Exploring Creation with Astronomy Notebooking Journal (2nd edition)

Apologia Science courses are written from a Biblical worldview with the homeschool in mind. At the elementary level, courses follow a Charlotte Mason-inspired methodology, with lessons organized around narration, notebooking exercises and hands-on activities or projects. Children at different ages can use these together, learning at their own level. Each course is designed to be teacher-student interactive, so teacher involvement is fairly high at this level. At the junior high and high school levels, science courses are more traditional in nature, with the textbook written to the student. Teacher involvement time at this level is much less than at the elementary level. Textbooks contain student reading, lab instructions, "On Your Own" questions and Study Guide questions. A Solutions Manual provides the answers to these and the test questions. Lab kits are available separately for both the elementary and upper-level science courses which include most of the harder to find items you will need.

This popular elementary science series was originally created when Jeannie Fulbright, author and homeschool mom, was looking for a quality elementary science series that was creation-based using the Charlotte Mason approach. When she didn't find the curriculum she was looking for she decided to create her own. These books use the classical and Charlotte Mason methodology including narration and notebooking to develop critical thinking, logical ordering, retention, and record keeping. The series has since expanded to cover more science topics. New for 2021 is Earth Science, authored by Rachel Yunis, author of Exploring Creation with Advanced Biology.

Since the Charlotte Mason method is employed, every lesson is organized with a narrative, notebook work, an activity, and a project. The student notebook is emphasized in the lessons. Activities and projects bring the lessons to life and use simple household items. While the author's intent is for the parent to read these books to elementary students, a student with a 4th-grade reading level could read these books on their own. The books come from a strong creationist viewpoint, including sections called "Creation Confirmation" and Scripture interwoven throughout the book. Apologia recommends spending an entire year covering each book, taking about two weeks to explore most lessons (some lessons may require more time).

Notebooking Journals were a later - and welcome - addition to the series. As they complete the courses, students were encouraged to compile a notebook to collect and display the information they are learning. The Apologia Notebooking Journals now provide a place for the student to complete every assignment, to record experiments and to display work. Included are weekly lesson plans, templates for recording fascinating facts and assignments, and scripture copywork in both print and cursive models. In addition to full-color Miniature Books (for recording facts and information and pasting directly into the notebook), there are optional ideas (Take it Further in Astronomy; Dig in Deeper in Botany; Fly Higher in Zoology, etc.) for lots of additional activities, projects, experiments, books or videos, all of which correlate with specific lessons in each course. Along these lines, the Personal Person project in both of the Anatomy notebooks is special providing clear vinyl overlays of each body system. Be prepared to cut these out, though.

Junior Notebooking Journals are a simplified version of the orignal Notebooking Journals and require less handwriting but have the same reinforcing activities. These books include coloring pages, project pages, and cut and fold miniature books (same ones as in the version for older students). There is space for notebooking assignments (more drawings, no questions to answer) and scripture copywork (shorter verses to copy either in manuscript or in beginning cursive). Biblical quotations are from the NASB, KJV, NIV or NKJV.

To complete the books all you will need to provide is scissors, glue, colored pencils, a stapler, and a few brass fasteners. There are plenty of activity options in the journals, but keep in mind that based on your student, you may not want to complete every activity. Work can be tailored to each student by simply tearing out unwanted pages from the spiral-bound book. Serving both as a uniquely expressed record of the student's work and as a prized reminder of acquired knowledge, these books will become a homeschooling heirloom.

For convenience, we now offer either Advantage Sets or SuperSets. Advantage Sets include the textbook and either the Junior or original Notebooking Journal. SuperSets include the text, the MP3 Audiobook CD and either the Junior or the original Notebooking Journal.

We also offer lab kits from Nature's Workshop for the elementary courses. Kits contain most of the materials for the experiments, and are conveniently packaged by lesson in the corresponding book (sold separately). There are still a few items you will need from around your house, but with these kits the list becomes extremely short. ~ Janice / Jerry

Now in the 2nd edition, chapters include, "What is Astronomy?," "The Sun," "Mercury," "Venus," "Earth," "The Moon," "Mars," "Space Rocks," "Jupiter," "Saturn," "Uranus," "Neptune," "Kuiper Belt and the Dwarf Planets," and "Stars, Galaxies, and Space Travel." Chapters 11-14 are where you see a change in the chapter sequence from the first edition. There are still interesting activities and projects including a model solar system made of balloons, pinhole eclipse viewing box, making a compass, understanding the moon phases, and creating an astrometer. The text is formatted differently from first edition - it begins with an explanation of the text, activities, course website, and the notebooking journals in clear bold print. Each lesson is full of new photography and illustrations and interspersed with scripture. Blue "Think about this" and "Wisdom from Above" boxes give special attention to the Creator, and questions are scattered throughout. Activities for each lesson include instructions and illustrations. Every chapter is rounded out with "What do you Remember?" for review. Appendices include a lesson-by-lesson supply list for hands-on activities and an answer key for "What do you Remember?" questions.

The Astronomy 1st/2nd edition supply kit from Nature's Workshop still contains the supplies for all of the activities which are printed in the text.

Notebooking journals (sold separately) are now in full color and color-coordinated. Notebooking Journals are for mid- to upper-elementary students who can write independently. Junior Notebooking Journals are for early elementary students or those who are still developing writing skills. These feature activities that require less handwriting and more coloring. A suggested schedule is provided at the beginning, with 71 daily assignments, and the lists have items listed in 3 different colors - green for textbook reading assignments, and blue for notebook assignments. Pages in the Notebooking Journals are formatted for students to answer questions and complete activities. A review of the inner planets now follows Lesson 8, review of the outer planets follows Lesson 12, and a final review follows lesson 14. "Take it Further" pages are now drawing, making lists of books you've read, movies you've watched, additional experiments you may have completed, and making scrapbooking pages. Copywork is still included and coloring pages in the junior notebooking journals. Answer keys are provided for vocabulary crossword puzzles and final review questions.

For audio learners, consider adding the MP3 CD audiobook which features a reading from the textbook. Labs and activities require a mix of household, craft and science supplies. You can gather these yourself, or opt for a convenient Lab Kit packaged by Nature’s Workshop. If you’re looking for more hands-on activities, consider the Activity Guide which includes all labs from the textbook, plus 21 more activities.

The Textbook and Regular Notebooking Journal have been reprinted with new, updated covers. The content is essentially the same except the reference to the Astronomy Lab Kit has been removed. At this time, the Junior Notebook has not been updated.

Because of the content changes, 1st edition products are not compatible with the 2nd edition.

~ Donna