They want to learn/I want to teach

Every week or two I'd like to explore a subject of my children's choosing in our homeschool. I will let them pick the topic (They want to learn) and I will include learning materials from the following list in each "unit" (I want to teach).

• Books to read
• Videos/movies to watch
• Maps/charts to look at
• Vocabulary words to discuss
• Writing project
• Art project or appreciation
• Physical activity
• Field trips

Although I will be thinking through this list and providing materials and assignments, I'd like these subjects to be approached in a way that is less unit study and more child led exploration. I want them to do the majority of the work, not me, so we may not end up always following my plan.

Last week we studied motorcycles and my big boy wrote a little book on motorcycles that included illustrations on each page. My little boy drew lots of pictures and wrote words like; Harley - Davidson, Motorcycles and lots of big and little M's. We read 4 or 5 books on motorcycles, 1 on the history of Harley-Davidson, watched 2 videos on motorcycles and motorcycle safety and then visited a Harley retail store where they were given a few free things and checked out all the bikes with tremendous enthusiasm.

The one thing I wish we would've done that we didn't is find Milwaukee (home of the original Harley-Davidson factory) on a map. That's why I now have a list.

I'll post more on our studies as we do them.