
- Ancient Egyptian Clothing
- Famous Egyptians
- Pyramids
- Mummies
- Final Project
The means of learning varies around websites, articles, videos, and online quizzes and games. There are a few digital tools that you may need to create free accounts for, but everything else is straightforward. We have viewed the Nile River through satellite images, translated hieroglyphics (one of our favorites!), watched papyrus being made, learned dozens of facts about Egyptian life, and more.
There is also a Book Club portion of the course. A few options are given, though you could choose any book that relates to the period. We decided on the audio of The Cat of Bubastes for our study. While we love family read alouds, listening to the book while driving for a recent vacation was the perfect way to pass time. Henty's writings are rich in vocabulary and filled with history. The story set the scene for deeper Egyptian learning.
As always, our favorite portions were the hands-on activities. There is a list of projects and needed supplies in the Before You Start section, making it easy to be prepared long before you need something. The kids made their own cartouches using foil and enjoyed seeing my cartouche necklace my parents brought back from Egypt years ago. We played Senet multiple times and liked it so much that we've added it to our collection. The best activity overall though has been making a variation of the oldest recorded recipe in the world. The treats are quite similar to homemade Larabars, which we make every so often. We made half of the recipe as directed and the other half without coating the balls in honey because I figured they'd been too sweet. We used the different versions as an experiment. As expected, everyone preferred the honey-less option. We then used the extra dates that we had purchased to make a chocolate and peanut butter variation and rolled them in cocoa powder. So good. Those poor Ancient Egyptians didn't know what they were missing out on by not having chocolate!
The Ancient Egypt Online Unit Study is geared toward mid-elementary to middle school age to use on their own, but will also appeal to both those younger and older. We chose to use the course as a family study. I read aloud the articles and such and the kids and I watch the videos together. This format encourages deeper learning, too, as conversations always lead to further study. Each module takes approximately 2-3 hours to complete, depending on your style and pace of learning. We work through it usually twice a week. Naturally, some sections take us longer than others, because we find them fascinating.
We are nearly at the halfway point now with still so much to learn. I've already peeked ahead and saw directions for a Venn Diagram comparing clothing, a slideshow about ancient jewelry, articles about famous people, a video explaining how the pyramids were built, and information explaining amulets. I know the kids are going to be thrilled when we get to the lesson when we mummify a doll. Today though, we're learning about inventions that the ancient people created. The course is completely self-paced with unlimited access forever, so we can take as long as we like soaking up the information. I'm even thinking we will revisit this study again in a few years when the little ones are older.
Because this is a techie study, online and social sharing is encouraged. Suggestions include creating a Pinterest board for the study projects, answering comments in the Book Club section by posting comments online, and following Techie Homeschool Mom on various sites. We chose not to participate in the social aspect, but discussed the topics and projects among ourselves instead.
We are greatly enjoying learning all about life long ago in the Ancient Egypt Online Unit Study. The course is easy-to-use, filled with fascinating resources and information, and includes varying projects and materials. I'm already trying to decide which study should be next--Famous Artists for my crafty girl or Famous Inventors for my science-minded boys or even the 4th of July for some fun historical summer learning. Techie Homeschool Mom has made fuss-free studies that are perfect for the digital age.
You can connect with Techie Homeschool Mom on the following social media sites:
Many other families used some of the additional studies found on Techie Homeschool Mom. You can read those reviews on the Homeschool Review Crew blog.
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