Joy In Our Journey
  • Home
    • Disclosure Policy
    • About Me
  • What's New! (Blog)
  • Low-Carb Lifestyle!
    • Trim Healthy Mama-inspired Grocery Lists
    • THM-style Beverages >
      • Mock Starbucks Mocha Frappuccinos
    • Family Favorite Recipes (Not Low Carb) >
      • Snacks >
        • Delicious Homemade Gooey Granola Bars!
        • Healthy Peanut Buttery Treats
      • Soups and Stews >
        • Jamaican Seafood Chowder
        • Chicken and Gnocchi Soup
      • Salads >
        • Red Cabbage Coleslaw
      • Main Dishes >
        • Beef >
          • Beef Stroganoff
        • Chicken >
          • Chicken Fiesta
          • Chicken Nachos
          • Marinated Zucchini and Chicken Sandwiches
          • Chicken or Turkey Enchiladas
          • Hungarian Chicken Paprikash
          • Green Chili Chicken Lasagna
        • Lamb >
          • Slow-Roasted Lamb Shoulder
        • Seafood >
          • Chilled Quinoa and Salmon Salad (E)
          • Shrimp and Zucchini Tostadas
        • Pasta Recipes >
          • Baked Lemon Pasta
          • Paccheri (Pasta) with Cauliflower and Tomatoes
      • Desserts >
        • Cookies >
          • Free Christmas Cookie cookbook download!
          • Healthier Gingerbread Man Cookies
          • Healthier Holiday Cut-Out Cookes
          • Maple Leaf Cookies - YUMMM!
        • Donuts
        • Frozen Desserts >
          • Lemonade Ice Cream Pie
    • Recommended Ingredients and Foods >
      • Inspiration Mixes - Gluten/Dairy/Caseine/Wheat Free and delicious!
      • Organic Maple Syrup
  • Homeschooling
    • Homeschool Curriculum & Product Reviews >
      • Homeschool Curriculum Reviews >
        • Art >
          • ARTistic Pursuits
          • Simply Draw!
        • Grammar >
          • All About Homophones - (Marie Rippel)
          • Time 4 Learning
          • Daily Grams
        • Handwriting >
          • Cursive Handwriting - New American Cursive
        • History >
          • The Mystery of History >
            • MOH vol. 3 Audio MP3's
          • Tapestry of Grace History
          • U.S. History >
            • America, The Last Best Hope (William Bennett)
          • Winter Promise
        • Latin >
          • Latina Christiana, by Memoria Press
          • Visual Latin
        • Literature-based Unit Studies >
          • Beyond Five in a Row
          • Further Up and Further In by Diane Pendergraft
        • Logic and Reasoning >
          • Building Thinking Skills (Critical Thinking Skills Co.)
        • Math >
          • Math Mammoth
          • Math Tutor DVD.com
          • MathRider: Horselovers' Math Facts Software Game!
        • Music and Composers
        • Online Educational Courses >
          • Aleks Online Courses
        • Science >
          • Apologia Science >
            • Apologia Science's Notebooking Journals
            • Zoology 1 - Flying Creatures of the Fifth Day
          • Science Weekly newsletters
        • Spelling >
          • Phonetic Zoo (by IEW)
        • Writing >
          • The Write Foundation: Level 2 - Paragraphs
          • WriteShop's StoryBuilders
      • Homeschool Product Reviews >
        • eBooks >
          • College Success Begins at Home (TOS eBook)
          • Dreams and Designs—Homemade Supplies to Complement Your Homeschool
          • Help, Lord, I'm Getting Ready to Start Homeschooling My High Schooler!
          • The 2010 Schoolhouse Planner
        • Online Educational Website Memberships >
          • KB Teacher
        • Science >
          • Polymer Crystals
    • Driver's Education for Homeschoolers
    • Foreign Language >
      • Latin >
        • Christmas Songs in Latin
        • Latina Christiana (Level 1) >
          • Latina Christiana Level 1 Lesson Links >
            • Charts and Helps
            • Year One Sayings
            • LC1 Intro and Lesson 1
      • Latina Christiana (Level II) >
        • Latina Christiana Level 2
        • LC2 Intro and Lesson 1
    • Forms and Charts >
      • "Week At A Glance" Planner
      • 2012-2013 Homeschool Attendance Form
      • 2012-2013 Homeschool Attendance Form
    • Free Audio Books to Download
    • Free Homeschool I.D. Cards!
    • Government and Civics
    • Handwriting
    • History: Classical / Chronological >
      • The Mystery of History, by Linda Lacour Hobar
      • The Middle Ages (MOH vol. 2)
      • Ancient History (MOH vol. 1) >
        • Ancient Rome >
          • Roman Architecture
          • Roman Houses
          • Roman Town (software game by Dig-It)
          • Roman Trade and Commerce
    • Language Arts
    • Science
  • Free Printables
    • Holidays >
      • Christmas
  • Book/DVD/Audio Reviews
    • Children's Movie/DVD Reviews
    • Other Product/Company Reviews
  • Home & Family
    • Frugal Living
    • Gardening and Herbs
    • Marriage - God's Way
    • Life at Home
    • Godly Kids & Teens >
      • Godly Womanhood
      • Sharing God With Your Children
      • Training Our Daughters to be Keepers at Home >
        • Keepers At Home - "Beginning of Club Year" Helps
        • Keepers At Home - "End of Club Year" Helps
        • KAH Skills >
          • Bible Memory >
            • Memorizing New Testament Books and Their Meanings
            • Proverbs 31:10-31
          • Cake Decorating
          • Card Making >
            • Stitched Cards
          • Computers
          • Character Studies >
            • Contentment and "I'm Bored" phrases
            • Willingness
          • Decoupage
          • Hospitality
          • Library Skills and Literature Pins
          • Sewing >
            • Beauty and the Pig - Goldie Doll
            • Edwardian-Style Aprons
            • Paper Piecing
      • Children >
        • Bible Study Bookmarks
        • The Church History ABCs (for kids!!!)
        • The Lord's Prayer - copywork
        • Some Thoughts...Family Bible Time
        • Running Away...with permission
      • Young Adults (Teens) >
        • Stepping Heavenward, by Elizabeth Prentiss
        • Deeper Roots: Discovering Our Amazing God
  • Frugal Family Trips to Washington, D.C.
  • Home
    • Disclosure Policy
    • About Me
  • What's New! (Blog)
  • Low-Carb Lifestyle!
    • Trim Healthy Mama-inspired Grocery Lists
    • THM-style Beverages >
      • Mock Starbucks Mocha Frappuccinos
    • Family Favorite Recipes (Not Low Carb) >
      • Snacks >
        • Delicious Homemade Gooey Granola Bars!
        • Healthy Peanut Buttery Treats
      • Soups and Stews >
        • Jamaican Seafood Chowder
        • Chicken and Gnocchi Soup
      • Salads >
        • Red Cabbage Coleslaw
      • Main Dishes >
        • Beef >
          • Beef Stroganoff
        • Chicken >
          • Chicken Fiesta
          • Chicken Nachos
          • Marinated Zucchini and Chicken Sandwiches
          • Chicken or Turkey Enchiladas
          • Hungarian Chicken Paprikash
          • Green Chili Chicken Lasagna
        • Lamb >
          • Slow-Roasted Lamb Shoulder
        • Seafood >
          • Chilled Quinoa and Salmon Salad (E)
          • Shrimp and Zucchini Tostadas
        • Pasta Recipes >
          • Baked Lemon Pasta
          • Paccheri (Pasta) with Cauliflower and Tomatoes
      • Desserts >
        • Cookies >
          • Free Christmas Cookie cookbook download!
          • Healthier Gingerbread Man Cookies
          • Healthier Holiday Cut-Out Cookes
          • Maple Leaf Cookies - YUMMM!
        • Donuts
        • Frozen Desserts >
          • Lemonade Ice Cream Pie
    • Recommended Ingredients and Foods >
      • Inspiration Mixes - Gluten/Dairy/Caseine/Wheat Free and delicious!
      • Organic Maple Syrup
  • Homeschooling
    • Homeschool Curriculum & Product Reviews >
      • Homeschool Curriculum Reviews >
        • Art >
          • ARTistic Pursuits
          • Simply Draw!
        • Grammar >
          • All About Homophones - (Marie Rippel)
          • Time 4 Learning
          • Daily Grams
        • Handwriting >
          • Cursive Handwriting - New American Cursive
        • History >
          • The Mystery of History >
            • MOH vol. 3 Audio MP3's
          • Tapestry of Grace History
          • U.S. History >
            • America, The Last Best Hope (William Bennett)
          • Winter Promise
        • Latin >
          • Latina Christiana, by Memoria Press
          • Visual Latin
        • Literature-based Unit Studies >
          • Beyond Five in a Row
          • Further Up and Further In by Diane Pendergraft
        • Logic and Reasoning >
          • Building Thinking Skills (Critical Thinking Skills Co.)
        • Math >
          • Math Mammoth
          • Math Tutor DVD.com
          • MathRider: Horselovers' Math Facts Software Game!
        • Music and Composers
        • Online Educational Courses >
          • Aleks Online Courses
        • Science >
          • Apologia Science >
            • Apologia Science's Notebooking Journals
            • Zoology 1 - Flying Creatures of the Fifth Day
          • Science Weekly newsletters
        • Spelling >
          • Phonetic Zoo (by IEW)
        • Writing >
          • The Write Foundation: Level 2 - Paragraphs
          • WriteShop's StoryBuilders
      • Homeschool Product Reviews >
        • eBooks >
          • College Success Begins at Home (TOS eBook)
          • Dreams and Designs—Homemade Supplies to Complement Your Homeschool
          • Help, Lord, I'm Getting Ready to Start Homeschooling My High Schooler!
          • The 2010 Schoolhouse Planner
        • Online Educational Website Memberships >
          • KB Teacher
        • Science >
          • Polymer Crystals
    • Driver's Education for Homeschoolers
    • Foreign Language >
      • Latin >
        • Christmas Songs in Latin
        • Latina Christiana (Level 1) >
          • Latina Christiana Level 1 Lesson Links >
            • Charts and Helps
            • Year One Sayings
            • LC1 Intro and Lesson 1
      • Latina Christiana (Level II) >
        • Latina Christiana Level 2
        • LC2 Intro and Lesson 1
    • Forms and Charts >
      • "Week At A Glance" Planner
      • 2012-2013 Homeschool Attendance Form
      • 2012-2013 Homeschool Attendance Form
    • Free Audio Books to Download
    • Free Homeschool I.D. Cards!
    • Government and Civics
    • Handwriting
    • History: Classical / Chronological >
      • The Mystery of History, by Linda Lacour Hobar
      • The Middle Ages (MOH vol. 2)
      • Ancient History (MOH vol. 1) >
        • Ancient Rome >
          • Roman Architecture
          • Roman Houses
          • Roman Town (software game by Dig-It)
          • Roman Trade and Commerce
    • Language Arts
    • Science
  • Free Printables
    • Holidays >
      • Christmas
  • Book/DVD/Audio Reviews
    • Children's Movie/DVD Reviews
    • Other Product/Company Reviews
  • Home & Family
    • Frugal Living
    • Gardening and Herbs
    • Marriage - God's Way
    • Life at Home
    • Godly Kids & Teens >
      • Godly Womanhood
      • Sharing God With Your Children
      • Training Our Daughters to be Keepers at Home >
        • Keepers At Home - "Beginning of Club Year" Helps
        • Keepers At Home - "End of Club Year" Helps
        • KAH Skills >
          • Bible Memory >
            • Memorizing New Testament Books and Their Meanings
            • Proverbs 31:10-31
          • Cake Decorating
          • Card Making >
            • Stitched Cards
          • Computers
          • Character Studies >
            • Contentment and "I'm Bored" phrases
            • Willingness
          • Decoupage
          • Hospitality
          • Library Skills and Literature Pins
          • Sewing >
            • Beauty and the Pig - Goldie Doll
            • Edwardian-Style Aprons
            • Paper Piecing
      • Children >
        • Bible Study Bookmarks
        • The Church History ABCs (for kids!!!)
        • The Lord's Prayer - copywork
        • Some Thoughts...Family Bible Time
        • Running Away...with permission
      • Young Adults (Teens) >
        • Stepping Heavenward, by Elizabeth Prentiss
        • Deeper Roots: Discovering Our Amazing God
  • Frugal Family Trips to Washington, D.C.
Picture

The Celestial Almanack for February 2012

2/2/2012

3 Comments

 
Picture
     Besides going to a couple of stargazing activities in our community, and visiting a planetarium a couple of times, our family hasn't really studied astronomy as a school subject.

     I have difficulty with spatial reasoning, and studying the stars and the heavens is one area where this really shows up. 

     Now if the stars in the sky would just stay stationary all the time, I wouldn't have so much difficulty!  But when people start talking about how the earth rotates, how the heavens seem to rotate, how the night sky changes from hour to hour, how the sun can be seen from differing locations depending on the seasons, that boggles my mind. 

     Basically, I don't do so well.

     So, I was interested to see what the new Celestial Almanack for February 2012 from Classical Astronomy would be like.

     Would it be easy enough for me to grasp?

     Would I be pulling my hair out within ten minutes of delving into this 21-page eBook?

     Here's what we thought about the February 2012 Celestial Almanack:
Picture

PROS:

1.  If you haven't yet seen a copy of the Celestial Almanack, the professionalism of this product is amazing!  The graphics are very high quality, usually enough to help explain concepts being presented.  This Almanack has some of the best graphics I've seen in homeschooling curricula!

2.  While this is a short eBook, easy to carry around once printed out, it is jam-packed with many activities to view in the night sky - and the daytime, as well!  Since this isn't a huge, lengthy eBook, it was less expensive to print out, and I was able to place the pages into page protectors so if we're outside in the misty air, it won't get "soggy."

3.  Introductory notes about our calendar system and why February only has 28 or 29 days was excellent.  Even with all of the ancient history we've studied, we all learned something new when reading this introduction.  Well done!


4.  The topics contained in this month's Celestial Almanack are varied:  history of the February calendar; a neat chart about the phases of the moon compared with remarkable events on specific days in February; much information on the various constellations in the night sky in February (northern hemisphere); a view of the solar system and planets in February 2012; and much, much more.

5.  And another great feature?  It's only $3.00!  Wow.  I've seen eBooks this length sometimes be much more expensive.  It's priced right for a thorough product. 


Picture
CONS:   

1.  Since most of the information presented in this Celestial Almanack was brand new to our family, we found some of the written material a bit above our heads.  Even for me, as an adult, I was wishing that some of the concepts were spelled out a little bit more simply and slowly.  I got a little bit overwhelmed, which isn't normal for me when reading.  It would have been helpful for the girls and I to take the pages a little bit slower, sentence by sentence - in some areas - and look up the concepts online so we could learn about them more carefully.

2.  In numerous places in the Almanack, it referred to the author's astronomy curriculum, Signs & Seasons, and how that explains these concepts in more depth.  While I'm not opposed to seeing those comments there in the Almanack, I felt like we should have been reading Signs & Seasons first and then began using the monthly Almanack after we had a more thorough understanding of basic astronomy.  I just wasn't sure how to explain in more simple terms some of what we read...and I personally needed it a little bit less complicated.

     Now, please don't get me wrong.  The problem could just be that I've literally had no astronomy study since I was in the 3rd grade, and it was very simply taught back then.  I'm sure that anyone who has studied astronomy in any mode more recently than 35+ years ago, will do just fine with this Celestial Almanack!

3.  I would have liked to have seen a few worksheets for students to use, to record data, or illustrate what they are viewing, or to develop conceptual understanding, even though I know that the best way to study and learn from the stars is just to get out there at night and view the stars and planets!

4.  The last two pages of this Almanack were advertisements for other companies.  This may have just been because this product was being sold at CurrClick.com.  I'm not sure.  I couldn't get the online catalog for CurrClick to work properly in my browser, so I don't know if this was advertised as a 21-page eBook or a 19-page eBook.  If I had thought I was buying a 21-page eBook and the last two pages were advertisements, I would have felt that the length of the eBook had been misrepresented.


The Final Word on the Celestial Almanack:

_
     The Celestial Almanack has been written for students ages 11 and up.  My girls thought that some of it was a little bit harder to understand, even though they usually do well with science topics, but it stretched us in a new field of understanding, and that's always good! 

     This product is very professionally designed and produced, so if you are at all interested in astronomy, and you have children ages 11+, this could be a wonderfully fun way to take a "new" look at the night sky every month of the year!  And, it's priced right.

     We were hoping to be able to take this February Almanack outside to do some viewing of the stars, but during this time of year, our little valley is usually socked in with fog - so no stars were shining on the nights we had access to this month's Celestial Almanack.  And even if we'd had a visible night sky, we have been ill with an awful cold...so it wouldn't have been helpful for our health to be out in the damp, cold night.  I'm hoping in the next few days and weeks, we can take advantage of the terrific information found in this stargazing guide for February 2012, and get outside to look at some stars. 

     I guess I'll start praying now that the weather will also decide to cooperate!   :)

     If you'd like to take a look at a sample of this month's Celestial Almanack, you can view the sample in both PDF and Flash here (or if you are reading via Feedburner or RSS, you can visit that sample here:  http://www.currclick.com/product_info.php?products_id=68718

...and read what other TOS Crew members had to say about this inexpensively priced stargazing almanack!
Picture






Julieanne
Joy In Our Journey.com

Disclaimer:  I received one free eBook copy of the February 2012 Celestial Almanack in exchange for my honest review.  No other compensation was provided.

3 Comments
Blossom link
2/2/2012 12:31:23 pm

Ah, I also felt that the language was above my head but thought it was because I've never done any astronomy- ever. Somewhat good to know that I wasn't the only one :) But I really really like this otherwise!
Great review.

Reply
Julieanne
2/2/2012 04:13:04 pm

Yes, you weren't the only one who felt a little bit overwhelmed by all of the new vocabulary and new concepts! But this is truly a great product, and if I knew more basic astronomy, it would have made more sense to me. Thank you for stopping by, Blossom!

Reply
jay ryan link
2/6/2012 12:54:29 am

Julianne, thanks for the kind review, glad you found it mostly approachable. I tried to make the Almanack so there would be something for everyone, at a variety of experience levels. It's hard to "be all things to all men" (and women) with this subject. I wanted there to be more meat for the people who already took our course, while still being friendly to the total novice. Lots of little decisions to make on every page. Of course, I'd like people to try S&S too! Thanks again for the nice words.

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    Picture

    ​​Hi!  I'm Julieanne!
    You'll find me in the kitchen
    ​trying new 
    Trim Healthy Mama recipes, loving God, and carrying out that love as I bless my husband and teen daughters. ​


    Find
    Joy In Our Journey on:


    Sign up to receive
    Joy In Our Journey's
    latest blog posts, freebies, and more!

    You won't want to miss my FREE "Trim Healthy Mama-inspired" recipes, tutorials, giveaways, and deals - get them delivered fresh to your inbox!

      
    Picture
    Picture
        I'd love to share your product with my readers.  If you would like me to do a review and giveaway, just contact me via email and let me know how I can help.


        Disclosure: Some content includes links to sponsors or affiliates, which give me a small percentage of the sale without costing you anything extra. You are not obligated to use these links when you make a purchase, but when you do so, it helps to support this site, so thank you!
     

     

    Search
    Joy In Our Journey

    Loading
     

    Archives

    December 2016
    August 2015
    July 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012
    December 2011
    November 2011
    October 2011
    September 2011
    August 2011
    July 2011
    June 2011
    May 2011
    April 2011
    March 2011
    February 2011
    January 2011
    December 2010
    November 2010
    October 2010
    September 2010
    August 2010
    July 2010
    June 2010
    May 2010

Search Joy In Our Journey.com:

Loading

You won't want to miss my FREE "Trim Healthy Mama-inspired" recipes, tutorials, giveaways, and deals - get them delivered fresh to your inbox!

Most Viewed on Joy In Our Journey:

  • Free Printables
  • Mock Starbucks Mocha Frappuccino
  • FREE customized Homeschool I.D. Cards
  • Trim Healthy Mama Visual Shopping List
  • Planning a Frugal Family Trip to Washington, D.C.


More about Julieanne:

  • About Julieanne
  • Contact Julieanne
  • Julieanne's BLOG

Please note that there are affiliate and referral links on this website.  If you click on them and make a purchase, I might make a tiny commission.  I only recommend products I use personally. Your support is very much appreciated and helps keep this free resource up and running!






  
Copyright © 2017       l       Joy In Our Journey.com      l