Christian Heroes Unit Study Guides

by Jo-anne Low
(Tinonee, NSW, Australia)

Various Unit Study Guides

The Christian Heroes Then and Now Unit Study Curriculum Guides are a fantastic and economical resource which we have enjoyed using previously.

Here in Australia we are in the middle of our school year, however, I intend using this literature based resource during the final term of our schooling as something different and fun for the children. It will also help us to wind down from our year of schooling before the Christmas holiday break. Next year our family is hoping to go to India for 3 to 6 months to do mission work. In preparation for that trip we want to learn as much as we can about India in our last term of school this year. This book and unit study guide will be one of the resources we will be using for our learning.

To begin with, I will read aloud to the children the story, Amy Carmichael: Rescuer of Precious Gem, by Geoff and Janet Benge and use the accompanying unit study guide: Christian Heroes Then and Now Amy Carmichael Unit Study Curriculum Guide.

There is no set time in which you need to complete the unit study but I have found that a 10 week term works well. I will be using this unit study for children between the ages of 9 and 16.

What Does The Unit Study Guide Contain?

The unit study guide gives you ideas for just about every curriculum subject.

There are Key Bible Verses which can be used for memorization, devotions and art work.

The Display Corner section will give you many ideas for collecting and displaying items relating to India.

The are a series of Chapter Questions for each chapter of the reading book – a vocabulary question, a factual question relating to the test, a comprehension question and an open-ended question seeking an opinion or interpretation. The questions can be completed orally as a family or individually by each child.

The next section of the book is called Student Explorations which are a variety of activities that are considerate of a wide range of learning styles. This section well and truly covers the Language Arts section of the curriculum. The activities include: Essay Questions, Creative Writing activities such as newspaper articles, poems, letters, resumes, songs and journals; Hands-On Projects including charts and graphs, models, comic strips, dioramas, book covers, mobiles, etc.; Audio and Visual Projects including recording interviews, producing radio plays and commercials, using video cameras for dramatic presentations; Art and Craft Projects including art and crafts used in India; Language Examples which can be used for banners and other projects.

The section entitled, Community Links, helps you to find resources in your community to enhance your study of India. It gives suggestions for field trips, meeting and talking to people who have come from India and other related ideas.

The Social Studies section is separated into five categories, and gives many activities and suggestions for using the material given. The categories are: Places, Journeys, Terms and Vocabulary, Geographical Characteristics, and Conceptual Questions. This section covers geography and mapping skills very thoroughly. I also use the terms and vocabulary section for my children's spelling as well.

The next section in the unit study is called, Related Themes to Explore. This section gives suggestions for other curriculum areas you may like to explore further and includes ideas for math, history, missions, science, current events, art, etc.

To finish your unit study there will be a Culminating Event which allows the students to share what they have learned with others. It will give you ideas for food, music, oral presentations, displaying your work, clothing and cultural activities you can incorporate into a special night to share with other families, grandparents, neighbours and friends.

The final section of the unit study includes a list of other Books and Resources you can use in your study. It includes other biographies of Amy Carmichael, related books, related documentaries and articles and a list of internet sites.

I'm really looking forward to using this new Unit Study with my children. Last year we used two other Unit Studies in the same series, Jim Elliot and Nate Saint and learned all about Ecuador. We all enjoyed learning about these wonderful missionaries and were inspired to delve deeper into further research and study of the lives of these men and the other missionaries associated with them. They made a deep impression on our lives and have helped to instil in us a passion for missions.

There are many books and study guides in this series. Some of them include, Eric Liddel and China, George Mueller and Germany, Elisabeth Elliot and Ecuador, and Corrie ten Boom and Holland. I hope you enjoy them as much as we have.

These study guides are readily available here in Australia and in other countries.

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