Book of Astronomy Set Review

Having used Memoria Press in the past, I knew the quality I would expect from their Book of Astronomy Set and I was eager to dig into it with my 8-year-old for science class.

The Book of Astronomy Set is a two book set, which includes a teacher and student book. The set retails for $31.90 on the website and can be used for an entire year of science. The book covers stars, constellations, zodiacs, and the solar system. It brings in some Greek myth as well as sticking to the Classical model of education that Memoria Press is known for. This set has been developed with third graders in mind, but can be easily adapted to meet the needs of your students.

The book is broken up into four units. The first unit covers motions of the Earth, names of the t15 brightest starts, the summer sky and constellations, and the Summer-Fall zodiac.  The second unit dives into the winter sky, constellations, and zodiacs. The thirs unit is the spring sky, constellations, and zodiacs. The final unit focuses on the solar system, planets, moons, and comets. Each unit focuses on helping kids memorize facts and learn to find objects in the sky with skill.

How we used it:

I had my son, who is eight-years-old, read a section and do the exercise at the end of the section. Each section is a few short paragraphs of reading and then a page where he would draw in the constellations and write in the stars and constellations they are a part of. At the end of each unit are a few pages of review, and I would let him go at his own pace and it took him a couple days to get through all of the review pages. Because he is so interested in astronomy, going at hi own pace was never a problem and he never did less than what I would have assigned so having the pressure of assignments helped him enjoy the book more.

What we liked:

We liked learning about the stars and constellations with helpful hints for us to use when we go star gazing. Although Sebastian knows many science facts about the planets and asteroids and the space station, he didn't know about the constellations which is a part of astronomy I have neglected with him. This book was fun to fill in some of the things we hadn't talked about. Looking up the Greek myths was also fun for both of us, and I was surprised with how much Sebastian knew from his fun reading!

What we didn't like:

Sebastian didn't like the amount of writing in the book. Although there wasn't a whole ton of writing in the book, Sebastian just HATES any amount of writing. He would rather do the entire book orally, but I made him write in it. It took some of the fun out for him, but I think it was a minimal pain for him.

Who this book would be good for:

Anyone who is interested in Astronomy, constellations, and/or Greek myths. This would be great for kids as young as third grade, but could be used through about middle school easily.