Amanda Bennett's Unit Studies

Provides foundational support for unit study approach with supplemental guidance materials.

Offers 'Unit Studies 101 to learn the why and how of unit study' and 'Unit Study Journal' with reproducible forms, planning tools, and organizational resources for parents new to unit studies

The curriculum effectively integrates subjects around central themes, with studies like Amelia Earhart encompassing history of flight, Wright brothers, geography, and heroes.

Studies use topics as 'jumping-off points' to related subjects; even the Hoppin' Popcorn study includes Midwestern states, Pueblo Indians, microwave ovens, weather, science, nutrition, and cooking

The curriculum provides substantial content but requires supplementation for core subject skill development, particularly in language arts.

Studies can 'combine ten guides to create a year-long course that covers a significant part of social studies or science, along with some work in language arts' but 'you will need to use other resources for language arts basics'

The curriculum provides structured lesson plans with daily activities but relies heavily on independent research rather than explicit instruction.

Guides 'present lesson plans for in-depth development of each topic' with 'daily lesson plans specifically for both lower and upper levels,' but 'rely more on books, the internet, reading, research, and writing'

Studies build coherent knowledge around specific themes, though the curriculum lacks sequential development across the full program.

Individual unit studies develop topics in-depth with related connections, but guides 'are not organized for sequential development of language arts skills' requiring supplementation

Limited evidence of systematic retrieval practice or cumulative review across studies.

Studies include 'some comprehension and written response questions' and vocabulary work, but no mention of systematic review or retrieval practice across units