A method for integrating subjects
This approach builds curriculum around thematically related learning plans where students study each subject area in relation to a theme. The versatile and integrative lessons engage students’ interests and different learning styles and make learning fun. Student-directed study fosters personal responsibility and self-awareness. The method is a good way to incorporate a child’s weaker subjects into their learning plan, and it helps to show how ideas fit together from different perspectives.
Unit studies are actually less an educational approach than they are a method for integrating subjects into study lessons. They can vary widely by curriculum and may skip over whole subject areas, leaving knowledge gaps. Therefore, for a full academic education they are best supplemented with additional learning materials or incorporated with other approaches, such as classical, unschooling, or Charlotte Mason.