Spring 2003 |
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| We will study beginning to intermediate astronomy through lectures, discussions, quantitative reasoning, workshops, and observation, using naked eyes, binoculars and telescopes. In pairs, students will research in some depth a topic of interest (in the library and through observations), and present their research to classmates, integrating astronomy and cosmology. Extensive interactive workshops are a major part of our learning activities. Many are hands-on: for example, students build and use learning tools such as celestial spheres, simple sextants, and spectrometers. Others are more theoretical: for example, students derive Kepler's 3d law from Newton's 2d law and used it first to find the mass of Jupiter from orbits of its moons, then applied it to the orbits of stars to find the amount of dark matter in our galaxy. Details can be found at http://academic.evergreen.edu/curricular/astro2003/home.htm. We will study the following chapters and material in Kaufmann and Freedman's text, "Universe". 1. Astronomy and the Universe (scientific method and basic math); 2. Knowing the Heavens (constellations, seasons, time): 3. Eclipses and the motion of the Moon; 4.Gravitation and the motions of the Planets; 5. The Nature of Light and Matter; 6. Optics and Telescopes; 18. The Sun; 19. The Nature of Stars; 25. Our Galaxy; 28. Cosmology: the Creation and Fate of the Universe. Students were also expected to independently work through six exercises using the planetarium software "Starry Night". We will also seminar on cosmology: how people across cultures and throughout history have understood, modeled and ordered their universe, with an emphasis on modern astrophysical cosmology. Our seminar texts include Red Limit by Timothy Ferris; The Elegant Universe by Brian Greene; and Bubbles, Voids, and Bumps in Time, a selection of original articles by scientists. These are supplemented by optional texts such as Krupp's Echoes of Ancient Skies, Miller's Stars of the First People, and Hawley and Holcomb's Foundations of Modern Cosmology,. Students may organize and participate in a field trip to clear skies, such as in eastern Washington. Texts supporting observations and workshops include: "Out of the Classroom" by Dennis W. Dawson; "Exploring the night sky with binoculars" by Patrick Moore; National Audubon Society "Field Guide to the Night Sky." Student work is evaluated based on participation in twice-weekly classes, workshops, and seminars; daily online postings; and weekly quizzes, observing activities, and group work, including a major research project. Likely credit equivalencies (16 - lower division) 8: Introductory astronomy and physics (pre-calculus) |
Maintained by: E.J. Zita