Magic Tree House World at War With Fact Tracker

What is a "unit study"? Briefly, it's a thematic or topical approach to teaching as opposed to the traditional by-subject approach. Rather than teach each subject separately, a unit study attempts to integrate many or all subject areas into a unified study - usually centered around a particular subject or event. Obviously History (the study of events) and Science (the study of "things") are well-suited to unit studies, and usually form the "core" around which other subjects are integrated. Subjects like Bible, Geography, Government, English (writing), and Reading/Literature, Music, Home Economics, Life Skills, and Art, are usually easy to integrate around a core topics. Remaining subjects (Math, Phonics, Grammar, Spelling) can be integrated to some extent via related activities. Each, however, has its own "system" (progression of skills, mastery of "rules") which must be followed to some degree. Since one of the additional advantages of a unit study curriculum is the ability to use it with students of varying ages and skill levels, these subjects are generally taught apart from the core curriculum. This may be as simple as assigning pages in a grammar or spelling book, or using a separate "program" for Phonics and Math. Unit studies also tend to be more activity-oriented than the traditional approach, a real boon to kinesthetic learners. Advocates of the unit study approach site studies showing that children learn best when learning is unified rather than fragmented and when learning is more participatory than passive.

These are not complete unit studies, but are components that will allow you to extend the usefulness of these books into other subject areas.

These packages include the Magic Tree House fiction book plus the Fact Tracker, which is a nonfiction companion. The Fact Tracker breaks complex subjects down into simple concepts that young children can readily comprehend. They help develop a child’s skills at reaching conclusions through the logic of cause and effect. But the most fundamental gain of the nonfiction Fact Trackers is that they give children an appreciation for the wonders of the “real” world and inspire a curiosity for learning more about history and natural science.

Filled with up-to-date information, photos, illustrations, and fun tidbits, the Magic Tree House Fact Trackers are the perfect way for kids to find out more about the topics they discovered in their favorite Magic Tree House adventures. ~Amber