DIY Homeschooler

The Starry Skies covers the sun, moon, and stars for younger children. This free, public domain work was written by Agnes Giberne and published by The American Tract Society.

Agnes Giberne was a prolific writer of the Victorian Age, author of over 130 books. One of these, for example, was a biography of A.L.O.E. (Charlotte Maria Tucker), author (The Haunted Room and Crown of Success) and missionary to India.

Some of Giberne’s works were of the moral variety common to that age. But Giberne is best known for writing scientific books aimed at children that are easy to understand.

She was a council member of the British Astronomy Association, an organization formed to support amateur astronomers. She also worked with the Rev. Charles Pritchard, Professor of Astronomy at the University of Oxford.

Her scientific works include not only those about astronomy but also geology, oceanography, physics, meteorology, and botany.

In The Starry Skies, Giberne makes astronomy understandable for younger children. For example:

The four weeks of the Moon’s phases are called a “Lunar Month.”

You can make clear to your mind how the changes come about, by acting them out with a lamp and a big ball.

There must be no other light in the room.

Stand first with your back to the lamp and the ball in your hand, held out at arm’s length: so that your head is nearly between the lamp and the ball. Not quite between, so as to shade the ball. Hold the ball just a little higher than your head: and the lamplight will fall upon that side of it which is towards your face.

Then you have Full Moon. The lamp is the Sun: your head is our Earth: the ball is the Moon. You see how the lamp lights up the half of the ball which is towards yourself.

Next turn round with your face to the lamp, and hold the ball at arm’s length between your head and the lamp, only a little higher or lower — not quite in the line between so as to hide the lamp from you. The lamp-light now falls on the other side of the ball; and the dull unlighted side is towards your face.

This is New Moon. Once again the lamp is the Sun, your head is the Earth, and the ball is the Moon. You see how the lamp lights that half of the ball which is turned away from you.

The real New Moon in the sky is invisible. Here you can see the dark side of the ball because the lamplight creeps round it. Still even here you will find a difference between the bright and the shaded parts.

Then, if you hold the ball at arm’s length half-way round on one side of your head, you will see how matters are at the Quarters. The lamp still shines full on one side of the ball, but only half of the brighter side is towards you, and half of the darker side. In the real Moon the shaded quarter would be hidden, and only the bright quarter would be visible.

This “quarter” we call “a Half Moon.” It is a quarter of the whole Moon, taking the Moon all round; but it is a half of the bright side, which makes our Full Moon.

All that we really know about the Moon’s surface is what we see on one side of her. The other side is never turned towards us. No man on this Earth has ever seen it.

Obviously, you will need to update the information on the fly when necessary.

Yet the book does give these easy explanations — ways of seeing our world that are rather unique. A wonderful tool for moms with those students that always want to know “why?”.

The Starry Skies covers:

• The Earth.
• Gravity.
• How we have day and night.
• The Moon.
• The Sun.
• Planets.
• Comets.
• Meteors.
• Stars.
• And more!

A excellent introduction to astronomy by a true enthusiast! And free!

Free eBook

• Read online
• PDF
• Various formats (EPUB, kindle)

Suggestions

• There are 28 chapters. Cover one chapter each week. This will provide science lessons for one year with room for holidays, vacations, additional readings, and days to catch up.
• Have your student make a “Starry Skies” notebook. The cover can be decorated with a suitable illustration.
• Read one chapter aloud. Have student provide an oral narration.
• The questions at the end of each chapter can be used for narration.
• You can also have your student use drawing and writing paper to copy one question from each chapter to answer and explain and illustrate.
• Take a few rabbit trails and learn more about the topics covered. This can be through books, units, or other lessons. (See a few resources below.)

Additional Resources

The Astronomy Book by Dr. Jonathan Henry
For that updated information. The size of the universe, thoughts on the Big Bang theory, eclipses, constellations, space exploration, the sun, the planets, stars, galaxies, asteroids, and comets. The Astronomy Book Study Guide (archived).

Apollo Expeditions to the Moon ~ Free eBook
Free 329-page publication that explains the purpose of the Apollo missions to the moon, the voyages, and the insights reaped.

100 Best Books for Children ~ Andrews
The Seven Little Sisters Who Live on the Round Ball that Floats in the Air is number 63 on The Hundred Best Books for Children list found in The Book-lover.

Summer Fun Activity: Total Solar Eclipse
From our view the moon moves in front of the sun and for a few minutes covers the sun, casting a shadow on earth.

Related Units

Free Nature Studies: The Solar System
Planets, stars, and shooting stars. Unit resources.

Satellites: A Unit Study
On March 17, 1958, the US launched the Vanguard satellite. Satellite unit resources.

Solar Cycles: A Unit Study
On April 11, 1875, Samuel Schwabe died, leaving behind the discovery of the eleven-year solar cycle. Unit resources.

The Equinox: A Unit Study
The equinox is the time of year when the sun is in the same plane as the earth’s equator. Unit resources.

The First Moon Landing: A Unit Study
“Houston, Tranquility Base here. The Eagle has landed.” Apollo 11 Moon Landing unit.

Halley’s Comet: A Comets Unit Study
On May 19, 1910, the earth passed through the tail of Halley’s comet. Comet unit resources including activities, lesson plans, printables.