Summary of Lessons

Notes for Lessons

Each of the 12 sequential lessons includes a review of a significant Bible reference(s) and a major sky object. The scripture and sky object are reviewed at the beginning of the class to be a reminder of the reason for the heavens and the beauty of prominent objects that can be seen with the unaided eye, binoculars, or a small telescope. Most of the lessons take 1-2 hours. Exercises are usually short but can take an hour or more. While the content is designed for older children and adults, lessons or exercises can be adapted for younger children by teachers or parents who are accustomed to working with children.

Day and night exercises are identified at the end of each lesson. They can be done individually or as a group. Day exercise(s) can be done at the end of the lesson or during a separate period during the same day or week. The night exercises can be done shortly after sunset or before sunrise. They can be accomplished at a location other than a school as long as the equipment requirements are met and little oversight is required. Most exercises can be divided in parts or repeated. The practical objectives of a lesson are always strengthened with practice.

Lesson 12, which is a practice for the exam, uses the information learned in the first 11 lessons. The student will have the opportunity to demonstrate the use of equipment, observing techniques, recording observations, and relating the observation to a pertinent Biblical principle or statement. The exercise is intended to be a review of all material and equipment. If actual observing is not possible due to weather, the sky object will be a picture of an object at a distance under reasonably dark conditions so observing/sketching be practiced. It is designed to be fun, open, and confirm what has been learned. It will take a couple hours.

The exam is a normal observing session that involves setting up/properly using assigned equipment, finding an assigned object, and sketching it using an observing sheet. The period, while it might be a little intimidating, is meant to be exciting and fun?not a fearful challenge. It can be done by an individual or a small group (probably no more than 3-5 students per set of binoculars or a small telescope. Each student, however, must make an individual observing sheet and sketch. The exam can also be public, where the parents or local villagers can watch as the students. The exam period will typically take at least 2 hours and requires night conditions.

Any of the material in the classes can be easily expanded. The heavens are full of objects to observe, so exercises and actual observing for a lesson can be repeated or varied. Teachers are encouraged to exercise latitude to promote interest, increase skills, and take advantage of sky conditions.

This concludes the overview. Go to Lesson 1 (Introduction).