Unit Study Kits

Unit Study Kits are a carefully researched compilation of reading and listening resources, curated subscriptions, and choice-based activities based on BC's curriculum's Big Ideas and Core and Curricular Competencies. Learners will engage in questioning, researching, discussing, exploring, creating, reflecting, and designing as they interact with these engaging activities and topics while inquiring about the world around them. 

This short video will help you get started with Unit Study Kits on the Learning Commons website.

In this video, Rachael Rennie shares how to use HCOS Unit Study Kits. Below are timestamps to help you navigate to specific topics in the video:

1:54-2:16 What are Unit Study Kits?
2:17-10:17 What’s inside a Unit Study Kit?
10:47-13:21 Why use Unit Study Kits?
13:22-15:17 Tips for Using Unit Study Kits
15:18-15:40 Where to find Unit Study Kits
15:58-18:36 Unit Study Kit Tour
20:40-23:01 How can Unit Study Kits be adapted?
23:02-24:44 How long should it take to complete a Unit Study Kit?

Purpose & Goals

Unit Study Kits provide a flexible option for families who seek to build academic skills and knowledge with Social Studies and Science units aligned to the BC Curriculum. Many of our kits offer flexibility for whole-family learning. We encourage families and teachers to collaborate in the kit selection and planning process. 

Our kits support learning in a variety of areas, including: 

• A cross-curricular approach, including Career Education and ADST activities 

• Differentiated learning options
  

• A Guided Inquiry approach directly tying into Core Competencies, written from a Biblical worldview

• Digital Literacy integration

• First Peoples Principles of Learning integration

Learn more about Unit Study Kits at specific grade levels by exploring the following categories:

Grades K-3

Our Grades K-3 Unit Study Kits are filled with fun and flexible activities to bring God’s world to life for our youngest learners. Families will discover beautiful books, intentionally selected videos, and engaging activities.

Grades 4-5

Students in Grades 4-5 are gaining confidence as learners and enjoy being challenged with thought-provoking content, skill development, fascinating books and videos, and a wonderful array of knowledge-building activities.

Grade 6

Our newly revised Grade 6 humanities-based kits contain specific assignments that allow students to delve deeply into curricular topics while still providing them with room to express themselves as unique children of God.

Grades 7-9

Unit Study Kits for Grades 7-9 students are designed to begin preparing them for the HCOS Grad program. Units provide structured learning opportunities within a framework that promotes choice while allowing students room to express themselves as learners.

In fall 2024, we pulled the physical Gr 7 - 9 Unit Study Kit Guides from the website until they can be updated. If you need to access these Guides, please reach out to the Learning Commons team via Live Chat accessible at www.learningcommons.ca. If you are using a guide and find that a link does not work, please contact Rachael by email at rachael.rennie@onlineschool.ca with the guide name, page and dead link information, and she will try to find a replacement.

HCOS Unit Study Kits are available in both physical and digital formats. In Grades K-6, a blended instruction guide is used for all kits. In Grades 7-9, you will access a digital guide for links and other digital resources; however, you can also borrow a physical kit from the Learning Commons.

Digital Unit Study Kits

Nothing will be mailed to you when you choose to use a digital kit, as all your resources will be digital. Digital Unit Study Kits are password protected. To view them, log in to the Learning Commons website and choose the Subscriptions Icon in the menu at the top of the Search Portal. This will take you to the Subscriptions page, where you will find usernames, links, and passwords.

Blended guides contain links to digital books, videos, and other virtual tools, games, and interactive resources. All instructions for activities are found within the kit guide. We recommend that you log into Sora and the subscriptions before starting, saving the passwords in your browser as you go. If eBooks are unavailable, please get in touch with Pippa Davies.

Digital Unit Study Kits are available to all HCOS students.

Physical Unit Study Kits

Physical Unit Study Kits can be booked through the Learning Commons Search Portal. When you order a physical kit from the Learning Commons, you will be mailed an assortment of physical books to accompany your learning. The kit will be shipped to your home, and HCOS will send a courier to pick it up after use. 

Physical Unit Study Kits are available to HCOS-enrolled students only. 

Unit Study Kit Guides

All HCOS Unit Study Kits guides use eBooks, audiobooks, and subscriptions linked directly within the kit guides. 

Blended Guides are available for all K-Grade 6 kits. Blended guides are digital documents with fully clickable links. K-6 kits are available in digital and physical formats, but both types of kits use the same blended guide.

Digital and Physical Guides are available for Grades 7-9 kits. You will still need to access the digital guide to utilize clickable links when using a physical kit. Families using physical kits can still select digital books to enhance their learning.

We are in the process of creating updated blended guides for Grade 6 Unit Study Kits.

French Unit Study Kits

These kits have been written for students in grades 5 - 9 but can also be used tofor older students. They provide reading and viewing content as well as offering listening, speaking and writing suggestions. Any work completed by students should be shared with their support or course teacher for evaluation.  They are intended to be supplementary in nature and will not cover all aspects of Core French, especially conversational components. These kits can be found on our website by selecting "French" in the subjects filter:

Watch the video below to learn more about how to use French Kits:

0:25 - 0:45 Receiving and reviewing physical books from the Learning Commons
1:08 - 1:12 Table of Contents - components of each kit
1:12 - 1:41 Vocabulary
1:42 - 3:39 Reading
3:40 - 4:14 Post-reading Questions
4:15 - 4:49 Reference book activity ideas
4:50 - 5:24 Comic Book Activity suggestions
5:25 - 5:56 Videos and Music
5:57 - 6:14 BrainPOP suggested videos
6:15 - 6:49 Writing Project Ideas
6:50 - 7:30 Speaking and Conversation Ideas
7:31 - 8:04 Reflection
8:05 - 8:13 Standards