This course is an introduction to astronomy. Student will learn how to observe the sky we see and how it appears to change over time. Then they will learn more about the planets of our solar system and the structure and life of stars. Lastly students will study the Milky Way galaxy as well as those beyond and end by looking to the future.
Students will be evaluated on weekly contributions to: discussions; reading assignments; regular, outside, nighttime observation assignments in their Sky Watch journal; and other activities and assignments. Activities will involve hands-on and virtual labs, web inquiries, and using planetarium software. There will be a mid-term and final project.
Completion or concurrent enrollment in Algebra 2. Physics is recommended but not required.
Schools must install and allow student access to the resources listed here, in order for a student to participate in the course.
Please see the online Stellarium User Guide's
installation document for directions and resources.
In addition to VHS system requirements:
Course Materials: red filtered flashlight, string, tennis ball, lamp
Software used: "Stellarium" virtual planetarium software
Specific URLs accessed: multiple addresses at domain “stellarium.org
Please note: This course requires regular access to a computer with a Windows[/Mac] operating system in order to install the software required for the course. This part of the course cannot be completed on a Chromebook or mobile device.