Unit Study: Prehistory
May 30, 2021
I don’t know about you, but at some point all four of my children have gone through a dinosaur phase. For one, it was a passion that lasted for many years. Over the course of these obsessions, we have collected an obscene number of books about dinosaurs and prehistory. There are so many fantastic books out there on this topic… and yet, there are very few actual homeschool resources devoted to it. So I have sought to remedy that.
This six-week unit covers much more than just dinosaurs. You’ll learn about the origins of the Earth, the first life, the first mammals, the first men, the Ice Age, all the way through to the beginnings of modern man… and of course, dinosaurs.
You’ll read through the first section of The Usborne Internet-Linked Encyclopedia Of World History supplemented with several carefully selected picture books, as well as a literature study of the exciting chapter book, Maroo of the Winter Caves.
This unit includes a variety of projects and activities, from creating a Timeline of Prehistory and a Field Guide to the Prehistoric World, creating your own fossils, making a cave painting in the style of Prehistoric artists, and more.
The Prehistory Unit is perfect for your elementary-age student, but there are many suggestions for books to add for older children, and the activities are flexible enough to include both age brackets. The unit is 68 pages, scheduled over six 5 day weeks, and includes vocabulary, timeline pages, and several activity pages as well as a literature study including copywork.
You can see the entire booklist below
(now powered by Amazon and Bookshop.org):
Usborne Internet-Linked Encyclopedia of World History (spine)
How Much is a Million (Y) – Bookshop.org
Life Story – Bookshop.org
Fossils for Kids: A Junior Scientist Guide to Dinosaur Bones, Ancient Animals, and Prehistoric Life on Earth – Bookshop.org
When Whales Walked and Other Incredible Evolutionary Journeys – Bookshop.org
When We Became Humans – Bookshop.org
Discovery in the Cave (Step into Reading 4) – Bookshop.org
Maroo of the Winter Caves – Bookshop.org
Purchase the Prehistory Unit Study – $12.95
** [ UPDATED May 2021 ] – Our PayPal e-Junkie powered shopping cart will process your order. All our digital programs are in PDF form. They cannot be returned or refunded. Once you place your order, you will receive a download link to your items.
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My daughter just requested something for this time period. Thanks!
There are seriously NO secular prehistory unit studies out there. Thanks so much!!! I’ve been trying to piece a unit together, but this will definitely save me all kinds of time. You’re the best!
We are completing this unit tomorrow, and we have loved it! Thank you for creating it.
So looking forward to all the memories we’re going make together in this unit. We finished level “0” last week, looking back through our suitcases filled with delight and joyful awe’s, and “I remember that” lines filling the air. <3<3<3
If I were to also do the Evolution Unit Study, which one should I start with?
They overlap in some places, but they cover different information. The first week of the Evolution unit covers prehistory, so you might want to extend that by doing the Prehistory unit first and then moving into the rest of the Evolution unit study.
Just wanted to say that we loved this unit! Do NOT skip the timeline…. I will treasure the “art” my kiddos did on it forever and it looks great on our wall! We stretched it out over 5 months because I am using it as a filler between Level 0 and Level 1. Added lots of documentaries and supplemental books and activities. So fun!
Hi
Can the unit study prehistory be used with a 4th grader?
Yes, I think it would work well with a 4th grader.
Would this unit study be suitable for a 6-year old? This is a big area of interest for my son but just want to make sure it will be suitable.
Hi Sarah – yes, I think an interested 6 year old could do well with the Prehistory unit study. I wrote it to be a sort of bridge between Level 0 and Level 1, so it’s written towards early elementary, say ages 6 – 8.
My almost 4 year old loves all things dinos but I am a little worried this may be over his head, should we wait to get more out of it?
Hi Deena,
I think 4 is on the young side for the Prehistory unit. If you were using it with an older child, I think a 4 year old could tag along, but likely most of it would be over their head. I recommend waiting at least a year before you try it.
Hi I am wondering if you can do this unit study substituting some of the books? I’m in the UK and struggling to find a curriculum like this but the only book I’m able to get hold of easily is Maroo of the Winter cave.
Absolutely, use what you can find and substitute what you can’t. You can still use the included activities with different books. Glad you were able to find Maroo though! It’s a really great story!
Do you recommend this unit before studying ancient history?
Yes, I think this is a great introduction to formal history. It’s perfect, too, for giving your children a buffer between Levels 0 and 1.