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Last Updated: July 14, 2009 3:15 PM

Astronomy

Fall 2008

Schedule

  • Week of Friday, August 22 -- Course Introduction
    • Day 1 - Activity Schedule
      • Astronomy Picture of the Day (APOD)
      • Student Survey
      • Lecture: Introduction to Astronomy
      • Syllabus
      • eBook: Universe, 8th Edition
      • Course Weblog on Catlink
      • HW:
        • Get your syllabus signed
        • Enroll in Astronomy course on Catlink
        • Register your eBook
        • Attempt to Install Starry Night on your home computer. Let me know on Monday if you can't get it to work.
        • Read The Logic of Astronomy on pg 32 of the Miniature Guide to Scientific Thinking
          • Complete the Catlink assignment "The Logic of Astronomy" and submit it electronically. I'm new to Catlink, so I'm exploring ways for us to submit and receive assignments so give this way a shot.

       

  • Week of Monday, August 25 -- UNIT 1: MOTION OF THE STARS, SUN, & MOON
    • Chapter 1: Astronomy & The Universe
    • Day 1
    • Day 2
      • APOD
      • Worksheet: Units, Conversions, Exponents, & Algebra
      • Exponents
        • Powers of 10 & Scientific Notation
        • eBook: Cosmic Connections in Chapter 1
      • Astronomical Measurements & Units
        • Length (l): meter (m); kilometer (km); mile (mi); astronomical unit (AU); light year (ly); parsec (pc); kiloparsec (kpc); megaparsec (Mpc)
          • length can be used to designate the size of an object or the distance between objects
          • eBook: Animation 1.1 - What does it mean to say that the distance to Proxima Centauri is 4.22 ly?
        • Mass (m): kilogram (kg); earth-mass (M_Earth); solar-mass (M_Sun)
        • Density ( ρ): kg/m3; g/cm3
        • Time (t): second (s);
        • Angle (α): degree (°); arcminute ('); arcsecond ('')
          • angular measurements can refer to the angular diameter of an object or the angular distance between two
      • HW:
    • Day 3
    • Day 4
      • APOD
      • Small Angle Formula Review
        • eBook: Access the AIMM (Active Integrated Media Module) 1.1 & complete the short quiz using the built in calculator.
      • Ratios & Size Scales
      • HW:
        • Study for Quiz
        • eBook: Chapter 1 Review Questions: 8, 10, 13, 24, 32, 39
          • here are some answers: 24) 8500 km // 32) 4.32×10^17 s // 39) 1.146 deg...bigger than the moon (but not as bright)
        • Bring your Star Wheel (Planisphere) to class next week

     

  • Week of Monday, September 1 -- UNIT 1: MOTION OF THE STARS, SUN, & MOON

    •  

  • Week of Monday, September 8 -- UNIT 1: MOTION OF THE STARS, SUN, & MOON
    • Chapter 2: Knowing the Heavens
    • Day 1
    • Day 2
    • Day 3
    • Day 4
      • APOD
      • I'll be absent from class today, so Continue Working on Lab 1 - The Solar Analemma (due Day 3 at beginning of class) .
        • Email me a copy of your lab 5 min before the bell rings
        • Email yourself a copy of your lab as well
      • HW: Finish Appearance & Motion of the Sky - Review 1 (due Day 1)

       

  • Week of Monday, September 15 -- UNIT 1: MOTION OF THE STARS, SUN, & MOON
    • Chapter 2: Knowing the Heavens
    • Day 1
    • Day 2 - Meeting Day for 1st Period
      • APOD
      • Quiz 1.2 - The Appearance & Motion of the Sky.
      • eBook: Box 2-1: Celestial Sphere - Right Ascension (RA) & Declination (DEC)
      • HW: Finish Lab 1 if you haven't (Due day 3 at beginning of class). If you're done, take a break!
    • Day 3
    • Day 4
      • APOD
      • Begin Lab 2 - Mapping Constellations - Due Day 4 of next week at beginning of class
        • Before downloading these, see if they're in the Astronomy server folder
        • Instructions
        • Template
      • HW: Finish Appearance & Motion of the Sky - Review 2 (due Day 1)
        • Observing the Sky - A helpful link if you want some review & practice
        • Continue working on Lab 02
    • Thursday: Come to our 1st Star Party - meet at the flagpole in front of SI at 7:30 PM

 

  • Week of Monday, September 22 -- UNIT 1: MOTION OF THE STARS, SUN, & MOON
    • Chapter 3: The Motion of the Moon
    • Day 1
    • Day 2
    • Day 3
      • Quiz 1.3
      • HW: Finish Lab 2 (due Day 4 at beginning of class)
    • Day 4
      • APOD
      • Due today: Lab 2 - Mapping Constellations (turn it in to your server folder on zeus)
      • Review Sheet of some recent material (this is not required nor is it comprehensive but it's good practice)
      • HW: Study for Exam on Monday: all of the following are fair game. Use the blank worksheets on the weblog to review problems, questions, and concepts
        • Conversions, Ratios, Scales
        • Small Angle Formula
        • Reading the Star Wheel
        • Heliocentric & Geocentric (Celestial Sphere) Perspectives
        • Celestial Coordinates - Altitude & Azimuth // Right Acension & Declination
        • Motion & Phases of the Moon
        • Lunar & Solar Eclipses

 

  • Week of Monday, September 29 -- UNIT 2: ASTROPHYSICS & THE MOTION OF THE PLANETS
    • Chapter 4: Gravitation and the Waltz of the Planets
    • Day 1
      • APOD
      • Exam - Unit 1 - The Motion & Appearance of the Stars, Sun, & Moon
      • HW: Read eBook: Ch 4-1 and 4-2.
        • Study the following:
          • Animations: 4.1, 4.2, 4.3, 4.4
          • Figures: 4-1, 4-2, 4-3, 4-5
    • Day 2 for 6th, Day 3 for 1st
      • APOD
      • Class Challenge
      • HW:
        • Get caught up on missing work & finish any corrections you haven't done
    • Day 3 for 6th, Day 2 for 1st
      • APOD
      • Heliocentric & Geocentric Models of the Solar System
      • The Motion of the Planets
        • Direct & Retrograde Motion
          • eBook: Animation 4.2, 4.3, & 4.4
      • The Position of the Planets
        • Inferior & Superior Planets
        • Opposition & Conjunction
        • Greatest Elongation
          • eBook: Figure 4-6 & Animation 4.5
      • HW:
    • Day 4

 

  • Week of Monday, October 6 --UNIT 2: ASTROPHYSICS & THE MOTION OF THE PLANETS
    • Chapter 4: Gravitation and the Waltz of the Planets
    • Day 1
    • Day 2
      • APOD
      • Due today: Lab 03 - Retrograde Motion of Mars
      • Continue Kepler's Laws
      • HW: Continue Working on Review Sheet (due Day 1)
        • The nobel prize in physics was awareded to three physicists who discovered the mechanisms behind something called symmetry breaking, which explains among other things why there is more matter in the universe than antimatter...we'll cover some of this in the spring but here's an information packet published by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, which awards the nobel prizes each year
    • Day 3
      • APOD
      • Kepler's laws
        • Kepler's 1st Law - Law of Ellipses
        • Kepler's 2nd Law - Law of Equal Areas
        • Kepler's 3rd Law - P^2 = a^3
      • Begin Lab 4 - The Orbit of Mercury
        • Instructions
          • Part I
          • Part II
          • Part III
        • Template
      • HW:
        • Work on Exam Corections (keys posted in Beta Lab)...see me if you got below 75%
        • Continue Review Sheet (due Day 1)
    • Day 4
      • APOD
      • Review Kepler's Laws
      • Continue Lab 4 - The Orbit of Mercury
      • HW:
        • Continue working on Lab 4
        • Work on Exam Corections (keys posted in Beta Lab)...see me if you got below 75%
        • Finish Review Sheet (due Day 1)
        • Study for Quiz on Midterm Day

 

  • Week of Monday, October 13 --UNIT 2: ASTROPHYSICS & THE MOTION OF THE PLANETS
    • Chapter 4: Gravitation and the Waltz of the Planets
    • Monday
      • 7:30 - 8:20: 0°
      • 8:30 - 9:20: 1°
        • Due today: Review Sheet
        • Quiz 2.2 - Kepler's Laws
        • Continue working on Lab 4 - The Orbit of Mercury
      • 9:40 - 10:30: 2°
      • 10:50 - 11:40: 3°
      • HW: enjoy the break!
    • Tuesday
      • 8:30 - 9:20: 4°
      • 9:40 - 10:30: 6°
        • Due today: Review Sheet
        • Quiz 2.2 - Kepler's Laws
        • Continue working on Lab 4 - The Orbit of Mercury
      • 10:50 - 11:40: 7°
      • 12:00 - 12:50: 5°
      • HW: enjoy the break!
    • Wednesday
      • No class, PSAT & Freshman Retreat
    • Thursday
      • No class, Teacher Inservice
    • Friday
      • No class, Quarter Break

 

  • Week of Monday, October 20 --UNIT 2: ASTROPHYSICS & THE MOTION OF THE PLANETS
    • Chapter 4: Gravitation and the Waltz of the Planets

 

  • Week of Monday, October 27 -- UNIT 2: ASTROPHYSICS & THE MOTION OF THE PLANETS
    • Chapter 4: Gravitation and the Waltz of the Planets
    • Day 1
    • Day 2
      • APOD
      • HW Review
      • PhET Simulation: My Solar System
      • Begin Lab 5 - The Moons of Jupiter
        • Template
        • Instructions: Part I
      • HW:
        • Read Ch 7-1, 7-2, 7-3, 7-4
        • Finish Quiz Corrections (keys for front pages of version A & version B)
    • Day 3
      • APOD
      • Continue Lab 5 - The Moons of Jupiter
        • Instructions - Part II, III, IV
      • HW:
        • Finish Quiz Corrections
        • Continue working on lab 5
          • If you want to take data at home, download the CLEA Lab here: Project CLEA Homepage - Click on "Software" and then "The Revolution of the Moons of Jupiter"
    • Day 4 Chapters 7 & 8: Planetology & The Formation of the Solar System

 

  • Week of Monday, November 3 -- UNIT 3: THE INNER SOLAR SYSTEM
    • Day 1
      • APOD
      • Exam 2 - Astrophysics & The Motion of the Planets
      • HW:
        • Continue working on Lab 05
    • Day 2 - Chapter 9: The Living Earth eBook
    • Day 3 -Chapter 9: The Living Earth eBook
      • APOD
      • Earth
      • HW: Continue Working on Lab 5 - I'm going to check your progress on Day 4
    • Day 4 -Chapter 9: The Living Earth eBook
      • APOD
      • Check on Lab 5
      • Earth
      • HW: Continue working on Lab 5 - I want to see the Io worksheet complete finished - this requires more than just making a graph!
    • Thursday: Star Party - meet on Piazza at 6:30 PM...we'll observe Venus, Jupiter, & the Moon

 

  • Week of Monday, November 10 -- UNIT 3: THE INNER SOLAR SYSTEM
    • Day 1 - Chapter 10: Our Barren Moon eBook
      • APOD
      • The Moon
      • Lab 5 Check
      • HW: Continue working on Lab 5 - START MAKING OBSERVATIONS OF OTHER MOONS IF YOU HAVEN'T YET
        • Study for Quiz on Earth & Moon
          • there will be a question related to the lab 5 so make sure you understand what you're doing
    • Day 2 - Chapter 11: Mercury, Venus, & Mars eBook
    • Day 3 -Chapter 11: Mercury, Venus, & Mars eBook
    • Day 4 - Chapter 11: Mercury, Venus, & Mars eBook
      • APOD
      • Mars
      • HW:
        • Finish Exam corrections
        • Review Key Ideas at the end of Ch 11
        • Continue working on Lab 5

 

  • Week of Monday, November 17 -- UNIT 3: THE SOLAR SYSTEM & PLANETOLOGY
    • Day 1 - Chapter 11: Mercury, Venus, & Mars eBook
    • Day 2
      • APOD
      • Using Celestia
      • Begin Planetology Database in Excel (this will count as a lab grade)
      • HW: Study for Quiz on Mercury, Venus, & Mars
    • Day 3
      • APOD
      • Quiz 3.2 - Mercury, Venus, & Mars
      • Lab 5 Check for 5 points
      • HW: Continue working on Lab 5 - Another Check on Day 1 for 5 pts
        • Get your field trip form signed and bring your check for $15 made out to SI
    • Day 4 - Chapter 13: Jupiter & Saturn's Satellites eBook
      • APOD
      • Continue working on Planetology Database in Excel (this will count as a lab grade, checked on )
        • Celestia - Observe the Moons and paste photos into Planetology Database
      • HW: Continue working on Lab 5
        • Get your field trip form signed and bring your check for $15 made out to SI
    • FRIDAY: FIELD TRIP TO CHABOT - depart SI @ 5:00 & return @ 11:00

 

  • Week of Monday, November 24 --UNIT 3: THE SOLAR SYSTEM & PLANETOLOGY
    • Day 1 - Chapter 12: Jupiter & Saturn eBook
    • Day 2 - Chapter 12: Jupiter & Saturn eBook // Chapter 13: Jupiter & Saturn's Satellites eBook
      • APOD
      • LAB 5 - MOONS OF JUPITER - IS DUE FRIDAY DEC 5
      • Saturn
      • Begin Moons of Jupiter
      • HW: None! Spend time with family, eat good food, watch football, and be thankful!
        • though if you're behind on your lab, best to make some progress
    • Wednesday
      • Holiday
    • Thursday
      • Holiday - Happy Thanksgiving!
    • Friday
      • Holiday

 

 

  • Week of Monday, December 8 -- Semester Review
    • Day 1
      • APOD
      • Work on Planetology Database (submit on Day 4)
      • HW: Get caught up on missing work. Deadline is Day 4
    • Day 2
      • APOD
      • Work on Planetology Database (submit on Day 4)
      • HW: Study for Exam
    • Day 3
      • APOD
      • Exam 3 - Planetology & the Solar System
      • HW:
    • Day 4
      • APOD
      • Last day to turn in missing work
      • Planetology Database due today
      • Final Exam Review
      • HW: Study for Final Exam: Study Guide

 

  • Week of Monday, December 15 -- Final Exams
    • Monday - Activity Schedule
      • APOD
      • Study Guide
      • Review Sheet of some of the early material
      • Take advantage of the blank copies of HW Sheets and Worksheets all throughout the weblog if you're strugglign with a particular topic, like phases of the Moon or graphing Newton's form of Kepler's 3rd Law
      • Here are blank copies of the exams from this semester. If you're well-organized, you should have corrections for all of your exams and quizzes.
        • Exam 1A & 1B (keys for 1A & 1B)
        • Exam 2A & 2B (keys for 2A & 2B)
        • Exam 3A & 3B (keys for 3A & 3B)
          • Image Section 3A & 3B
    • Wednesday
      • 10:05 - 11:35: FINAL EXAM
        • 1st period will meet in beta lab
        • 6th period will meet in 226
        • Classes will switch rooms at halfway point during exam

 

Second Semester



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