Date                             Topic                   Reading Assignment

Thursday, Jan.  9     Introduction                      Chapter 1
                      Tour through the Universe
                        Activity: The Vast Distance Between Stars

Tuesday,  Jan. 14     Scientific Models and Theories    Chapter 2
                      Science is Problem Solving
                      Process of scientific problem     sections 2.2, 2.3 
                      solving or model building
                
                      Appearance of the sky             Chapters 3, 4
                      The Celestial Sphere
                      Analog: maps, globe of the Earth
                        Locations in the sky: Coordinates sections 3.1-3.3

                      Homework #1, due Tuesday 21 Jan.

Thursday, Jan. 16     Appearance of the sky (cont'd)    
                      Seasons                           section 4.5 
                      The Moon, its phases and eclipses section 4.7
     
Tuesday,  Jan. 21     Models of the Solar System        Chapter 5
                      Ptolemaic Geocentric model        sections 5.1, 5.2
                      Copernican Heliocentric model     sections 5.3, 5.6, 5.7
                      Testing the models: parallax      section 5.4
                        Galileo, Tycho Brahe
                      Kepler's model                    sections 5.3, 5.4

                      Homework #1, due NOW
                      Homework #2, due Tuesday 27 Jan.

Thursday, Jan. 23     Planetarium (A-L): Visit #1 
                        Appearance of the sky (continued)
                        Motions of the stars, Sun, Moon,
                        and planets - daily, monthly and annual 
                        Orrery: geocentric vs. heliocentric
                      Classroom (M-Z): Motion and Gravity
                        Motion, Velocity and Acceleration
                        Force and mass
                        Newton's Law of Motion:         section 5.5 

                          Acceleration = Force / Mass

Tuesday,  Jan. 27     Planetarium (M-Z): Visit #1 
                      Classroom (A-L): Motion and Gravity

                      Homework #2, due NOW
                      Homework #3, due Tuesday 4 Feb.

Thursday, Jan. 29     Planetarium (A-L): Visit #2
                        Appearance of the sky (cont'd)  Chapter 4
                        Locating bright stars           sections 4.3, 4.6, 4.9,
                          and constellations 
                          using star maps               Appendix Ch. 4 
                          Coordinate systems
                      Classroom (M-Z): Motion & Gravity (cont'd)
                        Newton's Law of Gravity:        section 5.5

                         Force of Gravity = G M m / R2

                        Kepler's laws explained           
                        Energy                          section 6.5 (pg. 107)
            
Tuesday,  Feb.  4     Planetarium (M-Z): Visit #2
                      Appearance of the sky, cont'd
                      Classroom (A-L):
                      Motion and Gravity (continued)    

                      Homework #3, due NOW
                      Homework #4, due Tuesday 11 Feb.
 
Thursday, Feb.  6     The Planets                       (Optional reading)
                      movie: Travelers Through           (Chapters 9, 10)
                        the Solar System 

                      Quiz 1: (Warm-up for Exam 1)      Chapters 1-5 
                      Moon Project begins, due Thursday 27 February

Tuesday,  Feb. 11     Review                            Chapters 1-5
                      return and review quiz #1

                      Homework #4, due NOW

Thursday, Feb. 13     Mid Term Exam #1                  Chapters 1-5

1. Become familiar with the night sky: the bright stars and their constellations, the planets and the Moon.
2. Describe the stages in the development of a new scientific model. Identify these stages in the development of the different models of planetary motion.
3. Describe the apparent daily motions of the sun, moon, planets and stars relative to the horizon.
4. Describe the apparent and real motions of the sun, moon and planets with respect to the stars.
5. Use the celestial globe and celestial coordinates to locate stars and the Sun.
6. Tell what astronomical cycles set the time intervals of day, month and year.
7. Relate the appearance, location and motion of the moon and planets in the sky to their position and motion with respect to the sun and earth in a model of the solar system. Specifically, explain: daily motions and annual motions, eclipses and phases of the Moon.
8. Explain the cause of the seasons.
9. Describe the development of the Copernican, Keplerian and Newtonian models of the solar system.
10. Describe the observational evidence for and against the Ptolemaic, Copernican, Keplerian and Newtonian models of the solar system.
11. Explain retrograde motion in the Ptolemaic, Copernican and Keplerian models of the solar system.
12. Compare and contrast the Ptolemaic, Copernican, Keplerian, and Newtonian models of planetary motion in terms of geometry, physics, simplicity and prediction.
13. Evaluate the impact of the Ptolemaic, Copernican and Keplerian models of the solar system on our concept of the universe.
14. Identify the concepts: velocity, acceleration, force, and mass.
15. Describe the cause-effect relation between force and motion (Newton's law of motion). Illustrate it by simple concrete examples.
16. Describe the relation between matter (mass), distance and gravity (Newton's law of gravity).
17. Apply the theories of motion and gravity to explain astronomical and everyday phenomena.

1. "Explaining the seasons" has been split out separately from Number 7, and is now Number 8.
2. There is an addition to Number 9. to add the Newtonian model of the Solar System.
3. Delete the momentum and energy objectives within Number 13.
4. Delete the objective about conservation of energy (old Number 14).

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   Updated: 1997.02.10 (Monday) 14:45:57 EST
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   Visions of the Universe

   Beth Hufnagel's home page, email: bhufnage4@pilot.msu.edu
   Bob Stein's home page, email: steinr@pilot.msu.edu