In this Form 3-4 study guide, students will be introduced to the principles and tools of the study of astronomy. Included is an overview of our solar system, the sun, the planets, and comets. Students will learn about the sun’s convection currents, sunspots, solar flares, solar winds, and the auroras they create. They will learn how distant planets are studied and what has been discovered about their rotation, composition, atmosphere, moons, and rings.

Spine Text

This study guide is based on the book The Planets by Dava Sobel (2006).

The Planets is available on Amazon, but for more extensive used-copy search, try used.addall.com. It is also available as a well-read audiobook which might be a nice option if the reading level is a bit difficult for your student. Look for it on OverDrive (where available through your public library,) Audible.com (free with trial,) or LearnOutLoud.com.

231 pages, 12 chapters
Reading Level: 8 grade and up
Prerequisites: none
This book is too long to complete in one term, therefore certain chapters have been left out of the assigned reading. Students should feel free to read those chapters during their free time.
This study guide would work well for a high school student, as well. The reading level is well suited for that age, and the material covered is appropriate for this grade level.
Please Note. The study guide includes religious content. If you require a secular version, make that selection below. For more information, please see this page.

Author Bio:

Dava Sobel (born June 15, 1947) if you didn’t already know, is a woman. Her name, Dava, is the feminine form of David meaning “gift of God”.

Dava grew up in a home where her mom was trained as a chemist, so no one in her family ever thought it strange to see a girl interested in science. Both her parents loved to read and she realized early on that books were a good way to capture the attention.

After college, Dava quickly became a journalist and found she enjoyed writing about scientific topics most. She loved all of the fields of science. These assignments brought her to exciting avenues of research and even Space Camp.

Ms. Sobel has won many prestigious awards for her books. Largely for bringing awareness, understanding, and appreciation of the sciences to all, especially astronomy and horology. One award in particular stated her ability to merge “scientific adventures and human stories in order to give the history of science a human face.” Her books have been the basis for films, documentaries, and even plays. (source)

Other Necessary Items to Complement This Course

Supply List

Schedule:

This study guide includes 33 lessons, each requiring approximately 30-40 minutes. You can either schedule it:

Three times a week for 11 weeks allowing for exams during the 12th week, or
Once a week for an entire year, allowing time for exams at the end of each term, and including other science subjects on the other days of the week.

This guide uses the tools and prompts: