Disclaimer: I received a FREE copy of this product through the HOMESCHOOL REVIEW CREW in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way.
About six weeks ago, we were presented with the opportunity to do a course from Journey Homeschool Academy, and had to choose between two topics. The children and I spent our science class time for a few days checking out the various sample lessons offered for the two courses, and decided that Experience Astronomy: Elementary looked pretty interesting. We learned a lot just from the two video lessons that were available as samples! We’ve been using this program now for five weeks, and are really enjoying it. We’re watching the lessons with the whole family, while the evening dishes are being washed. We’re only doing one lesson a week, so just one night a week is spent on astronomy. I decided to do it this way so that Gayle and the older boys can learn about the heavens, as well. We haven’t spent much time with astronomy, so this will plug a gap for them.
So far, we have had an overview of astronomy, learned how the earth revolves and rotates around the sun, the seasons, the phases of the moon, and what constellations are. The lesson about the phases of the moon was one of the sample lessons, so for the past month we’ve been observing the moon as it went through a complete cycle. Watching the lesson for the second time was very good to help cement the concept. One thing we really liked about it was that the teacher showed the way the moon appears in the Southern Hemisphere! Almost everything is aimed at the Northern Hemisphere, it seems like, since most educational materials are produced in the United States. This is, too, but he teaches about both. We could really relate to what he was saying, since we’ve observed the differences ourselves when we traveled back for a visit.
Each lesson, as I mentioned, has a video. This is usually about 15 minutes long. 
It is accompanied by a 2-3 minute Memory Video, with the main points the teacher wants us to remember. There is also a PDF with supplementary material. This always includes some suggested books to read, a craft activity, several pages of handwriting practice, notecards with the memory points, and a quiz. We’re using the notecards (I have them taped to a cupboard door) and the quizzes, and we’ve done a couple of the crafts. Mr. Imagination loved making a “planetarium!” I like the quizzes to help us think about the video lesson again the day after. It also makes a very easy science class! 
Another project we did, which the children really enjoyed, was creating a constellation from marshmallows and toothpicks. Can you guess what the favorite part was? Eating the marshmallows afterward!
These lessons are very much based on the Bible. In every lesson so far, we have been taken on a “field trip” to some ancient archeological site where there was evidence of ancient man worshipping or studying the heavenly bodies (the sun, moon, or stars), but the teacher is very careful to point out that worship of these things was not what God wanted. Also, one of the assignments for the course is to memorize Psalm 8. Most of my boys already know it, so they recite it along with him when he quotes a verse.
Looking ahead, I’m seeing more lessons on the constellations, and then some about eclipses and meteors. After that, it looks like we’ll be making a trip through the solar system before a couple of final wrap-up lessons. This looks like fun! I’m really enjoying this course, and I know some of the rest of the family are, too. Some won’t admit it, but they all sure pay attention when I put the computer on the table and turn it on. Since we do this on a night when the big boys are on dishes duty, they are a captive audience, too. We often quit using review products as soon as the review posts on my blog, but this is one that we’ll continue using till we reach the end.
Sixty-seven families have been using programs from Journey Homeschool Academy. If you’re curious what others say about these courses, as I am, click on the image below to read their reviews.
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