Astronomy

The express purpose of this course is to develop an appreciation for the night sky. Students work through twelve units in a sequential fashion, beginning with an historical perspective of the study of astronomy, moving through the tools of the astronomer, and then to the moon, planets, sun, stars, galaxies, and beyond. The course concludes with an exploration into the origin of the Universe and lastly an exposure to the pseudo-sciences that receive prime time television play, but can develop false assumptions and fears. There is a fair amount of reading involved in this course. The ability to use a calculator to perform simple scientific notation and log calculations is required. One major research paper is expected early in the course, as well as a few shorter papers. Chat sessions are a critical component, as well as self-directed night sky observations.

The course is equivalent to the Hopkins ISD course #’s 2745, 2746, 2747, or 2748.

Syllabus