By Leah Courtney
Homeschool Legacy is a homeschool curriculum company that produces wonderful unit studies for families. Many of their unit studies can also provide needed requirements for scouting merit badges. The studies include lots of literature recommendations, as well as fun activities that the whole family can do together. Recently Homeschool Legacy released a new type of study—the Once-a-Week-Micro-Study. I had the opportunity to review “Victoria and Her World,” a micro study designed for grades 1-8. I’m going to share some of the great things in this study, and then I’ll compare the micro study to the regular unit studies that Homeschool Legacy provides.
“Victoria and Her World” is a history study featuring Queen Victoria and information about Great Britain during her lifetime. The study begins with brief instructions for the teacher and a supply list for the month. The study covers four topics, one per week for the month: Great Britain, Queen Victoria, The Royal Family, and Hard Times. The study is intended to be completed by working on the suggested activities for one day each week. There is a list of novels from the Victorian era from which to choose a family read-aloud that will be read all month as well.
For each week there are activities suggested. The activities are broken up into categories. For example, week one has activities for music, geography, government, and history/geography, as well as the literature book that will be used throughout the month. Some of the activities have links to online resources. Some will have the student creating something: a craft, a timeline, a notebooking page. There are also some recipes, coloring pages, and video links. At the end of the unit a Victorian tea party is suggested, and there is a recommendation for a family movie night.
There are several things I really like about this micro study.
- It’s for the whole family. With an age range of 1st-8th grade, it’s very flexible. (I would say older kids could also join in on the activities.) I love unit studies that I can use for all of us.
- The activities cover several different subject areas, and the subjects covered are clearly indicated. When I am using a unit study, I need to be aware of the subjects covered so that I can see how it fits in with our overall curriculum, so this is very helpful.
- There are a good variety of activities. Some kids will prefer crafting. Some love cooking. Some enjoy coloring or creating notebook pages. The variety here will help to make sure that every child in the family can enjoy something.
- There is a supply list. It’s frustrating to begin a unit study having to scrounge around for supplies. It’s so nice to have them all listed beforehand.
- It’s flexible. Like the original Once-a-Week studies, activities are scheduled for the one day a week, but it’s flexible enough to adapt to your schedule. And because the Micro Studies are shorter, you could really combine the study and complete it in a week’s time.
If you’ve used the Once-a-Week studies from Homeschool Legacy before, you’ll find a few differences in the Micro Studies. If you’re trying to decide which type of unit study is right for your needs, the chart below shows some of the differences.
| GradeSuggested | Types of Activities | Subjects Covered | Literature | Scouting Requirements | Type of Product | |
| Once-a-Week | 2-12 | Hands on Variety |
Cross-curricular Family Devotions |
Weekly library lists Family read alouds |
Meets requirements (listed on the website and in front of book) | Physical or digital |
| Micro Studies | 1-8 | Hands on; Variety |
Cross-curricular No Family Devotions |
No library lists One family read aloud |
Does not meet requirements | Digital only |
“Victoria and Her World” is a great way to introduce some British history and cultural information to your kids. With reading, hands-on activities, and a variety of school subjects covered, it’s one that I really enjoyed.
Disclosure: I received a free copy of this study for review purposes. All opinions are my own, and I was not compensated in any other way.
Leah Courtney is a homeschooling mom of four. Her days are filled with being a mom, homemaker, and teacher. In her (very rare) free time, she enjoys blogging, reading, and reviewing books and curricula. These days she’s learning the joys of being a mom of teens. You can read about her family and homeschooling life at As We Walk Along the Road.