TOS Crew Review: Curiosity Files-Quicksand

It is of common knowledge that when one earns their Professorship, they immediately become a member of an exclusive society (referred to the Super Smarty-pants Club by the rest of us), and when one is a part of such things-it is inevitable that one will cross paths with the more notable individuals, such as the famous Professor Henry Watson (better known as Indiana Jones).  So it is of no surprise then that our precious Professor Ana Lyze has indeed rubbed elbows with Professor Watson-and I am sure she enjoyed every minute of it. After all, such a charming and handsome man draws even the most serious and/or studious lady's attention-regardless if on purpose or not.

And I am quite positive that ensuing unit study on Quicksand was birthed out of her endless discussions with Indiana-especially when he came to the story of how he, and his companions, were saved from the grips of the  "lie-in-wait" death trap of sludge. All swooning aside, I am sure Professor Ana Lyze was able to regain her composure, at least long enough to be spurred on to create a new, and exciting week (or two) long study unit, for your adventure seeking children.

Swaying not from the norm here-this unit provides the same line of activities as the previous ones I have reviewed  [link is to the Pufferfish]. From e-Links to direct websites regarding fascinating facts concerning the subject, Bible verse copywork (KJV) and Bible instruction, math activities, music and games, Fact File mini-booklets, science/craft projects (like making one's own quicksand), a list of relevant books to use to enhance the study,  spelling/vocabulary/writing lessons, and map work.  Basically, enough stuff to keep your children enthralled, all the while they are learning!

The Curiosity Files: Quick Sand is yet another wonderful themed unit study, you are sure to enjoy.  Certainly this is priced right, easy to execute, and a great way to add some "bubbly" to one's regular studies.

Additional thoughts:

My son truly enjoys the activities found in the Curiosity Files [we have gone through a few now].  We were able to read through the main lesson in the guide, and as noted below-create and play with our own quicksand.  Due to the fact we are just wrapping up our Blue Diamond unit, we didn't dabble too long in the mire of this one.  As spring approaches, we will get back to it to see if we can locate some local spots where quicksand if found, and further explore the world of this intriguing goo. For us, we find that by using these, we are able to stave off boredom often found from only doing  the "regular stuff" in our studies.   

image from thesunblog.com

Being that our boy is totally into the Indiana Jones series, and that he has seen this movie (depicted above) several times-he knew right off the bat what scene, the Curiosity Files was referring to!  So to capture the essence of the lesson-he grabbed his I.J. doll and set to work testing the new found knowledge of quick sand.

 The fun of the "quicksand" of course, is immersing oneself [almost] fully into it. 

And since Professor Ana Lyze is related to Miss Frizz,

 I do believe we have lived up to her (or is it their?) motto: 

"Take chances, make mistakes, get messy!"

Professor Walton may never be the same after this swashbuckling experience!

The marble was used to test how difficult it would be to remove something from the goop.

not all of it is Bible based, but there is enough of it in here to earn this

This requires some gathering and collecting of books/supplies, but not so daunting that it gets a "run" icon
 
The older children will require much less assistance for most of the activities
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TOS Magazine homepage

Curiosity Files-Quick Sand info page
$6.95 eBook download
General age range: 8-13 yrs-but one can surly modify to adjust for younger/older students

Be sure to visit the TOS Review Crew homepage to find out what my TOS mates had to say about this, and many other fine homeschool products.

**The Old Schoolhouse provided me with a free download version of the Curiosity Files: Quick Sand, 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 did not receive any financial compensation for it.

TOS Crew Review: VocabAhead 1000 SAT Vocabulary Videos and MP3s DVD (for computer use)

If you have a Junior or Senior High student who intends to take the SAT or ACT, brushing up on their vocabulary is a necessity.  One way to help melt the words into their memory cells, is to provide a visual along with the definition.  VocabAhead has created a program that offers 1000 of the SAT words with accompanying videos, to do just that.  The student clicks the word, then views the video whilst listening to the narrator, as they give several examples [too many in my opinion-sometimes the examples went on and on, to almost over explained it] of the definition (in sentence form).  The site also offers a Study Room, where the student can create their own word list, review the videos and share them as well.  Teachers have the option of posting the VocabAhead widget with word lists for their students (I guess as a homeschooling mom, this may not be so necessary) and the program is MP3 ready, so one could download the info into their player and take it where ever they go.

All in all, this is a good concept.  The narrators are clear speaking and the cartoons/drawings are OK.  If you have a child that thrives on visual and auditory methods for learning; the set up is conducive to this.  By simply uploading the VocabAhead SAT videos CD into one's computer, or a DVD compatible player [see requirements below], the material is ready to click on to listen to. With 1000 of the typical SAT words, the student can go through the list at their own pace, to glean the meanings-and hopefully be able to recall them (especially on test day) with ease.

Additional thoughts:

Even though this would appear to be a useful product, I discovered some things in it that simply bothered me-making it a not-so-good choice for our family. I found that on several occasions, the lines of parental respect were blurred to what can be construed as negative statements in regard to the role of the parent, and the parent"s religion vs the teen's. In one example, they chose to use the debate over abortion as the focus-which in my opinion has no business being a part of study tool on vocabulary, especially when there are many other subjects could have been used instead. I am thinking because the design crew figured they would be addressing preteens/teens, that this would be the way to go.  But being that we do not agree with that line of thought, I need to discuss this for a moment.  Of all the examples one could use to describe these words, I am flabbergasted as to why they would need to toss in some "digs" toward the parents/adults in general.  Here is an example:

The mother's bias toward her step-son caused her to totally neglect him and favor her other child; as a result of this bias, the step-son was weak and malnourished.


No, that would be child abuse and Social Services would need to be contacted. This is just a lack of good judgement on the creators' parts.  How is this a good example of the word?  Here is another snippet for you, on the word abase:

In a similar way, parents who abase their children will wind up with kids who don't think very highly of themselves.


Are you kidding me?  Why on earth does that need to be a part of this?  Regardless if they even considered the negative overtone of these statements, or to the necessity of it-which I suspect they did not; it is a big part of the reason [the cost of the DVD seems a bit high to me] that I cannot recommend this.  There are plenty of other sources out there that retain their integrity by using examples that edify, and explain vocabulary without the derogatory comments.  And even though many of the words in the list do not fall under this category, I am compelled to state that I am not impressed. I guess my own BIAS against something which promotes such things is prevailing here.  You can watch several of the videos on their site; and I strongly urge you to see what my other TOS mates had to say regarding this product, before you decide if it is acceptable for your family.



(for us really a 1/2 a raft)


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Visit the VocabAhead 1000 SAT info page to gain more insight regarding the material included on the CD.

VocabAhead homepage

Product available through Amazon for $24.99
jr.high/high school level
You can sign up to receive the "Word of the Day" through email; and they offer iPad/Phone apps, as well.

System Requirements (according the company):
Windows, XP, Vista or Windows 7. MAC: Intel based system. MAX, OSX, iTunes 8 or later.
512MB RAM, Sound Card, up to 4.7GB free disk space, compatible DVD-ROM player. Compatible MP3 player required for portable use.


Be sure to see what my TOS mates had to say about this, and many other fine homeschool products, by visiting our TOS Crew Review homepage.

**VocabAhead provided me with a free VocabAhead One Thousand SAT Vocabulary Videos and MP3 CD to use and enjoy with my family, so that I could write this review. I did not receive any further compensation (product wise or financially) for my honest opinion of this product.