We have enjoyed several science unit studies from The Good and Beautiful (To Date: Space Science, Paleontology, Motion and Simple Machines, Reptiles and Amphibians, and Safety), and have found a unique rhythm to how they fit into our year. Last year, we began implementing interest-based unit studies into our homeschool after formal lessons for the “grade level” had been completed, around late Spring/early Summer. This unit study took the place of language arts and math within our daily scope and sequence for a few months, and we typically spent 4-5 days per week on the 10-15 lesson courses. Incorporating these studies like this was a nice treat in our year, so I decided we would do that again this year. My seven year old was really excited to pick a few studies for this year, beginning with Geology. Like many his age, he is FASCINATED with rocks!
The Geology course is suggested for children in grades 3-8. I believe that these courses were initially set for grades K-12 prior to their course updates. That said, there is much that we covered in this course, but much we chose to skim over, as well. Many have asked me if their younger children can participate in these lessons, too, and though I hesitate to provide an answer that generalizes children’s abilities, I would say for this course, I would not unless they have interest in being included. You may view a sampling of the course here, and you may agree that the vocabulary and comparison of terms (think igneous, sedimentary, metamorphic and the processes of such) are very sophisticated and could be challenging for one younger than even age 7/8. It was a challenge for my 7 year old son! That’s not to say we didn’t enjoy the course overall and learn tons! I only included my younger son (age 5) in the hands-on activities, such as our volcano experiment, geode smash, and mineral dig. I think that the Geology course done gently can still provided a foundation that we could build off of when we revisit the course in future years, I just would not have it in mind for solely studying with a younger child.
I do have some suggestions that I intend to send to TGTB which I think could serve other children/parents well.
1) Slow down the videos. The learning videos go very quickly in my opinion. The speech is fast, and there is a lot of complex information packed in, which has the potential to be over-stimulating. That is speaking through the lens of a parent of the elementary age. I am curious the perspective those with older children hold.
2) Strengthen the editing process. Since TGTB has updated many of their courses, I have found a handful of errors in various subjects. My gripe with the Geology course was that in Lesson 6, it has the student observe many minerals that can be found in the optional Rock & Mineral Kit, but there was seemingly a large error. Specifically on page 13 of the student journal, it asks the student to observe “Selenite.” Selenite is not included in the kit at name value. I later looked up Selenite and found that it is a form of Gypsum. Gypsum is included. I just thought this was very confusing for the parent and child alike, and a simple edit for future update or an update to the kit would omit confusion.
Your Most Asked Questions from Instagram Answered:
Q: What does a typical day look like using the unit study?
A: As mentioned above, our family uses unit studies in place of LA + Math on a seasonal level. It fits into our homeschool rhythm just the same as those subjects would. We still do a family nature study, too.
Q: How long do lessons take to complete?
A: Depending on the daily activities included for any particular lesson, 15-30 minutes. This includes reading from the parent guide, completing student journal pages, adding in optional read-alouds, watching any included video lessons. Add a little extra time for lengthy experiments, such as volcano making. On a unit scale, you could complete this course in 3-4 weeks. It is 14 lessons long. We chose to go this route, but you could also break up 1-2 days per week for a longer span of time, adding in more review or drawing individual lessons out a little longer.
Q: What age is this for? Can you adapt for younger children?
A: These courses are marketed for children in grades 3-8. The student journal we selected is for grades 3-6. I think inclusion of anyone younger will depend on a number of factors (specific course, child’s interest, comprehension), but we personally only included my younger in on the hands-on aspects of the Geology course. I believe the context of written information provided in this specific course would best suite my younger children when they are age 7/8+. We have included him in other unit studies, though! If doing so, I recommend still grabbing a student journal for them with less emphasis on retention, more on gentle exploration.
Extension Craft
Here is a simple activity you can add to your plans that align well with lesson 1, Earth’s Composition. The Geology unit study returns to information about the layer’s of earth quite often, so I thought this was a great visual model for my son to pull out when those topics arose. To create, grab 6 pieces of colored construction paper: blue, green, red, orange, yellow, and brown. You will want to create circles for all colors except green that go down in size, cut out and glue together as pictured. My son tore the green paper to create the land mass of Pangaea (he thought Pangaea was cool). Your child could also create the shape of existing continents, adding in some cotton balls for cloud cover.
Hands-On Extras
The Geology unit study included many hands-on activities that my boys really enjoyed! From exploring the Rocks & Mineral Kit to building their own volcano, the opportunities to extend lessons were quite amazing. The Good and Beautiful always does an excellent job adding in experiments. I’ve linked some additional items we added (and some others you may like, as well) in my Geology Idea List on Amazon.
- Geode Smash Kit
- Mineral Dig
- Learning Resources Earth Layers
- Volcano Paintable Model
Additional Books
TGTB is known for its lovely collection of reading material. Their online library includes wholesome books, so I never have to second-guess the content of their offerings. We always purchase the optional read-aloud packs that are suggested with their unit studies. Here’s a little tip…add course books and journals to your cart without the read-aloud pack. It should show up in your cart area later as a suggested, discounted add-on.
Here are some other selections we added to our lessons:
- Let’s Go Rock Collecting by Roma Gans
- How Mountains are Made by Kathleen W. Zoehfeld
- My 2nd Nature Reader (Ch8: Gems) by Jenny Phillips
You may view my full Amazon Shopping List HERE.
Small World Play
My children always enjoy themed toys and playscapes to accompany their studies. These sensory play pieces are wonderful to pair with read-alouds or as a sweet activity to engage in post-lesson. You can also set up an invitation to play for your younger kiddos to include them. The items below are some favorite felt pieces of ours that you can find at the shop MYMY&ME.
Be sure to use code SMITTYFAM10 for a discount!
Also see @mymy.and.me on Instagram!
Local Fieldtrips
There are limitless fieldtrips you could pair with the Geology Unit Study, both local to you and afar if you like to travel! If you have neat caves and caverns nearby, that would be a memorable activity to navigate together! My kiddos have enjoyed Luray Caverns in Virgina, just outside of Shenandoah National Park. Local hiking trails could also offer opportunities to discover bedrock, sediment layers, mountain ranges, and more! The neat thing is that rocks are EVERYWHERE!
- National Parks and Local Nature Preserves
- Gem Mining Stations
- Caves and Caverns
Four our fieldtrip, our family decided to trek to the northern area of our state of New Jersey to Big Brook Preserve. It is home to many geological and archaeological wonders, fossils included. We spent the day hiking and exploring the brook the day after rain in hopes to find some cool artifacts. The interesting thing about this preserve is that the area used to be beneath the sea floor! It was really cool learning about continental shifts and how sediments washed away by rain in this day in age allowed for what we observed…and we even found some cool fossils!
We also recently visited Smoky Mountain National Park in March 2023, where we were able to observe all sorts of rock formations! My kiddos can often be found in creeks and brookside, so I will drop a few photos of my little brood exploring there. This is our favorite spot off of a pull-off that we have returned to a few times. It’s so cool to think our fun, hidden spot has hosted so many opportunities to learn, too! If you have creeks local to you, they are an incredible place to visit and discuss geological changes…and maybe even collect some cool rocks (and memories), too!
