Friday, February 11, 2011

TOS Review - The Curiosity Files Blue Footed Booby



We recently had the opportunity to review one of the Curiosity Files from TOS.



Curiosity Files are unit studies that take kids, ages 8-13 (can easily be adapted for younger kids), on an adventure with science loving, fact finding, Ana Lyze. These studies are written by homeschooling moms and they are loaded with lots of information, wrapped up in a fun package.  There are nine titles in the series:

  • Quicksand
  • Blue Diamond
  • Dung Beetle
  • MRSA
  • Puffer Fish
  • Red Tide
  • Zombie Fire Ants
  • Blue-Footed Booby
  • Cicada Killing Wasp

I looked through the titles and chose one that I thought my nature loving 11 year old would enjoy, The Blue Footed Booby.  When I told her about the file I just downloaded, she was excited to get started learning about this funny bird.



This particular Curiosity File takes the explorer to The Galapagos Islands where they get to meet this odd bird.  With 98 pages, filled with color illustrations, facts, quizzes and games, Blue-Footed Boobies will keep your kids occupied and answering questions like these:
  • Why the funny looking blue feet? How are they important?
  • How does the blue-footed booby defy the theory of natural selection?
  • What is so unusual about this seabird’s makeup and mating practices?
  • How many different species of boobies are there?
  • What things could be working against the survival of the blue-footed booby . . . and yet this animal has thrived?
  • Has the blue-footed booby ever been spotted outside its natural habitat? Where?
  • What answers have scientists been able to find within the theory of evolution that explain why the blue-footed booby has so many oddities?
  • What great truths can we grasp from the Bible? 
  • And a whole lot more! 
You can check out a sample of The Blue-Footed Booby Curiosity file here.

My daughter loved this unit study! She was excited to get started and enjoyed working through the pages, learning more about this bird and how the Blue-Footed Booby defies the theory of evolution.  This is a true unit study, covering several subjects with the central theme being, the Blue-Footed Booby.  Along with all the background and science information on the birds, there is also a bible study, covering Wisdom, math problems, more information about The Galapagos Islands and their inhabitants, geography - including map work, art, language arts questions which include story writing, sentence sequencing, copy work (in cursive and printing), spelling and vocabulary words. There are questions specifically for Elementary age kids and for the Jr. High kids and some of the activities have adaptations for kids with special needs, so you don't have to tweak the questions to fit your child's age or ability.  The science goes into details of the birds anatomy, ornithology and includes a recipe for suet and nature journal pages, so you can do a little backyard nature study. While you probably won't be seeing any Blue-Footed Booby's in your yard, you will discover all sorts of fun birds that are more familiar to your own area.



The Curiosity Files can be purchased a few ways.

You can purchase all nine (the best deal) for $49 on CD; or $46 for E-Books 
or 
Purchase each unit individually, check The Schoolhouse Store for current pricing.

These studies are well done, full of information that is presented in a clear but fun way.  I would definitely recommend this series to everyone! But don't just take my word for it, check out what my fellow crew members had to say about the files they reviewed.


I received this product free for the purpose of reviewing it.  I received no other compensation for this review.  The opinions expressed in this review are my personal, honest opinions.

2 comments:

Jill said...

Good review! We enjoyed the quicksand study and now may have to look into the Blue Footed Booby.

Jen U. said...

What fun! You make me want to try out this one now. We reviewed the Quicksand and loved it.