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Valentine’s Day: A UNIT STUDY Read~Write~Create~Explore~Enjoy~Learn!

February 10, 2021 by Katherine Wolfe 7 Comments

{This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our Disclosure Policy for details.}

Each UNIT STUDY includes suggestions of books to READ, ideas to WRITE, crafts to CREATE, more to EXPLORE, snacks to ENJOY and other ways to LEARN about a specific topic! To read more about the concepts behind my UNIT STUDIES, read this.

If you find it handy to have a simplified printable of these suggestions, you can find one, along with several free printables, here in the FREE Valentine’s Day Unit Study Printable Pack.

Otherwise, read on for a more detailed version with links embedded!

{Note: The links are pink! Just think, “pink link” if you are wanting to follow a link to something.}

INTRO: As you probably know, I used to be a classroom teacher. I loved so many things about my job but celebrating various holidays in my classroom was NOT one of them. Don’t get me wrong, we always had fun and celebrated with games, snacks and whatnot but it was stressful and left me exhausted at the end of the day. Not to mention, somehow even the smallest of holidays seemed to have a lasting impact on the kids’ attention spans and learning capacity that lasted an entire week. It took me a few years to realize that it did not need to just be cupcakes and Bingo to create a celebration. And, as soon as I adapted our holiday celebrations to include actual educational opportunities, the exhaustion and chaos seemed much more worth it! So, when I started homeschooling, I opted to use that same approach. So, with every holiday that rolled around, we did a UNIT STUDY and learned loads of new stuff! And, Valentine’s Day is the first of many small holidays heading your way!

READ: There are so many Valentine’s Day books out there! As always, I suggest checking out your local library. Chances are, they have a great selection already identified and ready for check-out! Of course, Amazon is also a great option…as long as you plan at least two days ahead. 😉 But, wherever you find your books, here are a few of my faves….

For the youngest set, I adore Babies Love Valentine’s by Holly Berry-Byrd. It’s a lift-the-flap board book designed to introduce babies and toddlers to the common elements of Valentine’s Day. It’s simple, sweet and durable!

For early readers, I really like Love from The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle. It’s short and sweet and features the world’s most famous caterpillar using his favorite foods to show off what love means to him.

Another fairly simple but fun book that is perfectly adaptable for Valentine’s Day is Love from the Crayons by Drew Daywalt. It features a series of crayons explaining why love can be red or purple or brown or green. It features a repetitive text but also includes some more challenging words and phrases which allow for great opportunities to expand vocabulary.

A silly option, that still offers great life and literacy lessons is Roses Are Pink, Your Feet Really Stink by Diane de Groat. It’s about a possum who struggles to write a kind Valentine card for a few of his classmates. Because of the way he feels, he ends up writing some less-than-kind words, but, in the end, the classmates work through their issues and everybody has a happy Valentine’s Day! It’s a sweet and relatable story for sure! But my favorite part is the silly rhyming that the book presents. Rhyming is so important for early readers and writers and, the sillier, the better when it comes to this age-range {6-9 years old}.

Though it’s not really a Valentine’s Day book, I absolutely love A Book of Hearts by Jessica Laurel Kane. It’s a thought-provoking book about all sorts of hearts, including a golden heart, a sensitive heart, a brave heart, a mourning heart and more. It’s not your typical Valentine’s Day story because it’s not all happy hearts, for sure, but it does end with an “understanding heart” which implores us to love all types of hearts we find along the way. It’s a big lesson provided for small people in a short book. I highly recommend it!

WRITE: For a couple of different writing activities, look no further than the FREE Valentine’s Day Unit Study Printable Pack.

It includes this cute and simple activity that coordinates perfectly with Love from The Crayons by Drew Daywalt but can also be used on its own. There are even two styles; one with primary lines and one with standard lines.

Also included in the FREE Valentine’s Day Unit Study Printable Pack, is this cute and clever poem-writing activity. It was designed to be used with Roses Are Pink, Your Feet Really Stink by Diane de Groat but is a perfect activity to use with kids of all ages, with or without the book!

CREATE: These Tissue Paper Stained Glass Hearts are not only super cute, but they are also cheap, easy and NOT MESSY! Oh! And they’re very easy to display as decor and store year after year. All you need is some clear contact paper and tissue paper. That’s it! Seriously! My son and I made some a decade ago and I still pull them out every year to stick on the windows in February!

Another fun, but a wee bit messier, craft is this I Love You To Pieces Mosaic Heart. The included instructions are designed to make a card to give to somebody it could also be simplified to just make on a piece of construction paper. It requires tearing colored construction paper into small pieces and gluing them onto a heart. It’s a great activity for littles and bigs alike!

ENJOY: Starting the day with these adorable Sheet Pan Heart Bear Pancakes would be super fun. You could even prep them the night before to make the morning easier. I might be tempted to modify these instructions to just use heart-shaped cookie cutters, instead of bears, and slice some strawberries the easy way. But, either way, it does not look like too much work at all and I can safely say I almost always have those ingredients on hand {just pancake mix and strawberries!}

For lunch, use that heart-shaped cookie cutter again and create this Valentine Sandwich Snack! The instructions include making homemade strawberry jam, which would be a very unlikely use of time in our home, but the rest of it is easy peasy and too cute! You basically use a cookie cutter to cut a peep-through hole in the top piece of bread. What you put in the sandwich could be anything!

LEARN: For an easy way to work on pertinent literacy skills while learning about some of the fun facts associated with Valentine’s Day, check out this Valentine’s Day Holiday Fact Pack. It introduces your 3rd-6th graders to a variety of topics including conversation hearts, St. Valentine, cupid, chocolate candy and more through Informational Text, Comprehension Questions, Writing Prompts and more! Use discount code 25OffVAL, to save 25%. {Or, if you bought the Celebrate It! Digital Grab Bag, you’ll find it in there!}

EXPLORE: A great path to take if you want to explore more for Valentine’s Day is to focus on the science of the most important muscle in our bodies, the heart! Here is a 5 minute video explaining what the heart is and how it works. It’s great for all ages! And here is a fun, and fairly simple science activity that shows how the heart works. It requires a balloon, small jar, cup, two bendy straws, some tape and water. That’s it! You can also snag some free printables here that allow your kids to color an image of a heart using a color-coded chart.

You may also want to check out this Pinterest Board. It has a carefully curated collection of ideas of how to teach about and enjoy Valentine’s Day in your homeschool!

AND, as a BONUS for this UNIT STUDY, several of my blogging buddies have contributed their own Valentine’s Day-themed posts. There are some awesome ideas included. Check them out!

1. If your kids need inspiration for creative writing, try these fun writing prompts and tips {plus a free printable}, Inspire Creativity in Your Children + Gnome Writing Prompts from In All You Do. 2. If you want some additional STEM activities, check out these 10+ Awesome Valentine’s Day STEM Activities for Kids from Hess Un-Academy! 3. To learn more about the all-time most favorite food for Valentine’s Day, check out the post Chocolate Secrets from Julie Naturally. 4. For additional info on the history behind the holiday, head over to read The History Behind Valentine’s Day from Homeschool on the Range. 5. Do a quick 15-minute music lesson for Valentine’s Day while listening to some of the greatest ever Love Songs from Musicals from Music in Our Homeschool. 6. Try these DIY Felt Fortune Cookies Valentine’s Day Craft + free Valentine printable from Making Room 4 One More. They’re so simple, that your kids can help make a batch! 7. For some additional literacy learning, try these Valentine’s Day Language Arts Resources for Homeschooling Families from Whole Child Homeschool. 8. For something sweet, whip up a batch of Make Some Easy Sweetheart Popcorn For Valentine’s Day from Our Crazy Adventures in Autismland. 9. If you want to go big and have an actual party, check out How to Have a Valentine’s Day Homeschool Party from Everyday Graces Homeschool. 10. For another sweet concoction, try this Valentine’s Chocolate Pudding Cream Cheese Frosting from Homegrown Motherhood. 11. For several more book ideas, check out 27 Valentine’s Day Books for Kids from Heart and Soul Homeschooling. 12. If you want to take your snickety snacks to the next level, here are some 5 Valentine’s Day Snacks that Teach About God’s Love from Stand Up, Reach Out! 13. Here are several ideas to go along with a special book: Story Time: Somebody Loves You, Mr. Hatch from Orison Orchards. 14. You know I’m all about simple snacks! Here are 15 Fast and Fun Valentine’s Day Snacks for Kids from Thrive@Home! 15. For a craft with a purpose, check out this DIY Valentine’s Day Craft Ideas – Beautiful Heart-Shaped Upcycled Book Decorations from Geez, Gwen!

Martin Luther King Jr: A UNIT STUDY Read~Write~Create~Explore~Enjoy~Learn!

January 8, 2021 by Katherine Wolfe Leave a Comment

{This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our Disclosure Policy for details.}

{This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our Disclosure Policy for details.}

If you find it handy to have a simplified printable of these suggestions, you can find one, along with several free MLK printables, here in the FREE MLK Unit Study Printable Pack.

Otherwise, read on for a more detailed version with links embedded!

{Note: The links are pink! Just think, “pink link” if you are wanting to follow a link to something.}

INTRO: I am seriously embarrassed and downright ashamed to say that we have never done much to celebrate Martin Luther King Jr Day in our homeschool. We have learned about him in our history lessons multiple times over the years but we have never actually celebrated the national holiday and the man behind it. But, after being inspired by something I discovered in the Celebrate It! Digital Grab Bag, I am determined to rectify that this year!

READ: As you can imagine, there are loads of books about Martin Luther King Jr. I’ve narrowed this list down to just a handful geared towards a few different levels of readers.

Happy Birthday, Martin Luther King by Jean Marzollo is a pretty simple book which makes it great for early readers or as a family read aloud. It touches upon the civil rights issues of the day but in a child-friendly tone. It also tries to highlight why his birthday is a national holiday which makes it the perfect choice for January.

Despite the fact that the big-headedness of the cover illustrations bother me, I usually like the content of the Who Was series, and Who Was Dr. Martin Luther King Jr by Bonnie Bader does not disappoint. It’s a short chapter book that covers the entirety of his life and even includes a timeline. It was written for 3rd Grade+ and opens up a whole lot of discussion doors on civil rights, segregation, discrimination, protests, etc. but in an appropriate manner for this age group. Another good option from a newer series, in case those big-headed covers of Who Was creep you out too, is The Story of Martin Luther King Jr.: A Biography Book for New Readers by Christine Platt. It is written with the same audience in mind as the Who Was series and does a great job of covering MLK’s life too.

For slightly older kids, I highly suggest Martin Luther King: The Peaceful Warrior by Ed Clayton. Unfortunately, it looks like it’s kind of hard to come by on the internet but your library may have a copy. Mine did! This book was written by somebody who worked directly with Martin Luther King Jr. and, therefore, has a much more REAL feel to the book, as opposed to one written by an unimpacted author who just pulled info from a Google search. But, it is still presented in an appropriate manner; just be prepared for deep conversations about segregation and racial inequalities to spring up.

You can also use this fun and free MLK Mini Book Pack. It includes two options: one with text and one without so it is appropriate for more than one level. It covers MLK’s life in ten steps but leaves the detailed history up to you. If you want to just introduce your younger kids to MLK in a most basic fashion, this book would do just that. But, you can certainly expand on each step with more discussion. It is free and available on its own but is also found in the FREE MLK Unit Study Printable Pack.

And because I am trying really hard not to spend precious time reinventing the wheel, here is a link to a very thorough list of MLK book suggestions from Peanut Butter Fish Lessons, divided into age categories.

WRITE: For younger kids, there is this quick and simple Writing Activity. It is part of the FREE MLK Unit Study Printable Pack. This activity can be tailored to writing about a child’s own personal dreams or to connecting their own child-sized civil rights dreams to that of MLK.

For older kids, the FREE MLK Unit Study Printable Pack also includes a couple of writing prompts that ask the kids to think about and respond to issues related to racial segregation and discrimination. There are two styles of lines to accommodate two levels of writers.

LEARN: For an easy yet thorough introduction to MLK, check out this Martin Luther King Jr Fact Pack. It introduces your 3rd-6th graders to the life of MLK with ten pages of Informational Text Passages and Comprehension Questions and includes information on his childhood, family life, education, church leadership, civil rights work and death. It does cost a wee bit but with discount code 25OffMLK, you’ll save 25% which means it will only cost a wee-wee bit {like less than a fancy coffee at McDs wee bit!}

CREATE: This super cool art project was what inspired me to finally put together some lessons for MLK! What I really like about this is that it’s not just an art project. It’s an art project that makes ya think! AND, it’s easily adaptable to a wide range of ages. The instructions ask the kids to draw little icons but it also includes a version where you can just print them out for smaller kids. But, we skipped the icons altogether and decided to write out definitions. I LOVE how it turned out!

This is the example from the creator…so, obviously much prettier than ours! We got this project as part of the Celebrate It! Digital Grab Bag which was a GREAT DEAL and included all sorts of great resources. If the sale is over, I’d still head on over there to check out the site and sign up so you are hooked up for future sales.

EXPLORE: If you and your kids want more MLK, you’ll find a couple of videos below. Depending on age, you may want to watch with your kids.

You may also want to check out this Pinterest Board. It has a carefully curated collection of ideas of how to teach about and celebrate Martin Luther King Day!

Steam Trains: A UNIT STUDY Read~Write~Create~Explore~Enjoy~Learn!

December 16, 2020 by Katherine Wolfe Leave a Comment

{This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our Disclosure Policy for details.}

Each UNIT STUDY includes suggestions of books to READ, ideas to WRITE, crafts to CREATE, more to EXPLORE, snacks to ENJOY and other ways to LEARN about a specific topic!

This is part of a series, THE 12 DAYS OF WINTER UNIT STUDIES. For a thorough explanation of UNIT STUDIES {what they are and what they include} check out THE 12 DAYS OF WINTER UNIT STUDIES. You’ll also find a schedule of when each new UNIT PACK will go live!

Day Twelve: STEAM TRAINS

The Polar Express by Chris van Allsburg is a classic Christmas book {even though it’s relatively young in the literature world} and was always one I read with my students when I taught in the classroom. I know that STEAM TRAINS are not a “winter-themed” topic but there is just something about this STEAM TRAIN going on this particular journey that just whispers “winter” to me.

READ: Like I said above, The Polar Express by Chris van Allsburg is a classic. If you don’t have it in your Christmas library, you should really consider getting it. And if you have only ever seen the movie, you DEFINITELY need to read the book. Though a Christmas classic in it’s own right, the animation in the movie has some sort of odd feel to it….something the book doesn’t have. So, definitely check out the book. And, if you do, be sure to use the pages found in the FREE mini BOOK COMPANION PACK!

WRITE: Freight Train by Donald Crews is a sweet little book that lends itself perfectly to this writing activity. Whether you read the book or not, your little ones are sure to love this activity which you can find in the FREE WINTER-THEMED WRITING ACTIVITY PACK.

CREATE: This POPSICLE STICK TRAIN CRAFT uses just popsicle sticks, white glue, red/green paint {optional} and various embellishments. You can also make TRAIN TRACKS with the same supplies! This EGG CARTON TRAIN CRAFT is more involved than just popsicle sticks and glue but you can actually work on ways to make it move!

EXPLORE: Trains by Amy Shields- National Geographic Kids is a great little easy reader all about TRAINS. It is written at a basic level but is filled with factual information that leaves the reader with quite a bit of knowledge about TRAINS. And you can use the applicable pages in the FREE NON-FICTION mini BOOK COMPANION PACK to check on that new-found knowledge!

ENJOY: This GRAHAM CRACKER TRAIN SNACK is super easy to make with graham crackers, nilla wafers, cheerios and some candy. Or here is A DIFFERENT VERSION that uses graham crackers, mini Oreos, mini marshmallows and a few M&Ms.

LEARN: There are a couple of great STEAM TRAIN documentaries to consider:

Great American Steam {3 minutes}

A Story of Steam {15 minutes}

And Then There Was One {90 minutes}

READ MORE: Below is a good mix of both fiction and non-fiction books about STEAM TRAINS.

Check out the entire series,

12 Days of Winter Unit Studies!

READ~WRITE~CREATE~EXPLORE~ENJOY~LEARN!

I hope this EVERGREEN TREES UNIT STUDY gave you at least a few ideas about how to weave in some education this holiday season!

Be sure to check out the other UNIT STUDIES as they go live. You can find the full schedule, along with the rest of the Homeschooling Fun Through the Holidays Series, HERE!

Much appreciation goes out to my good friend, Jamie Spear! She helped me find these fun books, crafts, snacks and more! Without her, these UNIT STUDIES would have nothing but “read this, print that, and write something!” You can find her on FaceBook, Instagram and Pinterest.

Snow: A UNIT STUDY Read~Write~Create~Explore~Enjoy~Learn!

December 15, 2020 by Katherine Wolfe Leave a Comment

{This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our Disclosure Policy for details.}

Each UNIT STUDY includes suggestions of books to READ, ideas to WRITE, crafts to CREATE, more to EXPLORE, snacks to ENJOY and other ways to LEARN about a specific topic!

Day Eleven: SNOW

Whether you live in sunny California or frigid Minnesota, a series of WINTER UNIT STUDIES would not be complete without doing SNOW!

READ: The Snowman by Raymond Briggs is one of my ALL-TIME favorite books because of its sweet story, lovely illustrations and sad ending. Yes, the sad ending is one of the aspects that makes it such a sweet tale. And it offers great lessons for kids and adults of all ages….and all without a single word! Be sure to grab the FREE mini FICTION BOOK COMPANION PACK to work on your student’s comprehension skills.

WRITE: And to go along with The Snowman by Raymond Briggs is this cute writing activity. You can find it in the FREE Winter-Themed Writing Activity Pack. It’s easy and quick but really does a great job of connecting the student to the book by asking for something his/her snowman liked and something it didn’t.

Here is my silly sample. I’m sure your kiddos can do much better than I did! My poor snowman doesn’t even have a hat….then again, if you saw the way I drew the hat on my snowman in the HIBERNATION UNIT STUDY, you might think a hatless snowman is an improvement.

There is also a paragraph activity for kids who want to write more. This one asks the student to create a way for the snowman not to melt at the end of the book.

EXPLORE: The Story of Snow: The Science of Winter’s Wonder by Jon Nelson is a great NON-FICTION book that does just what the title says! It tells the story of snow…how it starts, how it builds and how it falls. In addition to the easy-to-digest but real scientific text, it also has both great illustrations AND photographs. There are comprehension questions that go along with it in the FREE NON-FICTION mini BOOK COMPANION PACK that should allow your kids to take their learning to the next level.

There is also a great 40+ minute documentary on SNOW that I would recommend: Secrets of the Greatest SNOW on Earth by National Geographic.

ENJOY: This Cucumber Carrot Snowman Snack is super easy to make and healthy too! In addition to some cucumber slices and a bit of cleverly-cut carrot pieces, it also uses a couple of pretzel sticks and some raisins.

This Pretzel Marshmallow Snowflake Snack is not as healthy but is just as easy and cute! It requires just small marshmallows and some pretzel sticks!

Another SNOW snack option {that could actually be served as lunch or dinner} is these Snowman Mini Pizzas. All you need is some sort of round carb base {she used biscuit dough, but you could easily use crackers, mini pitas, sandwich thins, tortillas, or actual pizza dough} plus some sauce, cheese, olives and cleverly-cut carrot slices.

All of the above rely on the imagination to incorporate the SNOW theme into the snack but if you actually have SNOW to work with, then you may want to make some Snow Ice Cream with fresh snow, condensed milk and vanilla.

But, really, the best SNOW snack idea is this one. Just check it out. Seriously, THIS is what I would serve and call it a day!

And, while your kids enjoy their SNOW snacks and water, ha ha, they can enjoy The Snowman on Amazon Prime!

CREATE: There are so many SNOW crafts on Pinterest. SO MANY! I’ll just list a few of my favorites to give you a good selection:

Symmetrical Snowflake Craft

Snowpaint

Melted Snowman

Salt Snowflakes

Coffee Filter Snowflakes

LEARN: Your kids have probably all heard the song, Let It Snow but do they know the words? Use this SONG LITERACY PACK to teach them the lyrics and also work on some pertinent literacy skills. It’s not normally free, but if you use code SnowingWOLFe, it will be totally FREE for you!

READ MORE: A wee bit below are several other good books on SNOW. Each would make a great addition to any SNOW study!

I hope this SNOW UNIT STUDY provided at least a few ideas to spark an interest in SNOW this winter!

Be sure to check out the other UNIT STUDIES as they go live. You can find the full schedule, along with the rest of the Homeschooling Fun Through the Holidays Series, HERE!