Thoughts on Unit Studies by Susan Wise Bauer What about unit
studies? Konos, Five in a Row, Greenleaf Press, Sonlight,
TRISMS, and Learning Adventures all offer unit-study curricula.
How do unit study methods compare with classical methods? And
are there any weaknesses to the unit study approach? A “unit
study” integrates disciplines together, rather than dividing
them into separate “subjects” to be pursued at different times
during the school day. Literature, history, science,
mathematics, art, music, history, and so on are all studied
through their relationship to a core organizing principle. The
Konos character curriculum uses character qualities such as
Obedience, Attentiveness, and Trust; history, literature, nature
studies, science, and other subjects are then studied as they
relate to the central character quality of the unit. Five in Row
uses children’s literature classics as the organizing principle
of their unit study; Learning Adventures uses chronological
history. I have seen unit studies done on