An additional general reference is

and via a link from Chris Dolan's site above.

The sky around us; early history; the Copernican revolution; the solar system; the sun and stars; star clusters, nebulae and galaxies; the big bang and aftereffects; life in the universe. Intended for elementary, middle school and secondary school teachers. Prerequisite: a methods course in the teaching of science or permission of the instructor.

b. Goals and objectives

The goals of this course are

(1) to make K-12 teachers sufficiently literate in Astronomy to use topics from astronomy in their classrooms,

(2) to make them familiar with scientific reasoning, including the evolution of scientific theories (e.g., Hubble's law and the big bang) and the role of experimental verification, and

(3) to demonstrate the coevolution of scientific theories (e.g., the heliocentric theory)and scientific instruments (e.g., the telescope).

c. Typical assignments

(1) Bright objects in the sky: the sun, moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn (in general two of these planets should be observable), stars and constellations, apparent motion of the stars*

(2) Evolution of the telescope - what we can see with the naked eye, with binoculars (which are only a little weaker than Galileo's telescope)*, with small telescopes

(3) Jupiter's four largest satellites (using binoculars and telescopes)*

(4) Star clusters (using binoculars and telescopes)*

(5) The Orion nebula (using binoculars, telescopes and CCD cameras)*

Laboratory recorded in a laboratory notebook

(1) Calculation of the diameter of the earth; measurement of the diameter of the moon from lunar eclipse photographs and the diameter of the earth*

(2) Measurement of size of lunar craters

(3) Eclipses

(4) Observing the sun: precautions, pinhole projection*, sunspots, H-alpha view of the solar corona; multispectral observations from spaceweather.com

(5) Power output of the sun*

Exercises:

(1) Making a planisphere*

(2) Computer-spreadsheet exercise: Kepler's laws

(3) Computer exercise on Hubble's law (from the CLEA project). This exercise has the students run a simulated spectrometer and rediscover Hubble's law.

(4) Constructing a web interface for your school

(1) Select one of the following topics and write a 500 word essay, including bibliography.

(a) Evolution of the telescope

(b) How we verify a scientific theory

(2) Select a recent discovery in astronomy (for example, the discovery of wandering planet-like objects) from a journal such as Nature or an astronomy publication such as Sky, and write a 500 word summary of the discovery and its significance. Additional references beyond the selected article are needed.

*: exercise can be adapted to public schools

d. Texts (and other bibliography)

[CM]: E. Chaisson and S. M[CM]illan, Astronomy Today 3rd ed, Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River, NJ, 1999 (required text)

[Principia]: I. Newton, Mathematical principles of natural philosophy and his System of the world. Translated into English by Andrew Motte in 1729. The translations rev. and supplied with an historical and explanatory appendix, by Florian Cajori, New York, Greenwood Press, New York, 1969. Axinn library has a copy: Call Number QA803 .A45 1962. Students will read about 5 pages on observations of the Jovian satellites and Kepler's third law.

[KeplerLL]: C. Baumgardt, Johannes Kepler: life and letters, Philosophical Library, New York, 1951. Axinn library has a copy: Call Number QB36.K4 A3. Students will read about 20-30 pages.

Also, approximately 30 pages of laboratory notes by Harold M. Hastings.

Spaceweather.com, Hubble telescope sites, NASA sites, CONCAM (continuous camera view of the sky) site

e. Course Outline

This outline is based upon a 14 week semester, with one week allocated for review. Thus 13 weeks are scheduled.

1. Introduction (3 weeks)

1.1 Charting the heavens

Sources: [CM]: Chapter 1, CONCAM web site

Observation: bright objects in the sky: the sun, moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn (in general two of these planets should be observable), stars and constellations, apparent motion of the stars*

Laboratory: calculation of the diameter of the earth; measurement of the diameter of the moon from lunar eclipse photographs and the diameter of the earth *

Exercise: Making a planisphere*

1.2 The Copernican revolution

Sources: [CM]: Chapter 2, [Principia]: selections, [KeplerLL]: selections

Observation: evolution of the telescope - what we can see with the naked eye, with binoculars (which are only a little weaker than Galileo's telescope)*, with small telescopes

Observation: Jupiter's four largest satellites

Laboratory: measurement of size of lunar craters

Computer-spreadsheet exercise: Kepler's laws

Paper (500 words) on one of

(a) Evolution of the telescope

(b) How we verify a scientific theory

2. The solar system: Formation & Composition. Terrestrial Planets vs. Jovian Planets; Asteroids & Comets (3 weeks)

Sources: [CM]: Chapter 6, 7. In addition, students in small groups (2-3 each) will students will present an overviews of Chapters 8-13. Thus each student studies 3 chapters.

NASA and Hubble web sites: planetary rings

Laboratory Exercise: on eclipses

3 The sun and stars (3 weeks)

3.1 The sun

Sources: [CM]: Chapter 16, Spaceweather web site.

Laboratory: Observing the sun: precautions, pinhole projection*, sunspots, H-alpha view of the solar corona; multispectral observations from spaceweather.com

Laboratory: Power output of the sun*

3.2 Measuring the stars

Sources: [CM]: Chapter 17

"Color and surface temperature" - Wien's law

Surface temperature and luminosity - the HR diagram

Observation: Star clusters*

3.3 Star clusters and nebulae

Sources: [CM]: Chapter 17, 18 (secs. 1-3), Hubble web site

Observation: The Orion nebula*

4. Galaxies and cosmology (3 weeks)

4.1 Overview of the Milky Way (brief)

Sources: [CM]: Chapter 23

4.2 The big bang and the expansion of the universe

Sources: [CM]: Chapter 26 (secs. 1-4), Hubble web site

Computer exercise on Hubble's law (from the CLEA project). This exercise has the students run a simulated spectrometer and rediscover Hubble's law.

4.3 Life in the universe

Sources: [CM]: Chapter 15, sec. 3; Chapter 28; see also essays in Mercury magazine

The Drake equation

Extrasolar planets

SETI

Paper (800 words) on recent discoveries in astronomy

5. Astronomy on the web (one week)

Sources: Web sites listed above

Constructing a web interface for your school

*: exercise can be adapted to public schools

e. Grading Criteria

Laboratory notebook 40 %

Exercises 20 %

Papers 20 %

Final exam 20 %

f. Bibliography

Included in d above.