Swiss Family Robinson by Johann Wyss is an adventure story about a family stranded on a tropical island.
Discover the Robinson family’s trials and triumphs with your family in this free literature Swiss Family Robinson unit study for homeschoolers.
This Swiss Family Robinson unit study for homeschoolers was designed to be done by upper elementary and middle schoolers, but you can easily modify the activities and lessons to suit your older or younger kids.
Swiss Family Robinson was written by a Swiss pastor who wanted his sons to learn about many topics that he felt were important to know, such as family values, self-reliance, good stewardship of natural resources, frugality, and many others. So he wrote this book and incorporated all of those lessons into the story line.
Even if your entire family will not be participating in the study, reading books together aloud as a family is a valuable bonding experience that you don’t want to skip. 🥰
For this Swiss Family Robinson Unit Study for homeschoolers, read the chapters and complete the unit study activities listed for each chapter. (Note: not every chapter has accompanying activities)
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Swiss Family Robinson Unit Study for Homeschoolers Resource List:
Swiss Family Robinson by Johann Wyss
There are many regular book and audiobook adaptations of this book available; just be sure to get one that is “unabridged”.
Swiss Family Robinson Unit Study Homeschool Packet in the Free Resource Library
Activities for Swiss Family Robinson Unit Study for Homeschoolers:
Throughout the book, the family encounters many interesting animals. As you read about each new animal, create a page in your Swiss Family Robinson Notebook for that animal. Draw each of these animals and describe them, including where they live and what they eat.
They also find many interesting plants. Draw each of these plants and describe their uses, as well.
Use the Swiss Family Robinson Plants & Animals Report forms (found in the Swiss Family Robinson Unit Study Homeschool Packet in the Free Resource Library).
Not a member of the HHO Squad yet? Scroll down to the light blue box at the bottom to sign up and get immediate access to the Free Resource Library.
Chapter 1:
The father uses a lever to lift up part of his boat. Make your own lever to lift something. It could be as simple as lifting a book with a ruler, or as complicated as you would like.
Use the Lever notebooking page to record what you’ve learned about levers. Watch this video from SciShowKids to learn more about levers.
Chapter 2:
There are penguins and flamingos on the island. Try to figure out where the island is. As you continue to read the book and encounter more animals, you can narrow the location down even further, or determine if the place is entirely fictional.
Have your students use the blank world map in the Swiss Family Robinson Unit Study Homeschool Packet in the Free Resource Library. Plot the different animals on the map using symbols or shading and a legend.
Not a member of the HHO Squad yet? Scroll down to the light blue box at the bottom to sign up and get immediate access to the Free Resource Library.
Chapter 3:
They find sugarcane. Research the process used to make sugar. Watch this video from Noal Farm to learn how sugarcane is grown and harvested.
Then watch this video from Secret Travel Guide to see how it’s processed into dry crystals.
Chapter 4:
They learn you must have a hole in both ends of the sugar cane in order to get anything out. Try this with a straw. Fill it with some sugar, but close up one end with tape. Try to suck the sugar out. Then try it without the end taped.
Chapter 5:
They make a sail and rudder for their raft. Learn the different parts of a ship. You can use this “Parts of a Ship” notebooking page to label the different parts.
Chapter 6:
The mother suggests building a treehouse. Design your own treehouse.
Use the Swiss Family Robinson TreeHouse Design worksheet (found in the Swiss Family Robinson Unit Study Homeschool Packet in the Free Resource Library).
Chapter 7:
They build a bridge using a pulley system. Try to recreate their pulley system on a small scale.
Use the Pulley notebooking page to show what you’ve learned about pulleys. Watch this video from SciShowKids to learn more about pulleys and how they work.
Chapter 9:
They use geometry to figure out how long to make their rope ladder. Figure out how long of a ladder you will need for the tree house you designed in chapter 6.
Chapter 10:
They name places on their island. Find out how your town was named.
Chapter 12:
They go back to the wreck to get useful things. The ship was meant to supply a new colony. What would you have taken if you were supplying a new colony?
Use the Swiss Family Robinson Cargo Manifest worksheet (found in the Swiss Family Robinson Unit Study Homeschool Packet in the Free Resource Library).
Chapter 14:
The mother plants a garden. Find out what the growing season is like on a tropical island. How is it different from the growing season where you live?
Use the Swiss Family Robinson Growing Seasons worksheet (found in the Swiss Family Robinson Unit Study Homeschool Packet in the Free Resource Library).
If you live in the U.S, use this tool from USDA to find out which hardiness growing zone you live in. If you live elsewhere in the world, check out this post from The Spruce to determine your hardiness zone. Tropical islands like Hawai’i are zones 12-13.
Chapter 15:
They find many useful plants. Find out what kinds of useful plants there are in your area that grow natively. Try to find some of these and use them. Some examples might be dandelions or plaintains. A good place to start your research would be your state’s department of conservation or extension center.
Chapter 17:
They acquire a young buffalo, a jackal, and an eagle as pets. Do a little research about these animals and write about whether or not they would be good pets.
Chapter 18:
They talk about grafting fruit trees. Read Romans 11:17 in the Bible. You could also visit a local greenhouse and have them show you how grafting is done. Or watch this video about grafting fruit trees from Alberta Urban Gardens.
Chapter 19:
They are gathering provisions for the rainy season. Find out how long the rainy season lasts in the tropics?
Use the Rain Notebooking Page to report on what you’ve learned about the rainy season.
Chapter 20:
They find a cavern full of rock salt. They also preserve fish. Find out where salt comes from. Visit a salt mine if you are close to one. Compare how they preserve their meat with how we preserve food today.
Watch these videos to learn more about salt production:
Small Scale Sea Salt Production
Chapter 22:
Look up the story of Milo of Cortona. Milo is considered the father of resistance training. Find out more about him here:
Chapter 23:
Have your own sports carnival or learn more about the Olympics.
You may want to complete this Olympics Lapbook as your next homeschool project.
Chapter 25:
They find a whale. Research all of the different uses for a whale.
Use the Whale Notebooking page to write down the uses.
Chapter 26:
Father makes a rowing machine. Invent your own rowing machine on a toy boat.
Chapter 27:
They encounter a boa constrictor. Find out more about the boa constrictor and what venomous snakes are in your area.
Use the Snakes Notebooking Page to record your findings.
Chapter 28:
They find Fuller’s earth. What is it? Find out what it is and how it’s used. Google and YouTube have many resources.
Use the Swiss Family Robinson Fuller’s Earth worksheet (found in the Swiss Family Robinson Unit Study Homeschool Packet in the Free Resource Library).
Chapter 32:
They have no tan for tanning bearskins. Find out more about the tanning process. Try to find a nature center nearby that will demonstrate tanning or watch a video like this one from Primitive Skills.
Chapter 34:
They have a harvest of wheat. How was wheat usually harvested then and how is wheat harvested today.
Chapter 35:
They used pigeons to relay messages. How are pigeons trained for this? Are they still used today?
Use the Swiss Family Robinson Carrier Pigeons worksheet (found in the Swiss Family Robinson Unit Study Homeschool Packet in the Free Resource Library).
Learn more here at:
Robertson Family Racing Pigeons
Chapter 38:
They discover oysters with pearls. Find out how pearls are formed. Why were the pearls worthless to them?
Use the Swiss Family Robinson Pearls worksheet (found in the Swiss Family Robinson Unit Study Homeschool Packet in the Free Resource Library).
End of the book, Swiss Family Robinson:
After finishing the book, have the children write about whether they would have stayed on the island or gone back to Europe and why.
Use the Swiss Family Robinson Conclusion worksheet (found in the Swiss Family Robinson Unit Study Homeschool Packet in the Free Resource Library).
Download your copy of the Swiss Family Robinson Unit Study for Homeschoolers from the Free Resource Library. Look under Unit Studies
More Swiss Family Robinson Unit Study for Homeschoolers Resources
Do Swiss Family Robinson Crossword Puzzle.
Need more Notebooking pages for your Swiss Family Robinson Unit Study Notebook? Use the Swiss Family Robinson Notebooking Pages
Watch one of the many movie versions after you’ve finished the book. For family-approved choices, select one of these:
Walt Disney Live Action Swiss Family Robinson G 1960 available on Prime
The 1975 TV series, The Swiss Family Robinson G on Prime and other streaming services
Be sure to pin this post to your favorite Pinterest board so you can find it again later.
[…] Robinson by Johann David Wyss – This book can be read for free at the Internet Archive. Homeschool Helper Online provides extension activities for each chapter of the book. After your child finishes the book, […]