So homeschoolers, how about those LGBT unit studies? What? Can’t find any? Enter Diversity Unit Studies. Developer and LGBT author Belinda Y. Hughes proudly announces her first offering, a high school-level unit study of the LGBT-YA and scifi-space opera Derelict by LJ Cohen.

Derelict itself features a group of teen friends who unexpectedly blast off into space aboard an old spaceship they were repairing. The story follows the team as they discover their individual and group strengths against an array of challenges. Woven into the mix are LGBT, STEM, Humanities and personal development content.

Hughes summarized each chapter and pulled out the vocabulary words. She then scoured the web and found engaging educational activities that were relevant to the chapter themes and appropriate to high school-level learners, including content from NASA.gov and Minecraft. “My goal was to bring this book to life in a fun, meaningful, interactive way, as well as lead students to think, and support them in their personal growth at a pivotal point in their young lives,” offers Hughes.

Belinda Y. Hughes is an author, former education paraprofessional and tutor. She was prompted by a Baton Rouge homeschool mom, the Rev. Jan Floyd, to try her hand at literature-based unit studies. What she found was an underserved demand for LGBT unit studies. Derelict, a beloved, diversity-rich scifi-space opera by Boston-based author LJ Cohen, came to mind, and Diversity Unit Studies was born.

“Derelict’s content seemed made to order for this purpose,” says Hughes. “My plan for now is to continue working my way through LJ Cohen’s Halcyone series, creating exciting diversity unit studies for high school home schoolers. When I get as far as I can with that – Lisa’s currently hard at work on Book Four – I’ll vet another author, genre, series and age group. I’d really like to delve into Muslim and Wicca-Paga YA, among others. Cultural diversity has been a lifelong passion of mine.”

Derelict’s main characters reflect diversity: female, male, black, white, Asian, straight and emerging LGBT youth. They come from different backgrounds, yet find commonalities as they progress through their journey. The book, internet access and basic art supplies are needed to complete the literature-based unit study. Vocabulary words average twenty per chapter and may be adapted to ten or five for student needs.

“Belinda Y. Hughes has constructed a vibrant and creative curriculum that brings Halcyone Space to the academic world. I am thrilled that she has chosen my stories to be a part of this much-needed Diversity Unit Studies program,” states LJ Cohen, author of Derelict.

Cohen has granted Belinda Y. Hughes and Diversity Unit Studies exclusive rights for creation of Halcyone series unit studies. Next in the series is Unit Study: Ithaka Rising, featuring Greek mythology, which Hughes hopes to post by 11.15.16.

Learn more at https://diversityunitstudies.wordpress.com/.

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