| | |  | New in July | Home » » » Exploring Creation with Astronomy | | | | | | | Description: | | This wonderful book uses the classical and Charlotte Mason methodology to give elementary school students an introduction to our solar system and the universe that contains it. Narration and notebooking are used to encourage critical thinking, logical ordering, retention, and record keeping. Each lesson in the book is organized with a narrative, some notebook work, an activity, and a project. The activities and projects use easy-to-find household items and truly make the lessons come alive! They include making a solar eclipse, making craters like those found on Mercury, simulating the use of radar to determine hidden landscape, keeping track of the phases of the moon, making a telescope, making fog, and making an astrometer to measure the brightness of a star. Although designed to be read by the parent to elementary students of various grade levels, it is possible for students with a 4th-grade reading level to read this book on their own. Grades K-6. | | | Product Details: | | | Author:
| Jeannie Fulbright | | Hardcover:
| 176 pages | | Publisher:
| Apologia Educational Ministries | | Publication Date:
| 2004-06 | | Language:
| English | | ISBN:
| 1932012486 | | Package Length:
| 11.1 inches | | Package Width:
| 8.3 inches | | Package Height:
| 0.8 inches | | Package Weight:
| 2.0 pounds | | Average Customer Rating:
|  based on 36 reviews |
| | | | Customer Reviews: | |
Average Customer Review:
 ( 36 customer reviews )
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
77 of 78 found the following review helpful:
Not only for ChristiansJul 16, 2006
By Sherene Silverberg
"Homeschooling Mom"
It is important for me to note at the outset that we are a Jewish family and this is very much a Christian program, however, it is easy for me as the mother to read around the few bits that are overtly Christian.
I recommend that homeschoolers from other faiths do not dismiss this outstanding program because of the Christian content. This is the perfect science program for all homeschooling families who are giving their children a Classical education.
"Spiral learning" seem to be the current flavor of the month in educational circles. This means that I keep on finding science programs that touch on an enormous amount of topics but don't deal with them in any depth. This is exactly what I do not want.
We subscribe to the maxim, "Multum non Multa" - not many things (multa), but much (multum). Jeannie Fubright's "Exploring Creation with..." fulfills this maxim perfectly. One topic is studied a year, e.g. Astronomy, Botany, Zoology and that topic is studied in great depth.
With "Exploring Creation with Astronomy", our children are immersed in astronomy and learn about the stars and planets in great detail. Rather than touching on many, many scientific concepts, our children are focusing on the heavens for an entire year. By having the children narrate what they have heard after every lesson, I can tell whether our children have understood that particular lesson.
Jeannie adds in really great activities at the end of every lesson that don't require expensive tools. I had most of the tools in our home already. As an example, in lesson one the children make a model of the solar system using balloons of different sizes, string, markers, construction paper, a measuring tape and thumbtacks.
In lesson 7 the children build a model of Olympus Mons on Mars using homemade salt dough, a plastic bottle, vinegar, rocks, baking soda, red food coloring and dish washing liquid.
This course is perfect for families with multiple age children as you can assign extra reading to the older children and require differing degrees of complexity from their narrations.
Other great pluses for me:
- Jeannie has written this in a conversational tone which makes it very easy to read ot the little ones
- There is so much depth in it that I am fascinated all the time while I am doing this with the children, yet, the depth is not so complex that it goes over the children's heads.
- Absolutely beautiful photographs from space adorn the pages
- This last plus, may not be an issue for many of you, but I don't have the best vision and I find this book really easy to read. The publishers, Apologia, have used a bright, white matte paper with a clean font with double line spacing.
44 of 46 found the following review helpful:
Review from a homeschooling mom of 6 six yearsAug 05, 2006
By Jennifer Gresak
I will start with a confession - I am not a "science mom". I do not like messy experiments. I do not like to gather 42 tiny items to do something that is over in 90 seconds. I do not like paper mache. But most of all- I do not like textbooks. In our house, a science textbook is suitable only for bathroom reading or as a cure for insomnia. The first time I picked up this book however, I was in love. The text is vivid and well written. The projects are fun and EASY!
If you join me in being a non science mom, I stronly recommend ordering the kit that goes with this course from Home Science Tools. It costs less than $30 and has every single little thing for every project. You will not have to rumage for or purchase anything. When it's time to do your project there will be no frantic trip to Walmart. Relax mom, it's all here : )
We are creating an Astronomy Notebook as the book recommends. My son puts pictures, drawings, and written information in his notebook. He is really enjoying adding to it and loves to show it to company.
One of my favorite quotes is "Education is not the filling of a bucket. It is the lighting of a fire." I know this astronomy study is not just filling his head with knowledge of space. Rather, it is lighting a fire in him for learning about our world. It is inspiring him to create his best work and to read more independant of his "school work" on the topics we've studied.
I will definately be using the other books in this series!
Blessings on you and your homeschool!
20 of 23 found the following review helpful:
An excellent Christian text for elementary studentsJul 17, 2006
By Janny Ruth
"Jannyb"
This Astronomy book doesn't read like a dry, school textbook but has the feel of a mentor sharing with the student, explaining the wonders of space. God is glorified throughout. Instead of worksheets or quizzes, the author presents "What Do You Remember?" questions within the text body. I appreciate this gentle, Charlotte Mason approach. A few, easily do-able projects are laid out in each chapter. Even this experiment-avoiding mom, found these enjoyable. (You can purchase an experiment kit with all the needed supplies from another vendor, but we got along fine without this.) For those who enjoy notebooking, an internet link puts coordinating sheets for each chapter at your fingertips.
I've spent my life avoiding science, but this Apologia book brings the Creator right into the study and leads you to worship as you learn so that I've discovered that science is about HIM!
6 of 6 found the following review helpful:
 very happy with thisJul 13, 2008
By A. Padgett
We decided to use this book on the advice of another homeschooling family and couldn't be happier. I would agree with the person who gave this a 3 stars in that the sun isn't that big compared to many other things in our universe, but within our solar system, I believe it is. Regardless, we have really enjoyed this book. Science is one of my dd's favorite subject. She loves that we get to cuddle up while reading the material. However, she also loves sharing with others what she has learned. People are amazed at how much she knows and has comprehended, especially for her age (she just turned 7 and we used this for our first grade science). I have also spoken with my neighbor, who is a second grade teacher, and she was impressed with what she has learned. She told me they could never go into that kind of depth in her classroom. They just don't have that kind of time.
Next fall, we will be using the Zoology 1 as both my dd's are totally engrossed with bugs and other flying critters right now.
I really like this series as it is based on a 7 days creation view, which is what we believe in and wanted to teach. I also like that evolution ideas are brought in (how some scientists explain...and then she gives a bried synopsis of what they think. For example, the parts of Mercury that don't have any craters because they are "new" as a result of volcanic eruptions).
I also like the conversational tone to the book. It provides for interaction with the book instead of just memorizing the "facts". I also like many of the experiments as it allows my dd to become more actively involved in what she is learning and helps to really cement what she has learned.
As with many things, you will find mistakes (many of them have been corrected if you go to Apologia's website), and things that you may not agree with. However, if you want to really dig into a subject, spend time on it, and have your child retain what they learned as well as be excited enough about it to want to share what they have learned with others, I would highly recommend this book (as well as this series)
7 of 8 found the following review helpful:
Practically Perfect in Every Way...Jul 16, 2006
By Lisa A. Berry
"berrypatch"
When I started my homeschool journey four years ago, I stumbled. I wasn't sure what to use for each subject & a lot was hit or miss. I turned to the Internet to connect with other homeschoolers & gain some knowledge through what others had tried & enjoyed.
I was very blessed to have stumbled on a group discussing Mrs. Fulbright's newest book - Exploring Creation with Astronomy. My son - then six years old - loved everything space related. I bought it & never looked back!
As most homeschoolers know, you are always on the look out for the next best curriculum. You watch with anticipation for something "new" to come out. Something that will fill that gap. Something that is just better than what you are currently using.
My son is now nine years old. We have since gone through this book not just once, but twice. Each time we have both learned something new. I am not concerned about his science education. I'm not looking for the next best science curriculum. This one is it.
Mrs. Fulbright has woven together a fabulous book that blends together wonderful readings, easy to follow projects, & creative notebooking activities. It simply can't be any easier than this. With little to no prep involved, I simply opened the book each day & read. There are prompts throughout to remind me to ask my son what he has learned. There are even answers in the back to refresh my memory if I needed it. The book is fantastic for creating a notebook to go along with it. All the tips & prompts are included right inside.
The best part for me, as a Christian homeschooling Mom, is knowing that I did not have to be concerned with "millions of years" being discussed in the book. Not only does it show science from a science point of view, but from a Christian point of view.
In my opinion - there IS no better science curriculum out there.
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