Prepare for take-off! The Good and Beautiful’s Space Science unit study is out.of.this.world! My 7-year-old declared this as his favorite unit study to date (Paleontology is a close second followed by Geology). We actually explored this unit study early last year before the 2023 updates, and I remember feeling as though some of the concepts went over his head at the time. A year later, he enjoyed the course thoroughly and his retention and daily interest sky-rocketed. As the at-home instructor of this course, I appreciated having all course material readily available with no need to curate, print, or prep, as well as having relevant activities pre-planned in the Parent Guide. These two aspects have greatly lessened my mental load as a homeschool mother and have allowed us more time to deep dive as the occasions arise.
The Good and Beautiful’s Space Science unit study covers 15 lessons, including study of the Sun, stars and constellations, our solar system’s eight planets, the Moon, the history of Astronomy, the Space Race, and space exploration- both past and future. Each lesson includes vocabulary, stunning images to observe and compare, parent text to read, occasional videos that you may access via The Good and Beautiful’s Homeschool app/online catalog, and engaging hands-on activities. There is a Student Journal available for Grades 3-6 and another for Grades 7-8. I would not suggest using these course materials with a younger child unless they wish to be included with a sibling of relevant age’s lessons.
The lesson activities in Space Science course book require minimal prep and use of items you likely have on hand, such as chalk, cups, pebbles, playdough, etc. All supplies are outlined by lesson in the Parent Guide contents, as well as broken down in each individual lesson. One of my son’s favorite experimental activities involved recreating Jupiter’s gaseous storms with milk and colored dyes. Creating craters on Mars with play-dough and stones was another memorable activity that demonstrated meteoroids hitting the planet and the strength capacity of its atmosphere. I thought the lesson extensions were concise and relevant to the lessons, and my son enjoyed the book breaks for the hands-on fun. They offered value, and we tried our best to complete each suggested activity.
We utilized a Student Journal for Grades 3-6. While I did purchase an extra one for my 5-year-old in case he wished to participate, he ultimately opted out. My 7-year-old son used the Student Journal post-lesson. There was a page for each lesson with the exception of Lesson 10 (Gas Giants: Jupiter and Saturn). Some of the activities in the Student Journal incorporated vocabulary, interesting facts and dates, or diagramming. There was an opportunity to diagram the parts of a space shuttle which was super intriguing, as well as an Oreo moon phase activity (I would like to note that as of June 2023, there is an error on the answer key in Lesson 7 regarding the New Moon. I have made the company aware of this finding, and they plan to update for future print runs). Toward the end of the Student Journal were pages where your child can document facts learned about each planet. My son looked forward to filling in these Getting to Know the Planet Cards and could so do independently. I was pleased overall with the balance of parent-child and independent work.
The Good and Beautiful does not present end of unit assessments within their unit study courses. Rather than quizzing facts, this served a wonderful opportunity for my son to practice his narration skills. At the end of lessons, as well as the end of unit, he decided what were his biggest takeaways and presented those ideas and facts to me through oral narration. It was really sweet to learn what he thought was most interesting. It ultimately allowed me the chance to provide further learning for topics he was super interested in, such as Mars. We also closed out the unit with a nostalgic treat, Astronaut Icecream.
Your Frequently Asked Questions from Instagram Answered:
Q: How is the updated version different from the original?
A: The most notable difference in the course update is the inclusion of Student Journals, although some components are pulled from the previous edition’s course material. Some of the lesson titles also differ.
Q: What age would you recommend for this unit?
A: I believe children ages 7+ would get the most out of this course, but younger children could enjoy aspects of some lessons, too. A few lessons include sophisticated concepts, particularly Lessons 12-15, and the journals require writing and labeling. If learning alongside a sibling in Grades 3-6, a younger child could easily follow along with the planet topics, though, and might wish to document in relevant areas of the journal with a sibling. If you have a younger child interested in Space, I suggest looking into Me and My Place in Space as a course alternative.
Q: How do you structure lessons? One per day? Per week?
A: We chose to study one lesson per day over the course of 3 weeks. It is important to note that we are on a break from our core subjects (Language Arts, Math and History). Some lessons could be broken down into two days, if needed, too. If you decide to break lessons up within multiple weeks in a semester, I think 2 lessons per week would be most manageable with other subjects.
Q: How long does each lesson take to complete?
A: Lesson lengths vary. Some lessons included more reading or activities than others. The planet lessons varied noticeably in length. The typical lesson took us 25-35 minutes to complete in regard to reading from the Parent Guide, watching relevant video clips or observing included photographs, and completing the Student Journal. Some experiments may add to that time.
Q: Do the lessons follow a specific order?
A: The lessons can be done out of order. We chose to study space exploration which appears at the end of the unity study prior to digging deep into each planet. Making those changes did not affect the flow of the course or my son’s understanding.
Q: How do you store the vocabulary card sheets?
A: We do not cut these out of the booklet. If you choose to do so, you could store them in a baggie or envelope. I usually have my son create his own vocabulary cards on blank index cards in order to give him extra practice and to keep the course sheets intact.
Q: What is the worldview this course takes?
A: As outlined in the Parent Guide, the Space Science unit supports Creationism. There is no mention of the Big Bang Theory in this course. On the topic of faith, it takes neither a young world theory nor old world theory stance. This course portrays Earth and the other planets as round, orbiting bodies. *I would also like to note for the sake of personal beliefs that this course shares information about the Moon Landing as factual. If your convictions do not align with this, I recommend this an opportunity to share with your children differing beliefs. It’s an open door for critical thinking and studying primary resources regardless.
Helpful Links:
Extras to Explore:
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Felt Playmats (code Smittyfam10)
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Wooden Moon Phases by Happy Place Nature
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Me and My Place in Space by Little School of Smiths
Field Trip Ideas:
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College Planetarium
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Local Museums (check Library for free passes)
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Backyard Stargazing
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A National Space Center
