Wednesday, April 9, 2014

Star Chronicles: A Bible-based Study of the Stars {Review & Giveaway}

*affiliate link included in this post*

When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained; What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him? ~Psalm 8:3,4, KJV.

The night sky has always held a special attraction for me. I enjoy looking at the stars, planets, and observing the phases of the moon. It’s one of the subjects I enjoy having my children explore, as well.

Any time I come across a resource to assist in this study, I get pretty excited. Recently I was given the opportunity to review one such resource: Star Chronicles: A Bible-Based Study of the Stars, by Dawnita Fogleman.
What it is
Star Chronicles is a Bible study, and unit study of stars and constellations. It's excellent for homeschool families, and could be used weekly for 13 weeks, or used monthly for a year.

This study discusses the constellations often referred to as the zodiacal constellations, along with their partner constellations. Each constellation studied is also associated with Bible references, such as Virgo.

Virgo is a virgin, a young bride. We associate the virgin as being Mary, the mother of Jesus. But Christ's church is also referred to as a bride, adorned for her husband, and a chaste virgin.

The following constellations are covered in this book (along with their "partners"):
  1. Virgin and Bride (Virgo)
  2. Justice & Balance (Libra)
  3. Sting of Death (Scorpio)
  4. Archer (Sagittarius)
  5. Goat (Capricorn)
  6. Water Bearer (Aquarius)
  7. Fish (Pisces)
  8. The Lamb (Aries)
  9. A Bull (Taurus)
  10. Twins (Gemini)
  11. Resurrection (Cancer)
  12. Lion (Leo)

This study contains:
*Coloring pages and notebooking pages to print or copy off.
*Star charts for each constellation and three ‘partner’ constellations.
*Could be used for lapbooking or scrapbook-to-learn.
*Saturated with Scripture for memorization and copywork.
*Supplies list and instructions included for all ages.
*Reference list for further study  

What it is not
This book is NOT a book of zodiac, astrology, or horoscopes. You will find NOTHING of the kind in these pages. There are references to myths and legends, and they are clearly stated as such for historical purposes only.

How we used it
The boys and I have enjoyed learning more about stars, and constellations, over the past few weeks. I have found the correlation between the constellations, and their Biblical connections, fascinating.

I loaded the PDF to our Kindles and iPad, so we could all reference the study together. Then I printed off the lapbooking/notebooking elements for each boy.

I've been reading aloud the descriptions and Bible references to the boys, while they color their star charts. (The book does contain them in color, but I printed everything off in black ink, since my color ink ran out and I haven't been able to purchase more).

On the notebooking page, I've been having them write one or two of the Scripture passages quoted in the lesson pages, related to that constellation grouping.
To end each day's study, I use the Star Chart app on the iPad to find the constellations discussed. Some night we'll have to go outside to look for the various constellations we've covered.

I've enjoyed observing the night sky (and daytime sky, too, for that matter!) nearly my whole life. In fact, while I was in academy (during my high school years), I wrote two or three poems regarding this topic. I need to get them typed up, and perhaps I'll share them on my blog some time.

To see a free sample, click on the big pink star on Dawnita's website. I hope you will check it out; I think you'll enjoy it as much as we have! 

Where you can purchase it
Amazon for $22.35 (paperback)
Create Space for $25.00 (paperback)
Fogleman Forerunner for $12.00 (pdf)
Promo code is for PDF only
About the Author
Dawnita is a homeschool mom of six, living in Oklahoma. She and her husband run a family business. You can read the interview I posted the other day to learn more about her.

One more exciting thing: I am allowed to give away a free PDF copy of Star Chronicles! Please enter!

a Rafflecopter giveaway



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9 comments:

  1. My favorite constellation is the Big Dipper, because I can actually find it. :)

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    Replies
    1. The Big Dipper is one of my favorites, too. :)

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  2. I'm so glad you all enjoyed it. Technology is so cool! We didn't have tablets. Looks like you all had lots of fun! Thanks so much for reviewing this for me!

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    Replies
    1. We still are having lots of fun (we still have two more to cover). We'll be visiting my parents soon, and it's easier to see the night sky there than here. :)

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  3. Replies
    1. Orion is another one of my favorites. I especially like how E.G. White describes Jesus' coming, in relation to Orion (Early Writings, p. 41). :)

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  4. I remember learning about the stars and constellations in 8th grade math and being blown away! I'm planning to study Astronomy more in-depth with my two youngest kids this next school year, so this would be a fabulous resource! I think my favorite is the Big Dipper, simply because I can usually find it from my back yard!

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  5. I always look for Orion ! Because it reminds me of Jesus' coming!

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