A Simpler Life is an exploration of what it is like to live without the modern conveniences (electricity, running water, heating, cooling, etc.) that we take for granted in our everyday lives. Families will study how people, past and present, adapt to their environments without the luxuries that we think of as common.
Typically, history for children focuses on understanding the past as an aim itself. Children oftentimes don’t see the relevance of it and perceive the subject as not very useful. Yet, our past plays a major role in how we orient our present and future. This unit seeks to go beyond the “what?†- and ask “how?†and “why?†when tackling the topics of past, present, and future. This helps the children connect with their learning. This unit topic was chosen because it is:
- Broad, so explorations can be engaging and varied
- Scalable, so you can teach the topic in an age-appropriate level to both younger and older children
- Unique in perspective, it allows families to understand the complexities of the world they live in
- Accessible, so you can find a variety of resources and information on the topic
This unit study will encourage students to expand their perspectives, think critically, analyze the world around them, and work hard. Some of the projects will be quite challenging for young students. This is done deliberately to help them develop the will and grit to persevere through hardships. As you hit these difficulties, please do not focus on the product, only the process (or journey) that your child will take to complete the challenge. Patience, perseverance, positive self-expression, and passion for learning can all be developed through these exercises.
See a sample lesson plan from A Simpler Life!
After developing your family's mission, the most important next step is discovering your and your child(ren)'s learning style. This can be done by consulting many online resources, but also through
learning and investigating together. With this in mind, we have created this unit study: Autumn's Beauty. This unit topic was chosen because it is:
- Broad, so explorations can be engaging and varied.
- Light, so instead of figuring out how to teach complex topics to your child(ren), you can focus on building the most suitable learning environment for your family.
- Accessible, so you can find a variety of resources and information on the topic.
This nature study will encourage you and your family to make observations about the living world around you, reflect on seasonal changes and how they affect you, foster an appreciation for balance and beauty in the natural world, and inspire a sense of wonder about Allah(swt)'s creation. We also study Fall because the crisp air, shorter days, wonderful foods, unique animal habits, and changing trees remind us of our Lord and His infinite wisdom.
View a sample lesson from Autumn's Beauty
Financial literacy is the knowledge, skills, and understanding of financial tools that allows an individual to make informed and effective decisions about money – decisions that are integral to our everyday lives. This groundbreaking unit introduces the young child to the concept of money, its value, and how responsible decisions, based on Islamic values, can be made to live a just life. The central idea is to explore how Allah (swt) wants us to manage our money and recognize how our good and bad financial decisions impact not only ourselves but the world around us.
We will release this exciting, new curriculum during our upcoming conference this June!