The Old Schoolhouse: The Curiosity Files - Cicada-Killing Wasp

We are fairly new to using unit studies in homeschooling so I was very excited to have the opportunity to review The Curiosity Files:  Cicada-Killing Wasp from The Old Schoolhouse Store. It is an e-book that contains 88 beautifully detailed pages in PDF format which can be viewed or printed using Adobe Reader.  This particular e-book is designed for ages 8-13 and up but I used it with my 5, 7 & 10 year olds.  Each morning before we started our homeschool books, we would gather around the computer and work on the unit study.    

The kids were immediately drawn into this study by the zany character Professor Ana Lyze who guides them on their learning adventure in this unit study.  Now I have to admit, a wasp is not an animal that I am too fond of so we haven't studied much about them and I was not very familiar with the scientific information about this particular insect so it was fun to learn right along with the kids!  Did you know that male cicada killers don't even have a stinger and that females generally only sting if caught & aggravated?  Or that adult cicada-killing wasp can only live 2-6 weeks once they emerge from the ground?  

One of my favorite aspects of this particular unit study is how the kids are actively participating in learning not only about the cicada-killing wasp but studying spelling & vocabulary, math, history & geography, handwriting, scientific observation and data, arts/crafts ideas as well as Bible study and memory verses.  This unit study is truly an all-inclusive, well-rounded study of one particular object (the cicada-killing wasp) using lots of different subjects and learning methods.  

Our kids loved the "Bug Pooter" craft where they were able to make an aspirator to pick up small bugs and other objects without hurting them using a plastic tube, straws and a few other objects we already had at home. I loved that most of the craft and activity ideas utilized items that would be readily available and I didn't have to make special trips to the store to buy the objects necessary to complete the lab activities and crafts. One great thing about this particular unit study is that there are lots of activities you can use with your child throughout the study. While our children did read all of the material in this study we did not do every activity included in it. I actually chose the ones I thought our children would most learn from and the ones that would be most beneficial for their ages.  

After studying a few sections of this unit study there are pages called "Let's See How Much You've Learned" to see if your child is understanding and comprehending what they are studying and reading.  As a homeschooling Mom, I also liked how there is a complete answer key for every activity/worksheet that is included in this unit study so you can easily check your child's work and progress. Once you have completed the unit study, there is a page of additional internet resources and video links so your kids can continue studying about cicada-killing wasp if they would like to. 

This was only the 2nd unit study our family has completed and our kids loved this study.  In fact, at the end of it Abbey asked "why can't we do another one?" and I was so excited to tell them that we can in fact do another study with Professor Ana Lyze!  There are 8 other unit studies available through The Curiosity Files and you can either purchase them individually through The Old Schoolhouse Store or as a bundle pack (through download or CD-Rom). Right now, you can purchase the exact unit study on cicada-killing wasp that our family enjoyed for only $1.00! I would highly encourage you to check out all the other amazing products available through The Old Schoolhouse as well.  

I am also linking up with The Homeschool Curriculum Review Roundup & you can read more great reviews on their site!

Disclaimer:  I received this product for no charge for review purposes only from The Old Schoolhouse.  I received no monetary compensation for this review.