Friday, February 11, 2011

TOS Review: Curiosity Files: Quicksand!!

Curiosity - A desire to know or learn, an object that arouses interest, as by being novel or extraordinary. 

Doesn't the word curious envelope the entire being of a young child? I'm sure yours are curious too? Always asking, "why" or "how" or saying "let me try." Well I have to tell you that these Curiosity Files sure do satisfy all of those uncontrollable desires in the younger set.

If you have been looking for something to throw into your homeschool to wake everyone up, change the pace and add some pizazz then look no further than what I am about to share with you...curious? :)

The Product
Today I share with you my thoughts on another neat product from The Old Schoolhouse Magazine. These busy bees have gotten together (where do they find the time?) in their lab and created a great science unit study for students ages 8-13 that will satisfy the most curious in your home.

TOS' Curiosity Files are science based unit studies led by none other than the fictional, but zany Professor Ana Lyze. The Professor will lead your children into the interesting world of quicksand and have you learn all you can about this amazing but needlessly feared substance. This 84 page unit study ebook will have you knowing everything you never wanted to know about quicksand.

What you'll find inside:

Your students will be exposed to scientific facts by way of essays and quizzes, they will exercise their knowledge of math by working on word problems related to quicksand, drawing about quicksand, charting low and high tides, Ana Lyze gives them an opportunity to write an essay with a very helpful outline, learn new spelling and vocabulary words such as quicksand (of course), physics and marsh for Elementary age students and liquefaction, tide pool and submerged for High Schoolers. She has even included some fun word searches, crosswords and games for the students at both levels. Included are also some Bible verse copywork in both print and script. Students also will talk about wise men building their house upon the Rock and not on the sand. (So important!!!)

They'll learn some physics by doing experiments about surface tension and viscosity (a fluid's resistance to flow.) Geography and mapping exercises are also included. And to round it all out there are some great experiments like making your own quicksand goo with simple, easy to find household ingredients and edible quicksand!! (You'll just have to check it out yourself!!) At the very end you can even make your own quicksand.

How to get them:
This is a great study isn't it? And you can get this and many more Curiosity Files right at the Old Schoolhouse store. Currently the bundle of all 9 Curiosity Files are being sold for $46.00. Really, is there a cheaper way to get your science (and a bunch of other subjects) in for the year? If you take two weeks (and I'm sure you'll want to spend longer) for each unit study this deal gives you 18 weeks of material right at your finger tips. You can also purchase these units individually just check The Old Schoolhouse Magazine's store for current pricing.

Check out a 12-page sample of this quicksand unit study here. Or if quicksand doesn't peak your curiosity then take a look at the Zombie Fire Ants study, the Dung Beetle or MRSA...and there's more!!

The McMama Experience
Okay, honestly I thought that the kids would rave over this. Call it winter doldrums, call it disinterest, call it a not so great fit, call it what you want but my children were surprisingly not interested. I was shocked. Yeah, no interest. I really don't think that it reflects at all on the product because, I mean did you read the review, it's amazing! Jam packed with fun and education. However my children just didn't take to it.
My plan is to take it out again over the summer and try once more to see if they'll go for it. I'm all for purchasing this for our science curriculum as it's very easy to pull of and I like easy!
When we get to it in a few months I will update this review (hopefully with picture of my children enjoying themselves!) so that you can see for yourself how this works in our homeschool.

But don't let that stop you!! Check TOS' Curiosity Files out!!! You'll like them I'm sure!!

And hey, click on the banner and check out the reviews from my other Crew Mates. I'm sure they had fun!!!


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**Any products reviewed by me as a member of the TOS Homeschool Crew have been given to me free of charge in order for me to provide you with an honest review of the product and/or how we used the product within our family. I do not receive any other form of compensation for the reviews posted on this blog.**

Lovin' Learnin'

2 comments:

  1. Hey the kids were not interested because it was just Quicksand - not as WACKY as the DUNG beetle! We giggled a lot with this study, because it was a about a beetle rolling others dung in a ball!

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  2. We LOVED our Puffer Fish study as well. The boys couldn't wait to read more and more and more! I'm thinking we'll do all nine as part of our fun science over the next year!

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