Curiosity Files eBook: Blue Diamond

Well Professor Ana Lyze has struck again-and it is all glittery and blue in color.  Perhaps she employed the Seven Drarfs [due to their uncanny, and lest we forget-singing the whole day long-knack for digging up gems of importance] to help expedite this interesting unit study.  After all, even a girl who is hard wired for all things off beat and slightly weird [such as Ana], most undoubtedly has a secret need for the sparkles, and shine found in a diamond.

This study dips your budding gemologists into a vat of "geology-knowledge", better known as the time honored, pressure causing method of creating something spectacular. The intent is to glean or "pick" at the interesting facts surrounding the beauty and rarity of a blue diamond specifically, but does touch on the formation of gem stones in general.  Loaded with direct web links, activity pages [such as crosswords, word finds, Curiosity Snippets (lapbook mini-booklets) and more], math challenges, Bible verses [copywork and general reference] and hands on activities [experiments, map work,baking projects, etc.]-your student will discover what it takes to make a rock a gem.  Or just how absurdly rich some folks can be (or dense in my opinion) for allowing their pooch to parade around with one of the rarest blue diamonds known to man, attached to it's collar (yes, true story there folks). It is all there waiting to be unearthed.

After pounding through a rock and gem kit he received for Christmas, my son is now ready to further explore what exactly those rocks are, and how they came to be.   And since we were able to actually see the very blue Hope Diamond at the Smithsonian, it won't be hard to imagine these precious stones at all.  With a variety of activities, my son will learn, and have fun while doing it.  That gets a big "HI-HO" from me!  We're both looking forward to starting the new year with this easy to use, unit study from Ana Lyze's Curiosity Files.

*Update Posts:
Jump Start the study
Can learn your lesson and eat it too

TOS homepage

Curiosity File: Blue Diamond info page
$6.95 eBook download
ages 8-13 (can be tweaked to fit ages below 8 and above 13 tho)
KJV is used for the copywork but one could adjust for their own version fairly easily
This could be a 1-2 week study, depending on how often you cover the material.  There is a suggested reading listed, as well as baking/craft projects noted-so you will need to have those resources beforehand in order to properly teach the unit.

*The eBook does not include a blue diamond (so sorry), nor singing dwarfs.  But the Smithsonian Institute does have a project kit called the Rock and Gem Dig, which is another excellent tie in for this unit study.

**The Old Schoolhouse provided me with a free download version of the Curiosity Files: Blue Diamond, to use with my children and so that I could write this review. Please note that I am an independent contractor for the Old Schoolhouse Magazine, that said-I have provided my honest opinion of this product regardless of that fact, and have not received any diamonds or financial compensation for it.

TOS Crew Review: Wits and Wagers Family Game

How many meeples or maybe sheeples, can you stuff all together in the local steeples? I don't know exactly, but I do know that when you play the Wits and Wagers Family Game, you can select your color meeples and place them where you think you'll get the most points-to hopefully win the game.  What are "meeples" you ask?  Little, painted wood-shaped peeples meant to be your game pieces.

In the Wits and Wagers Family Game,  players choose the wipe off board of their choice (6 colors) and their matching meeples, grab a dry-erase marker (provided) and select one person to play the role of Richard Dawson. Then once the question is asked (regardless if you know it-just guess an answer), the players line their number response in order from lowest to highest. After pondering the options (unless you know for sure), everyone puts their meeples on the card(s) they think is correct, or closest to it.  The answer is given, and points are awarded for those who (1) wrote the correct number, and/or (2) have their meeples [a big one worth 2 pts, and the little one worth 1 pt.] on the closest to, or on the actual answer [but not over]. The first to reach 15 points, wins!  It's that easy.

We enjoyed playing this over and over again. The pace is quick, the questions (and remember you don't need to know the answer, just how to guess) are interesting, and the extra info about the object in question is enlightening [you can read a little ditty regarding that subject after the answer].  We found we were done within the 20 min. range.  After a bit it became mundane due to it becoming "familiar" [read question, guess, answer and get points] so we simply would play a game or two, then come back to play again another day.  This fits perfectly into our lives, because we don't usually have time for the more in depth games we own.

This quick overview bubble is an awesome thing here peeples.  All you need to do is glance at this listing, to see exactly what you are up against. This is especially helpful if you are knee-deep into a project when your precious chillins ask you to play the game. You ponder your options: you know you are on a roll, but you also know these moments with your children are fleeting; so you consider the deadlines, and the projects-all the while you gaze into their sweet faces. It is then that the sweat droplets start to bead across your forehead, and your lips become drier than the Sahara desert-your mind starts racing for reasons not to lose half a day on a game that is complicated or never ending. Then it hits you-you can do this! It isn't some 5 hour game that drags on and on, seemingly forever! No, the little info tag says 20 mins-you can do that [and I would say that is more than generous enough].  You begin to feel a sigh of relief well up in your body, and with a twinkle in your eye-you glance down and smile.  "Sure!" you reply. Twenty minutes later [maybe even less] your children are satisfied, and you have spent some worthwhile time with your youngsters. More importantly-you realize you need to brush up on your Hannah Montana and other pop culture info tidbits, so those young ones don't blow you out of the water next time around.  Ah no-North Star Games didn't put this little strip of knowledge there to mimic cereal companies [in their attempt to clarify their ingredients] or to look all meepley-correct. Nope, they did this to relieve parents of their "deer in the headlights" look that inevitably sneaks up on every one of us modern day, busy folks.

Once you whet your appetite with the Wits and Wagers Family Game, you can dip your toes into one of their other fine products. We're considering the Say Anything game, as it looks engaging and fun as well.   I think their tagline "Games with Personality", definitely sums up their product line.

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North Star Games homepage
The retail price is $19.99-but you can usually find it a bit less at your local stores.  Their Games homepage  will link you to Target.
Ages 8 and up

Let it be noted here: if you are sternly against, or your religious convictions deem anything (even remotely) related to gambling-this may not be for you.  There isn't any money exchanging, or betting per say-but one does decide who they will trust answered correctly, then place their meeples on their guess.  We personally, did not find it  bothersome; and  felt the relationship to gambling was vague at best. 


*Don't forget to visit our TOS Crew Review Homepage to read about this,  and many other fine homeschool products. To read the specific reviews on the game, head

**North Star Games provided me with a free Wits and Wagers Family Game; so that the peeples in my family could test our knowledge, and enjoy the meeplesness of this fun game. I did not receive any financial compensation for my honest opinion, and review of this game.