December is a perfect month in which to look up at the stars! Starland by Sir Robert Stawell Ball makes a great guide.
Starland: Being Talks with Young People About the Wonders of the Heavens really does “talk” to the reader. Originally published in 1899, the book came out of a series of lectures Ball gave around Christmastime:
It has long been the custom at the Royal Institution of Great Britain to provide each Christmastide a course of Lectures specially addressed to a juvenile audience.
On two occasions, namely, in 1881 and in 1887, the Managers entrusted this honorable duty to me. The second course was in the main a repetition of the first; and on my notes and recollections of both the present little volume has been founded.
With that in mind, students can enjoy the “story” and learn along the way. Topics covered include:
- The sun.
- The moon.
- The inner planets.
- The giant planets.
- Comets and shooting stars.
- Stars.
- How to name the stars.
Also included are tables of planetary facts and a helpful index.
You’ll find no mention of Pluto, which tends to come and go as a planet. We’ve added links below to help you navigate this odd one.
Well-illustrated, this free eBook makes a perfect wintertime science study!
Free eBook
Suggestions
- There are roughly 55 lessons. If you cover two lessons each week, you will have enough material to use the book for an entire year. You can also cover the lessons one per day if you only want to use the book for a couple of months (December/January).
- Make a “starland” notebook, creating a page for each section covered. The pages can include illustrations, copywork, and narrations.
- You’ll find directions for drawing the solar system in Section 3. Include the drawing in your notebook.
- Some of the illustrations can be printed or copied into the notebook.
- There are many, many jumping-off points to go more in depth. You’ll find resources below.
Additional Resources
The Sun
Summer Fun Activity: Build a Sunspot Viewer
Summer Fun Activity: Solar Observation
The Moon
The First Moon Landing: A Unit Study
Rockets, Missiles, and Spacecraft {Free eBook}
The Planets
Free Nature Studies: The Solar System
Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus
Free Nature Studies: The Solar System
Comets and Shooting Stars
Halley’s Comet: A Comets Unit Study
Morse and the Telegraph {Free Unit}
Stars
Star Stories {Free eBook, Go-Alongs & Star Book Pages}
Other General Resources
10 At Home Astronomy Experiments {Free}
Covers topics very similar to those in the book.
Pluto Overview
More about the missing planet.
Keep Reading
10 At Home Astronomy Experiments {Free}
These 10 at home astronomy experiments make it easy to cover astronomy!
Star Pages ~ Free
Free 32-page download of star pages that go along with the book Star Stories for Little Folks
The Telescope: A Unit Study
Astronomer Edwin Hubble was born November 20, 1889. He is best known proving the existence of galaxies besides our own.
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