Notable Inventors and Scientists Throughout History: A STEM Unit Study

There are so many amazing inventors and scientists throughout history. From Galileo and Aristotle to Henry Ford and the Wright Brothers, there’s a lot to learn about! Our newest science unit study encompasses all things STEM and takes your whole family on a journey of discovery and exploration through time.

Along the way, you’ll discover important scientific concepts including gravity and the laws of motion. Plus, you’ll get to know amazing inventors like Marie Curie and Albert Einstein with the help of living books and a literature-based approach that brings science to life. 

Then, keep learning with hands-on activities, engaging printables, family movie nights, and some of our most fun science board games. I can’t wait for you to discover all the fun in this Studying STEM Science Unit!

The Power Of A Literature Based Approach to Science

It’s easy to think about how we can teach grammar, writing, reading comprehension, and even history with great literature. Have you thought about using a literature-based approach to science in your homeschool? Learning about science through literature can help bring the stories to life and help explain what was going on in the world at the time a scientist was making an important discovery or inventing something new.

Living books, or books that engage readers and ignite their curiosity, draw kids in, and get them excited about learning more. In a homeschool setting, we can use living books about bugs and insects to teach kids about entomology and all the ways we use bugs today. A living book about simple machines could inspire kids to fall in love with engineering and lead to building some very cool things in the backyard.

I’ve got a list filled with cool books for homeschooling science without a curriculum this year! Discover some of our favorites including The Way Things Work Now by David Macaulay and Women In Science by Rachel Ignotofsky. Then, check out our latest literature-based science unit study to learn more about amazing scientists in your homeschool.

STUDYING STEM: A Unit Study on Notable Inventors and Scientists Throughout History

Studying STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) can be engaging and exciting for any child with a literature-based approach. Our new Studying STEM Unit Study isn’t just experiments and science projects. Instead, it’s filled with living books that will immerse your homeschool family in the time and introduce them to amazing scientists and their discoveries. 

This comprehensive unit study covers notable inventors and scientists throughout history. You’ll read about famous inventors like Marie Curie and Alexander Graham Bell and get to know world-changing scientists like Isaac Newton and Albert Einstein. As you complete the 12 mini-unit studies in this curriculum, the whole family will have fun meeting these characters and discovering the stories behind their great ideas and inventions. 

The inventors and scientists in this study are all tied together with living books, hands-on activities, videos, and games the whole family can enjoy together. You’ll discover important scientific concepts and topics including gravity, motion, astronomy, electrical engineering, and inventions that changed the world.

Book Lists

With each of the 12 mini-unit studies in this science curriculum, you’ll get a list of living books like Along Came Galileo by Jeanne Bendick and On a Beam of Light: A Story of Albert Einstein by Jennifer Berne to bring the topics to life for your kids from picture books to chapter books you can read aloud.

YouTube Playlists & Video Lists

You’ll get curated YouTube Playlists with each mini-unit that bring the topics to life for your homeschoolers. These playlists are great for kids to watch during learning lunches or to keep reluctant readers engaged in the lesson. Plus, videos like these often contain more current information than books which can sometimes be outdated.

There are lots of fun family movie night ideas too! Meet amazing scientists and learn more about their discoveries with movies like The Story of Alexander Graham Bell and The Amazing World of Gravity which talks about Isaac Newton.

Pinterest Boards

You’ll get a specially curated Pinterest board to match each inventor too. These boards are filled with ideas for extra activities to encourage hands-on learning and increase retention. For example, the Nikola Tesla board includes art lessons to help homeschoolers draw Tesla and a series of fun electricity experiments.

Games

We love games! Gameschooling is a regular part of our homeschooling journey because it’s a fun way to spend quality time together building a deeper connection while developing problem-solving skills and practicing many different academic concepts too. 

There are tons of fun science games you can play as you work your way through the Studying STEM Unit Study. I’ve added game lists to every inventor page in this study to help you out. Some of our favorites include Gardening Bingo and Chemistry Fluxx. Discover more science games for homeschooling with our list of the best science games.

You’ll get printable games and activities that make it easy to learn through play as you complete the unit study too. There are lots of fun word search activities, crossword puzzles, timeline match games, and trivia cards. Plus, you can add any of our Discovery Decks for Curious Kids for more learning fun. 

Custom Printables

In addition to all the video, book, and game resources included in this science unit study, you’ll get lots of custom printables to help bring the lessons to life and encourage your kids to practice writing and fine motor skills. 

Our beautiful hand-drawn coloring pages are a great way to practice fine motor skills and keep little hands busy while you read aloud. Then, practice handwriting with copywork pages in differentiated levels including tracing, print, and cursive pages to meet your child where they are and help them progress.

Then, tie history and science together with historic event notebooking pages, timeline worksheets, and map work to help kids understand the when and where behind these amazing inventions and discoveries. 

More Science Unit Studies For Your Homeschool

This science curriculum focuses on notable inventors and scientists throughout history from Galileo to Henry Ford and the Wright Brothers. It’s the perfect interest-led unit study to use in your homeschool with kids who are excited about thinking outside the box and always want to know how things work. If your little scientists want to learn about anatomy, the oceans, or the final frontier, check out some of the fun science unit studies below.

Human Body

This family-style Human Body Unit Study includes 13 engaging lessons, educational videos and playlists, hands-on activities and experiments, games, and more. Everything you need to teach your homeschoolers all about anatomy is included.

Oceans

Are your kids interested in the ocean or marine biology? If so, this Ocean Unit Study is perfect for you. This family-style unit study includes 20 engaging lessons featuring topics from marine animals to ocean zones and famous oceanographers like Sylvia Earle. 

There are also lots of hands-on activities, printable games, and custom coloring pages. It’s everything you need to learn about the ocean with your family!

Space

If your kids love visiting the planetarium and stargazing, or if they’re dreaming of being astronauts, they’ll love this exciting Space Unit Study.  There are 17 lessons including educational videos, living books, and hands-on activities to keep your kids learning and excited as they explore the planets together with this science unit study.

All of our science unit studies include STEM elements, but I’m most thrilled about this new STEM curriculum because it encompasses lots of exciting discoveries and amazing scientists across many different periods in time. Which famous inventor or scientist are your kids most excited to learn about?