Learning Intentenions by Unit
UNIT 1: The Moon
1.1: Phases of the Moon
Early beliefs placed the earth at the center of the universe (geocentrism) with all heavenly bodies orbiting around Earth, including the Moon. Yet, the Moon was the only celestial object to change its appearance. Early astronomers observed that the Moon's phases repeated on a predictable and repeated pattern. Yet, it was thousands of years before we finally were able to truly explain the source of these phase changes.
Explain how the Earth-Moon-Sun relationship causes the phases of the Moon. Be prepared to model each phase. Discuss what it means to be "phase locked" and how this relates to the lunar cycle and current calendar.
1.2: Tides
The ebb and flow of tides can be seen daily, with some places having extreme tides such as the Bay of Fundy. But what drives these tidal cycles? How many tides are there in a day? And what role do the Sun and Moon have with tides anyway?
Research how the Earth-Moon-Sun relationship creates tides on Earth and how these tides change throughout the day and year. Discuss high, low, neap, and spring tides as well as the daily tidal cycle. Include discussions on extreme tides and harnessing tidal energy.
1.3: Eclipses
Eclipses were believed to be bad omens, sojourners of death. Yet, astronomers of the Renaissance determined that eclipses actually followed a predictable cycle. Explain how the Earth-Moon-Sun relationship causes eclipses and why eclipses don't occur every month due to the ecliptic. Model an eclipse and discuss the differences between the penumbra and umbra. Discuss the different types of eclipses and explain why we can only see an eclipse at certain locations during the year.
1.4: Features of the Moon
The Moon was believed to be featureless and flat, until Galileo was the first person to document viewing the surface of the Moon using a telescope. Galileo observed mountains and dark regions of the Moon, similar to the seas on Earth. With interest in landing on the Moon in the 1960s, several lunar orbital satellites were used to map the Moon's surface. We received incredibly detailed data back from this orbital and learned there was way more to the surface of the Moon than we expected. Create a 3-minute instructional video including images which explains how to identify each of the following features and how those features are formed: highlands, craters, mare, ejecta blanket, crater chains, rilles.
1.5: Theories on the Formation of the Moon
Many theories on the formation of the Moon have been posed by scientists throughout the past several hundred years. It was until we landed on the Moon in 1969 that we were able to definitely determine which theories were valid. Rock samples brought back from the Apollo missions provided necessary information regarding the chemical make-up of the Moon's crustal material, leading scientists to propose a new theory on the Moon: the Giant Impact Theory.
Research the following theories on lunar formation: Capture Theory, Co-Accretion Theory, Fission Theory, and Giant Impact Theory. Compile a presentation on each of these theories discussing the evidence used to justify each theory and the data that proved the theory was incorrect.
1.6: Lunar Exploration
The Apollo missions of the 1960s and 1970s were an exciting time for American scientists, engineers, and astronauts. Many of the missions were completed using less computational capabilities than a standard digital wristwatch of today. Every mission had significant problems and successes. Research the Space Race of the 1960's and the development of the Apollo program. You may choose to do just one Apollo mission or you can be more generalized about the problems and solutions developed by NASA to overcome those problems.
UNIT 2: The Solar System
2.1: Early Planetary Models
Explain the evidence used by early civilizations to develop the geocentric model of the universe and the implications this model hand on mankind's view of their role in the universe. Discuss how Nicholaus Copernicus and Galileo Galilei used their observations to prove the geocentric model is wrong and the heliocentric model must be correct. Be sure to include the 5 major evidences provided by Galileo. Also include a discussion on the difficulties and tribulations Copernicus and Galileo faced for promoting the heliocentric model.
2.2: Kepler's Laws of Planetary Motion
Astronomical measurements in the 17th century were incredibly detailed, despite having advanced measuring tools. Tycho Brahe was a renowned astronomer of the time and tabulated astronomical data on the planets such as period, retrograde motions, zeniths, etc. Johannes Kepler was Brahe's student and saw several key patterns in Brahe's data. These three laws model planetary motion. Explain each of Kepler's Laws of Planetary Motion and how those laws dictate the movement of planets within not only our solar system but all solar systems in our universe.
2.3: Solar System Project
The size of our solar system is difficult to comprehend. Work with your instructor to construct a scaled model of our solar system. Then create a project on either a planet, moon, asteroid, or comet to research. Meet with your instructor to determine what should be included in your presentation.
2.4: Exploring the Solar System
There have been numerous projects to explore our solar system, almost all of which have been unmanned satellites. Research a particular space exploration mission involving satellites. Discuss the challenges in developing the spacecraft, the tools on board and their purpose, the success/failure of the project, and the new knowledge developed as a result of the mission.
UNIT 3: The Sun
3.1: Structure of the Sun
The Sun has multiple layers to its structure, similar to the layers of Earth. Each of the layers plays a significant part in the production and emission of light energy as the hydrogen ions are fused together in the core to make helium. Discuss each of the layers of the sun and explain how energy and matter interact in each of the layers. Be sure to include how light (photons) move in each layer and how this is manifested at the surface of the sun.
3.2: Sun's Surface
The surface of the Sun is violently active with solar flares and prominences which could fit multiple Jupiters within them. Understanding how the surface of the Sun works helps astronomers better understand the potential hazard on Earth. Discuss how energy, matter, light, and electromagnetism work together to create the following phenomena: sunspots, solar flares, prominences, and solar mass ejections. Include discussion on three tools (SOHO, SDO, etc.) used to observe the Sun and the role each of those tools play in monitoring solar activity.
3.3: Sun's Nuclear Furnace
Energy from the Sun is produced by hydrogen fusion, a process known as the triple-alpha process. Explain how nuclear fusion works within the core of the Sun, including "triple alpha process" and the formation of energy from matter. There is much more to this than hydrogen fusing to form helium. Soooooo much more!
UNIT 4: Interstellar Space
4.1: Types of Telescopes
Telescopes have changed much (yet not much at all) since Galileo first used his telescope to view Jupiter. Astronomers have now created refraction and reflection telescopes, including the Dobsonian. More professional astronomers have also created spectrotelescopes and radio telescopes to better understand the universe between galaxies.
Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of various reflecting and refraction telescopes such as Newtonian and Schmidt-Cassegrain telescopes. Include information about aperture, focal length, disadvantages, and advantages of each type of telescopes.
4.2: Interstellar Distances
Similar to the scaled model of the solar system, understanding distances in astronomy is difficult to comprehend. So astronomers have found "relative" distances, such as the Astronomical Unit (AU), which is the average distance between the Earth and the Sun.
Discuss how astronomers measure distances in the universe including astronomical units, light years, and parsecs. Explain what parallax is and how astronomers use parallax to determine distance and size of objects VERY FAR AWAY.
4.3: Stellar Classification & the Hertzsprung-Russell Diagram
Imagine seeing two bright lights in the distance. They appear the same brightness but one light is significantly further away than the other. So how do these two lights have the same brightness? Astronomers consider far away stars with the same perplexity. They use properties such as size, color, temperature, luminosity, & brightness to characterize stars. Two astronomers (Ejnar Herzsprung and Henry Norris Russell) developed a chart relating several of these characteristics at the same time.
Explain how temperature, color, luminosity, brightness (not the same as luminosity), size, and magnitude are used to classify different stars within the universe. Discuss how these properties are related in the Hertzsprung-Russel (H-R) Diagram and what it means to be a main sequence star. Include discussion on the letter system for classifying stars.
4.4: Constellation Project
Human cultures all over the globe found patterns in the stars of the night sky. Constellations took on forms of daily importance, represented deities, and lay the foundation for oral traditions in the form of mythology. While we mainly focus on the constellations of western cultures, each culture has its own unique collection of constellations from the same night sky. In fact, there are 88 officially recognized constellations from the International Astronomical Union (IAU), most of which are derived from Greek, Babylonian, Assyrian, and Egyptian constellations. Research a constellation of your choice and create a model of the constellation. Include important stars or objects (such as galaxies or nebulae) within the constellation using images to enhance your model. Discuss the mythology of the constellation and how to find your constellation (when and where to look).
4.5: Stellar Life Cycles
Imagine you're walking down a busy street filled with people of all ages. You may see small children, a baby in a stroller, a teenager with crazy hair styles. You may notice a young professional just beginning their career and perhaps an older adult. You may even see an elderly woman who needs assistance crossing the street. Based on these observations, you could perhaps derive an understanding of the maturation process of humans. A star's life-span is difficult to fathom, typically lasting 10 billions years. It is impossible for human kind to witness the complete birth and death of a single star. Similar to the story above, astronomers base their understanding of stellar life cycles on observations of many stars throughout the galaxy. By observing multiple stars, astronomers can build a better picture of the stages of a star's life cycle.
We will focus on Main Sequence stars for this learning target. Discuss heavily each of the 14 stages of a star's life cycle starting with the first 7 from a nebular cloud to becoming a Main Sequence star. Then discuss the final 7 stages as the start diverts from the Main Sequence. You should include discussion on the constant "tug of war" between gravity and heat expansion (also known as hydrostatic equilibrium) as the star goes through its life cycle. Explain how the star slowly changes from burning hydrogen to burning helium and the implication this has on the stages of death.
4.6 Galaxies
Much of the points of light we see in the night sky are stars within our own Milky Way galaxy. For thousands of years, the concept of multiple galaxies within the universe was hidden from astronomers. With advancements in telescope designs and size, astronomers began to catalog other galaxies in the universe. These galaxies come in many shapes and sizes. Others are irregular and were documented by an astronomer known as Messier, which is how we get the Messier designation of galaxies such as the M1 galaxy, also know as the Crab Nebula.
Discuss how galaxies are classified based on their shape and discuss how each type of galaxy is formed from different processes.