I’ve collected 30 resources (paid and free) to help you build out your unit studies for January of 2025.

Most of these products are from homeschool moms/business owners!

I’ve also added some book recommendations, because what’s a unit study without some books?

Here are my top 5 engaging unit study ideas for older homeschooled kids (7-12 year olds) that will ENERGIZE those cold winter days.

Use all the recommended resources in a unit study, or pick and choose to customize your own!

This post contains affiliate links. If you purchase from some of these links, I may receive a small commission.

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My 5 Unit Study Picks (Ages 7-12)

🐧 Penguin Unit Studies 🐧

Excite your cold school days with emperor penguins! Kids will fall in love with Hopper the Penguin while solving a frozen mystery in this unit study.

BUILD YOUR OWN UNIT STUDY

🐧 Penguin Animal Groups Project (STEAM) by ARTventurous Animals

🐧 Antarctica Animals Story Problems (Math, Art, Zoology) by ARTventurous Animals

🐧 Geography Mystery: Polar Climate Zone (Geography, ELA, Art, Reading Comprehension, Problem-solving) by ARTventurous Animals

🐧 Mini Antarctica Art Journal (Art, Zoology, Geography) by ARTventurous Animals

🐧 Free Emperor Penguin Color and Learn Worksheet (Art and Science) by ARTventurous Animals

FULL UNIT STUDY

🐧 Penguin Unit Study: STEAM, Geography, ELA by ARTventurous Animals

BOOK RECS

🐧 Penguins and Polar Bears: A pretty cool introduction to the Arctic and Antarctic by Alicia Klepeis and Grace Helmer

“We all know that ice bears and penguins never meet (except in zoos), but what else do you know about the Arctic and the Antarctic (or polar) regions? Did you know that Antarctica is not just the coldest, but also the driest continent on Earth? Have you ever wondered how a polar bear stays warm in the Arctic? Sitting on the most extreme North and South Poles are two of our planet’s most mysterious regions, but what similarities and differences do they share? Polar tales the incredible geography of both regions, how polar bears and penguins survive, and introduces the explorers who dared to travel into these unknown spots on Earth in the past. We go under their oceans and discuss the effects of climate change.”
-Amazon description

🐧 Emperor Penguins: Antarctic Diving Birds by Laura Hamilton Waxman

“See what an emperor penguin has in common with an Antarctic petrel. Learn what sets an emperor penguin apart from an osprey. Readers will compare key traits of emperor penguins―their appearance, behavior, habitat, and life cycle―to traits of other birds. Charts and sidebars support key ideas and provide details. Through gathering information about similarities and differences, readers will make connections and draw conclusions about what makes this animal a bird and how birds are alike and different from each other.”
-Amazon description

🐧 Do Penguins Like the Cold? by Huw Lewis Jones and Sam Caldwell

“Do Penguins Like the Cold? takes readers on an intrepid field trip to Antarctica and beyond to discover the secret life of penguins.
Do Penguins Like the Cold? takes readers on a tour of the Southern Hemisphere to meet eighteen species of penguin and to witness the conservation work underway to protect these incredible birds and their native habitats.
By observing penguins firsthand, readers will discover whether penguins truly like the cold, how their diving skills make up for the fact that penguins can’t fly, and how to tell what a penguin had for dinner based on the color of its poo!”
-Amazon description

🐻‍❄️ Arctic Unit Studies 🐻‍❄️

Explore the far north with arctic foxes, project-based learning, and lots of snow in these arctic unit studies!

arctic unit study for older homeschool kids

BUILD YOUR OWN UNIT STUDY

🐻‍❄️ Animals in Snow: Biomimicry (Science) by Asa Jomard

🐻‍❄️ Free Arctic Animals Color by Number (Math) by the Blessed Homeschool

🐻‍❄️ Arctic Animals Notebooking Pages (ELA + Art) by Homeschool Helper Online

🐻‍❄️ Step-by-Step Informative Writing | Arctic Writing Prompts (ELA) by Heather Huhman

🐻‍❄️ Project Based Learning: Arctic Adventure by Digital Divide and Conquer

FULL UNIT STUDY

🐻‍❄️ Greenland Unit Study by CuriousKidsTravel

🐻‍❄️ The Arctic Journal - Polar Unit Study, Arctic Animals, Nature Study, Charlotte Mason by Raising Up Wild Things

BOOK RECS

🐻‍❄️ Polar Bears Past Bedtime (Magic Tree House, No. 12) by Mary Pope Osborne and Sal Murdocca

“The #1 bestselling chapter book series of all time celebrates 25 years with new covers and a new, easy-to-use numbering system!

It's icicle city…when the Magic Tree House whisks Jack and Annie to the frozen Arctic. Luckily, a seal hunter on a dogsled lends them warm clothes. Unluckily, they get stuck on cracking ice. Will the giant polar bear save them? Or will Jack and Annie become frozen dinners?

Did you know that there’s a Magic Tree House book for every kid?”
-Amazon description

🐻‍❄️ An Arctic Story: The Animals of the Frozen North by Jane Burnard and Kendra Binney

“This is the Arctic. It sits on the top of the world―a frozen sea in a circle of land.

This beautiful book brings together a spellbinding narrative, breathtaking illustrations, and fascinating facts about one of our planet’s most precious environments. On a journey to the North Pole and back, and from fall to spring, the story begins and ends with the extraordinary wood frog, a tiny creature that freezes for the long Arctic winter. On the way we meet polar bears, an Arctic fox, narwhals, and many other animals, discovering how each one is perfectly adapted for life on the tundra, in the ocean, and on the ice.”
-Amazon description

🐻‍❄️ The Whale Who Swam Through Time by Alex Boersma and Nick Peyenson

“This sweeping nonfiction picture book The Whale Who Swam Through Time explores the 200-year lifespan of a bowhead whale and the changing environment that surrounds her.

Almost 200 years ago . . .

Our journey begins with the birth of a bowhead whale, the longest-living mammal in the world. Over the course of her life in the Arctic, the bowhead whale witnesses many changes: from an era of peace and solitude to one of oil rigs and cruise liners.

With gorgeous, detailed, and striking illustrations, this well researched and thoughtfully curated nonfiction story captures the magic and beauty of the natural world, while also providing a thoughtful account of how humans have impacted our changing ecosystems and a call-to-action for protecting the environment.”
-Amazon description

🗻Northern Lights Unit Studies🗻

If you have kids who love looking to the skies, these unit studies are for you!

Northern light unit study for older homeschool kids

BUILD YOUR OWN UNIT STUDY

🗻 Northern Lights Comic (ELA) by Heather Huhman

🗻 Northern Lights Bingo (ELA, Vocab, Problem-solving) by Heather Huhman

🗻 Northern Lights Winter Landscapes Art Lesson (Art) by Art with Mrs. E

🗻 Aurora Borealis Science: Northern Lights Indigenous Stories (Science, ELA) by Teaching with Bonnie

🗻 Northern Lights Haiku and Art Winter Poetry Activity (ELA) by Margaret Shaw-MacKinnon

FULL UNIT STUDY

🗻 Northern Lights Digital Unit Study by Heather Huhman

BOOK RECS

🗻 The Lights That Dance in the Night by Yuval Zommer

“The northern lights bring wonder and joy to all the creatures who bask under their mysterious glow in this gorgeous picture book from the creator of the holiday hit The Tree That's Meant to Be.

From tiny specks of dust to gleaming rays in the dark, the northern lights travel across the Arctic, uniting every creature in a celebration over land and sea.

In this wonderfully wintery picture book, Yuval Zommer imagines the northern lights' fleeting journey from space to Earth and how they weave a special magic for the animals and people living in the frozen lands below.”
-Amazon description

🗻 The Northern Lights: Celestial Performances of the Aurora Borealis by Daryl Pederson and Calvin Hall

“The northern lights, also known as the aurora borealis, put on remarkable shows of light and motion in high latitudes--Alaska being the perfect place to see them. Shot with ultra-high definition cameras, this book of amazing photographs showcases a period of unusually high solar activity in the northern lights. These new photos take full advantage of the latest advances in photographic technology and the active solar storms of the past several years that cause the lights. With 160 images that have never been collected in book form, this book allows us to witness charged particles in the earth's atmosphere clash with electrons and protons released by the sun.”
-Amazon description

🗻 The Northern Lights Gifts: The Northern Lights For Kids by WonderNest Books

“This Book is a fun and easy way for young readers to learn about this incredible natural phenomenon. Through colorful illustrations, engaging stories, and interactive activities, This book will captivate young readers and inspire them to explore the science and folklore behind the Northern Lights.

From the history and mythology of the Northern Lights to the modern-day scientific discoveries that have helped us understand this phenomenon, this book covers it all about these magical lights.”
-Amazon description

☃️ Snow Day Unit Studies ☃️

Stuck inside because of the weather? Turning it into an exciting learning opportunity with unit studies that your kids will never forget!

Snow Day unit study for older homeschool kids

BUILD YOUR OWN UNIT STUDY

☃️ Teach Math with Snowflakes (Math) by Tampa Bay Test Prep

☃️ Snowman Logic Puzzles (Math/Logic) by Everyday Learning

☃️ Sneezy the Snowman Felt Template Book Companions (Art/ELA) by Gramma’s Little Shop

☃️ Free Snowstorm Craft (Science, Art) by ARTventurous Animals

FULL UNIT STUDY

☃️ Snow Treasure — 🌩️Comprehensive Novel Study by Simple Literature

BOOK RECS

☃️ The Story of Snow: The Science of Winter's Wonder by Mark Cassino and Jon Nelson

“How do snow crystals form? What shapes can they take? Are no two snow crystals alike? These questions and more are answered inside this exploration of the science of snow, featuring photos of real snow crystals in all their beautiful diversity. Perfect for reading on winter days, this book by a nature photographer and a snow scientist will inspire wonder and curiosity about the marvels of snow. Snowflake-catching instructions are also included for aspiring young snow scientists!” -Amazon description

☃️ Curious About Snow (Smithsonian) by Gina Shaw

“Snowflakes are falling—and this cool new 8 x 8 in the Smithsonian nonfiction line tells young readers why!

When does it snow? Why is snow white? How do we know no two snowflakes are alike? (Hint: the proof is in the photographs, first made in the 1890s!) With full-color photographs and the Smithsonian’s famous Wilson Bentley snowflake photos, this new Curious About title looks at the science behind snow, and the history of record-setting blizzards and snowstorms—plus how people have fun in the snow!” -Amazon description

☃️ Over and Under the Snow by Kate Messner

“Over the snow, the world is hushed and white.

But under the snow is a secret world of squirrels and snowshoe hares, bears and bullfrogs, and many other animals who live through the winter, safe and warm.

OVER AND UNDER THE SNOW takes readers on a cross country ski trip through the winter woods to discover the secret world of animals living under the snow.”
-Amazon description

❄️ Winter Unit Studies ❄️

Learn all about the amazing things happening in nature during the winter season. These unit studies are a great way to get kids outside, even if it’s cold!

Winter Season Unit Study for Older Homeschool Kids

BUILD YOUR OWN UNIT STUDY

❄️ Winter Scavenger Hunt (Nature) by The Blossom Tree

❄️ Animal Tracks Poster & Cards (Science) by Wonder-Filled Days
❄️ Winter Craft Projects (Art) by A-Z Infinity

❄️FREE Winter Picture Writing Prompts (ELA) by Katie’s Homeschool Cottage

❄️ Winter Snowflake Nature Study (Science, Nature, ELA) by Echo Schoolhouse

❄️ Nature Art Membership—Winter Art Projects (Art, Seasonal) by ARTventurous Animals

FULL UNIT STUDY

❄️ Winterfrost Literature Guide: Winter Novel Study by Little World Wanderers

BOOK RECS

❄️ The Winter King by Christine Cohen (11+)

“A village trapped in winter, a tyrannical god, and a girl who will do anything to keep her family alive.
Ever since Cora's father disappeared through the ice, whispers about her family's "curse" have grown increasingly louder. Desperate to help her mother and siblings survive another bleak season in the Winter King's frozen grasp, Cora begins to bend (and even break) the rules she has kept since she was a little girl.
But when she discovers a secret that's much bigger than herself, she realizes too late that she has put herself - and those she loves - in even greater peril. Wintry and dangerous but hauntingly lovely, The Winter King is the debut novel from author Christine Cohen.”
-Amazon description

So which unit study are you trying?

Comment below!

🐧 Penguins

🐻‍❄️ The Arctic

🗻 The Northern Lights

☃️ Snow Day

❄️ Winter