This week, I had the opportunity to escape with the kids into a winter wonderland. And believe me, with this rainy weather, it was great timing - we didn't even have to leave the house! We started a new unit study called Curiosity Files: Snow Rollers and other Snow Phenomena. :)
The Curiosity Files are unit studies published by The Old Schoolhouse Magazine. Your guide through the study is Professor Ana Lyze, Expert in Outlandish Oddities (think Mrs. Frizzle from Magic Schoolbus). With Professor Lyze, we learned all sorts of new and interesting things about the cold, white stuff - most importantly, we learned about snow rollers. Do you know what they are? I sure didn't! I love it when I get to learn right alongside the kids!
I've always been a fan of unit studies. They are a great break from the daily work, and they can also be incorporated into whatever you are studying. This was our first time to use a Curiosity File, but we all really enjoyed it. It compiled science, math, language arts, bible, art and music lessons, all geared toward snow! It's also a great thing for a family like mine, who has preschoolers to upper elementary. Even a teenager could have learned something new! I really enjoyed the way it was written. It's like a teacher or parent and a child are having a conversation. There is red font for what the student would say or ask, and the black font is how the teacher would respond. Chloe wanted to "be the student" every lesson!
Connor is all about hands on learning, and building something or experimenting is always a bonus for him. He was not disappointed; there were plenty of things to work on and observe in this study. There was a barometer, a weather observation chart, and several art projects.
One thing that was missing in my opinion was a schedule. I often find this with unit studies; and while I understand that they are meant to be flexible and fit with whatever your particular family needs, I'd love it if they provided a sample or recommended breakdown for you. It's definitely not something you can just pick up and start on without preparation. And for a mommy of four little ones ages 3-9, it would be nice to have it ready to use with minimal planning.
I found The Curiosity Files to be a nice break for me and the kids. And you can't beat the price - they are only $6.95 and can be purchased on the TOS website found here.
I'm sure we'll be doing more of these exciting lessons in the future - you should try one, too!
**I was given this product free of charge for review purposes. The opinions stated are mine alone.
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