20110831

Found astronomy: planisphere ("starwheel") question types

110818-1250125
http://www.flickr.com/photos/waiferx/6090103403/
Originally uploaded by Waifer X

Three possible types of planisphere ("starwheel") questions:
  • Given date and time, what/where in sky?
  • Given sky, date, what time is it?
  • Given sky, time, what date is it?

  • Photo by Cuesta College Physical Sciences Division instructor Dr. Patrick M. Len.

    20110830

    Flashcard question: texting/social networking in class (fall semester 2011)

    Astronomy 210, Physics 205A, fall semester 2011
    Cuesta College, San Luis Obispo, CA

    Near the end of their first day of class think-pair-share activity using flashcards to answer syllabus quiz questions, students in introductory astronomy and college physics courses at Cuesta College were asked a subjective question regarding their attitudes towards texting and social networking phone use in class.

    Texting/social networking is acceptable behavior in class.
    (A) Strongly disagree.
    (B) Disagree.
    (C) Neutral.
    (D) Agree.
    (E) Strongly agree.

    Student responses
    Astronomy 210
    Section 70158
    (A) : 9 students
    (B) : 10 students
    (C) : 12 students
    (D) : 1 student
    (E) : 0 students

    Astronomy 210
    Section 70160
    (A) : 15 students
    (B) : 9 students
    (C) : 3 students
    (D) : 0 students
    (E) : 0 students

    Physics 205A
    Sections 70854, 70855
    (A) : 21 students
    (B) : 6 students
    (C) : 16 students
    (D) : 5 students
    (E) : 0 students

    Students were asked to explain their responses during the following whole-class discussion. Most responses were along the lines of texting/social networking being "distracting," "inappropriate," and "disrespectful," but some students remarked that emergency contact purposes (or similar circumstances) might be considered acceptable use.

    These responses and student opinions were then used to set the policy, via consensus, regarding texting and social networking during class time (inappropriate, to be used with discretion in extenuating circumstances).

    The one astronomy student who responded with "agree" for texting/social networking as acceptable behavior in class explained that it could be okay if in-class work was completed, while waiting for other students/groups to complete their work, and instructor was not lecturing. This was subsequently responded to by other students, saying they would frown upon any type of smartphone use in class.

    20110829

    Astronomy current events question: flowing water on Mars

    Astronomy 210L, fall semester 2011
    Cuesta College, San Luis Obispo, CA

    Students are assigned to read online articles on current astronomy events, and take a short current events quiz during the first 10 minutes of lab. (This motivates students to show up promptly to lab, as the time cut-off for the quiz is strictly enforced!)
    Guy Webster, Steve Cole, and Daniel Stolte, "NASA Spacecraft Data Suggest Water Flowing on Mars," August 4, 2011
    http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/news.cfm?release=2011-242
    __________ observed by NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter may be evidence of salt water flowing on Mars.
    (A) Shifting positions of boulders and other rock debris.
    (B) Wearing down of angular rock formations.
    (C) Light reflected by rocks exposed by meteor impacts.
    (D) The appearance and disappearance of dark rivulets.
    (E) Accumulation of ice in shadowed north and south pole craters.

    Correct answer: (D)

    Student responses
    Sections 70178, 70186, 70200
    (A) : 1 student
    (B) : 9 students
    (C) : 2 students
    (D) : 15 students
    (E) : 1 student

    20110828

    Astronomy current events question: Earth's two moons

    Astronomy 210L, fall semester 2011
    Cuesta College, San Luis Obispo, CA

    Students are assigned to read online articles on current astronomy events, and take a short current events quiz during the first 10 minutes of lab. (This motivates students to show up promptly to lab, as the time cut-off for the quiz is strictly enforced!)
    Richard Lovett, "Early Earth May Have Had Two Moons," August 3, 2011
    http://www.nature.com/news/2011/110803/full/news.2011.456.html
    __________ may be consistent with the recently proposed theory that Earth's moon was formed by the collision of two smaller moons.
    (A) Radioactivity levels of moon rocks.
    (B) Lack of geological activity on the moon.
    (C) Historical changes in Earth's tides.
    (D) Early formation of ocean life on Earth.
    (E) The moon's lopsided crust thickness and composition.

    Correct answer: (E)

    Student responses
    Sections 70178, 70186, 70200
    (A) : 2 students
    (B) : 0 students
    (C) : 5 students
    (D) : 4 students
    (E) : 48 students

    20110827

    Astronomy current events question: Saturn "rain"

    Astronomy 210L, fall semester 2011
    Cuesta College, San Luis Obispo, CA

    Students are assigned to read online articles on current astronomy events, and take a short current events quiz during the first 10 minutes of lab. (This motivates students to show up promptly to lab, as the time cut-off for the quiz is strictly enforced!)
    Denise Chow, "Aha! Icy Moon 'Rain' Creates the Water on Saturn," July 27, 2011
    http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/43912513/ns/technology_and_science-space/
    According to observations from the ESA Herschel Space Observatory, water raining down on Saturn may come from:
    (A) icy geysers on its moon, Enceladus.
    (B) comet fragments.
    (C) intense lightning storms in its atmosphere.
    (D) its greenhouse effect.
    (E) the disrupted formation of a small icy moon.

    Correct answer: (A)

    Student responses
    Sections 70178, 70186, 70200
    (A) : 23 students
    (B) : 2 students
    (C) : 2 students
    (D) : 3 students
    (E) : 1 student

    20110826

    Astronomy current events question: Earth's Trojan asteroid

    Astronomy 210L, fall semester 2011
    Cuesta College, San Luis Obispo, CA

    Students are assigned to read online articles on current astronomy events, and take a short current events quiz during the first 10 minutes of lab. (This motivates students to show up promptly to lab, as the time cut-off for the quiz is strictly enforced!)
    Alasdair Wilkins, "Earth’s First Known Trojan Asteroid Follows Our Orbit Like a Second Earth," July 27, 2011
    http://io9.com/5825269/earths-first-known-trojan-asteroid-follows-our-orbit-like-a-second-earth
    Asteroid 2010 TK7 was recently discovered to be a Trojan asteroid of Earth, meaning that it:
    (A) is on a future collision path with Earth.
    (B) protects Earth from smaller asteroids.
    (C) was first observed in Ancient Greek times.
    (D) moves along with Earth around the sun.
    (E) may be a second Earth fragment from the opposite side of the sun.

    Correct answer: (D)

    Student responses
    Sections 70178, 70186, 70200
    (A) : 8 students
    (B) : 4 students
    (C) : 1 student
    (D) : 41 students
    (E) : 6 students

    20110823

    Overheard: stolen book on reserve

    Physics 205A, fall semester 2011
    Cuesta College, San Luis Obispo, CA

    (Overheard at the start of the second day of class in college physics, going over student comments and questions submitted online.)

    Instructor: (Reading student question.) "'Is there a copy of the required text in the SLO Campus library?'"

    (Beat.)

    Instructor: "I did visit the library earlier today, and a librarian told me that there used to be two books on reserve..."

    Student: "So what happened?"

    Instructor: "Now there's only one book on reserve. Somebody stole the other book! So you know that kind of person who would steal a book on reserve from the library? Don't...be...that...person..."

    20110822

    Overheard: first-day choral response

    Astronomy 210, fall semester 2011
    Cuesta College, San Luis Obispo, CA

    (Overheard at the very start of the first day of class in introductory astronomy, just before administering the Science Motivation Questionnaire.)

    Instructor: "Let's see how sharp you guys are! Let's have you guys fill in the..."

    Students: (Beat.) "...blanks?"

    Instructor: "Hi there! Welcome to..."

    Students: "...astronomy?"

    Instructor: "And you're going to love this class, because astronomy is..."

    Students: "...Awesome? Interesting?"

    Instructor: "Yes! In fact, astronomy is so..."

    Students: "...awesome..."

    Instructor: (Holding up a stack of surveys.) "...the first thing you're going to do for this class is take a..."

    Students: "...test."

    20110821

    Astronomy in-class activity: first-day student expectations, questions

    Astronomy 210 In-class activity 1, fall semester 2011
    Cuesta College, San Luis Obispo, CA

    110820-interestingwordle
    http://www.flickr.com/photos/waiferx/6062555853/
    Originally uploaded by Waifer X

    Wordle.net tag cloud for potentially interesting astronomy topics, generated by students on the first day of class (http://www.wordle.net/show/wrdl/3935554/Untitled).


    110820-confusingwordle
    http://www.flickr.com/photos/waiferx/6062556055/
    Originally uploaded by Waifer X

    Wordle.net tag cloud for potentially confusing astronomy topics, generated by students on the first day of class (http://www.wordle.net/show/wrdl/3935563/Untitled).


    On the first day of class, students find their assigned groups of three to four students, and work cooperatively on an in-class activity worksheet to discuss concepts that will potentially be interesting or confusing to them later in the semester. Students are also encouraged to write down a comment or a question for the instructor to go over during the whole-class discussion, after the in-class activity worksheets are turned in.

    [Responses have been edited to consolidate common related subjects.]

    Discuss in your group astronomy-related concepts you expect to be interesting or confusing later in this course. Use one word or short phrases (e.g., "Pluto," "black holes," "beginning of time") for each concept.

    List at least three astronomy-related concepts you expect to be interesting.

    Student responses
    Sections 70158, 70160
    blackholes, quasars, bigbang
    blackholes, constellations, beginningoftime
    planets, life, blackholes, bigbang
    Pluto, blackholes, stars
    blackholes, wormholes, MilkyWay
    astrology, stars, life
    blackholes, planet, atmospheres, magneticfields
    bigbang, moon, tides, moonphases, blackholes
    beginningoftime, blackholes, laboratory, constellations, zodiac
    blackholes, starformation, comets
    seasons, blackholes, moonphases
    blackholes, constellations, planets
    lightyears, darkmatter, blackholes
    constellations, Pluto, beyondsolarsystem
    blackholes, ETlife, gravity
    galaxies, tidallocking
    planets, astrology, satellites
    constellations, LittleDipper, BigDipper, planets, life, colonizingMars
    moonphases, tides, Pluto
    shootingstars, galaxies, blackholes, astrology
    constellations, relativity
    constellations, blackholes, ETlife
    lightspeedtravel, universe, wormholes
    blackholes, quasars, darkmatter

    List at least three astronomy-related concepts you expect to be confusing.

    Student responses
    Sections 70158, 70160
    spacetime blackholes quasars
    stars, spacetime, constellations
    blackholes, universe, gravity
    measurements, speedoflight, planets
    blackholes speedoflight, unseenstars
    planets, elements, constellations, speedoflight
    Pluto, stars, masses, laboratory
    bigbang, atmospheres, gravity
    Pluto, lightyears, starwheels
    universe
    motion, distances, discovery
    rotation, lightyears, elements, sun, spacetravel
    darkmatter, bigbang, galaxies
    moonphases, lightyears, seasons
    darkmatter, moonphases, seasons
    Moonleaving? moonriselocations, stars
    distances, math, measurements
    blackholes, physics, gravity
    seasons, UVexposure, constellations
    physics, chemistry, lightyears, spacetime
    wormholes, lightspeed
    sunspots, math, light
    bigbang, orbits, trajectories, telescopes, data
    constellations, starformation, energy, distances

    Each week after class you will receive credit for asking a question, or making a comment that the instructor might respond to at the start of the following class (while your identity is kept anonymous). Ask at least one question, or make a comment that you would like the instructor to respond to at the end of this in-class activity.

    Student responses
    Sections 70158, 70160
    "How in depth are we going to study intergalactic space?"

    "Where did 'P-dog' come from?"

    "How many planets are thought to have possible water and capable of sustaining life?"

    "Is Pluto a planet?"

    "How did you come up with the name 'P-dog?'"

    "If there will be any math?"

    "How does astronomy help us in everyday life?"

    "What do you, as an astronomy teacher, find interesting about astronomy?"

    "Why are we represented by pandas, bunnies, etc.?"

    "Is it possible to move faster than the speed of light? Is there direction in space?"

    "Why do we have seasons?"

    "Is the course of astronomy focused mostly on stars?"

    "Favorite topic to teach?"

    "What is the most likely devastating death to Earth?"

    "What's your most embarrassing moment whilst teaching class?"

    "Home come Pluto is no longer a planet?"

    "How much longer till there's a hotel on the moon?"

    "What airline is going to start doing space trips and how much would it cost to go?"

    "What is your favorite planet and why?"

    "Will your son's name be, or is, 'Lil' P-dog?'"

    "What was so traumatic about high school?"

    "How much of space have we explored, via satellites?"

    "Where do we have rovers/probes/spacecraft/satellites currently headed?"
    Previous posts:

    20110820

    Astronomy in-class activity: astronomy in the marketplace tags

    Astronomy 210 In-class activity 1, fall semester 2011
    Cuesta College, San Luis Obispo, CA

    110820-carwordle
    http://www.flickr.com/photos/waiferx/6061545802/
    Originally uploaded by Waifer X

    Wordle.net tag cloud for astronomy-related car brand names, generated by responses from Astronomy 210 students at Cuesta College, San Luis Obispo, CA (http://www.wordle.net/show/wrdl/3934778/Untitled).


    110820-foodwordle
    http://www.flickr.com/photos/waiferx/6061545844/
    Originally uploaded by Waifer X

    Wordle.net tag cloud for astronomy-related food brand names available in a supermarket, generated by responses from Astronomy 210 students at Cuesta College, San Luis Obispo, CA (http://www.wordle.net/show/wrdl/3934787/Untitled).



    110820-nonfoodwordle
    http://www.flickr.com/photos/waiferx/6060994165/
    Originally uploaded by Waifer X

    Wordle.net tag cloud for astronomy-related non-food brand names available in a supermarket, generated by responses from Astronomy 210 students at Cuesta College, San Luis Obispo, CA (http://www.wordle.net/show/wrdl/3934790/Untitled).


    Students find their assigned groups of three to four students, and work cooperatively on an in-class activity worksheet to discuss car brand names, and food and non-food brand names found in supermarkets (adapted from D. Schatz, "Why Should We Care About Exploding Stars?" Universe in the Classroom, no. 8, Spring 1987 (http://www.astrosociety.org/education/publications/tnl/08/stars2.html).

    There are many astronomy-related brand names. Consider car brand names (old and new); and brand names for food and non-food items that are typically found in the supermarket. Do not consider titles of TV shows, movies, or books.

    List at least three astronomy-related car brand names.

    Student responses
    Sections 70158, 70160
    Saturn, Aura, Mercury, Eclipse, Infiniti
    Saturn, Mercury, Nova
    Saturn, Mercury, Eclipse
    Saturn, Taurus, Mercury
    Saturn, Mercury, Eclipse
    Saturn, Mercury, Nova, Sunfire
    Mercury, Saturn, Eclipse
    Saturn, Mercury, Moonrover
    Nova, Saturn, Taurus
    Saturn, Mercury, Taurus
    Saturn, Equinox, AstroVan, Nova, Solaris
    Mercury, Saturn, Galaxy
    Saturn, Mercury, Aurora
    Polaris, Saturn, Mercury
    Galaxy, Saturn, Mercury
    Mercury, Olympia, Jetta
    Mercury, Saturn, CivicdelSol
    Mercury, Nova, Saturn
    Infiniti, Nova, Saturn
    Nova, Mercury, Saturn, Eclipse, AstroVan, Taurus
    Mercury, Saturn, Taurus, Infiniti
    Saturn, Mercury, Voyager
    Nova, Vespa, Saturn
    Saturn, Mercury

    List at least three astronomy-related food brand names typically found in the supermarket.

    Student responses
    Sections 70158, 70160
    MoonPie, SunChips, MarsBars, LunaBar, LuckyCharms, SunnyD, MilkyWay, Sunkist, Starburst
    MilkyWay, Starburst, SunnyD
    MarsBars, MilkyWay, SunChips
    SunnyD, Sundropsoda, Starburst, MilkyWay, MarsBars
    Starburst, MarsBars, MilkyWay
    MilkyWay, MoonPies, MarsBars, SunnyD, Starburst
    LunaBars, MarsBars, MilkyWay
    Sunkist, BlueMoon, starshapedfruitsnacks, MilkyWay, MarsBars, LunaBar, Sunshinecrackers, Starburst
    MilkyWay, MarsBars, LuckyCharms
    MoonPies, MilkyWay, Starburst
    MarsBars, Orbit, LuckyCharms, MilkyWay
    MarsBars, Sunkist, LunaBar, Starburst, MilkyWay, CrystalGeyser
    MilkyWay, MarsBars
    MilkyWay, MarsBars, Starburst
    MilkyWay, MarsBars, OvertheMoonchocolatemilk
    MilkyWay, Starburst, LuckyCharms
    Starkist, starfruit, MilkyWay
    MarsBars, MilkyWay, Starburst
    MilkyWay, MarsBars, BigStickRockets
    MarsBars, MilkyWay, SunnyD, SunDrop, Sunkist, Starburst
    MilkyWay, MarsBars, Starburst
    MarsBars, MilkyWay
    Starburst, MilkyWay, MarsBars
    MilkyWay, MarsBars

    List at least three astronomy-related non-food brand names typically found in the supermarket.

    Student responses
    Sections 70158, 70160
    SkyyVodka, Orbit, Starmagazine, BlueMoon, SpaceBag
    Comet, Tide, Dawn
    PhoenixSuns, sunflowers, Comet
    Comet, Starshinewindowcleaner, Sunsoap
    BlueMoon, Cosmomagazine
    Moonshine, BlueMoon
    Comet, BlueMoon, Sunbeamcoffeemaker, Sunsoap
    BlueMoon, Comet, Eclipse
    Comet, Venusrazors, QuarkExpress
    Venusrazors, Comet
    Comet, Venusrazors
    Rockstar, Venusrazors, Comet
    Sunkist, Venusrazors, Comet, AirWalks
    Comet, Tide, Diamonddogfood
    Comet, Tide, Venusshavinggel
    Comet, Apollowinery
    Comet, Venusrazors
    Comet
    Venusrazors, SamsungGalaxy, Comet

    Previous posts:

    20110819

    FCI pre-test comparison: Cuesta College versus UC-Davis (fall semester 2011)

    Students at both Cuesta College (San Luis Obispo, CA) and the University of California at Davis were administered the 30-question Force Concept Inventory (Doug Hestenes, et al.) during the first week of instruction.

    Cuesta College
    Physics 205A
    Fall semester 2011    
    UC-Davis
    Physics 7B
    Summer session II 2002
    N57 students*76 students*
    low 2 2
    mean     9.0 +/- 5.4 9.1 +/- 4.3
    high2927

    *Excludes students with negative informed consent forms (*.pdf)

    Student's t-test of the null hypothesis results in p = 0.67 (t = 0.427, sdev = 4.57, degrees of freedom = 131), thus there is no significant difference between Cuesta College and UC-Davis FCI pre-test scores.

    Later this semester (fall 2011), a comparison will be made between Cuesta College and UC-Davis FCI post-tests, along with their pre- to post-test gains.

    D. Hestenes, M. Wells, and G. Swackhamer, Arizona State University, "Force Concept Inventory," Phys. Teach. 30, 141-158 (1992).
    Development of the FCI, a 30-question survey of basic Newtonian mechanics concepts.

    Previous FCI results:

    20110810

    Presentation: vector operations

    "Physics majors, architects, engineers, lend me your ears, I have come not to introduce vectors..."

    "...but to combine them."

    Addition and subtraction operations can be done with any number of vectors, but we'll demonstrate on just two vectors at a time, and this discussion can be extended to any number of consecutive operations for larger numbers of vectors.

    First we'll discuss the translation property, which allows vectors to be added using a tail-to-tip method. We'll later see that like scalars (numbers), vectors add commutatively.

    Recall that a vector is defined by its magnitude (length, a positive-definite quantity) and direction (by convention measured counterclockwise from the +x axis). Translating a vector (that is, moving it around while maintaining its magnitude and direction) in no way changes it. Since in physics, "Everything not forbidden is compulsory" (Murray Gell-Man, citing T.H. White, The Once and Future King, p. 121, Ace, 1996), then translate we must.

    Translating vectors such that the tail of a consecutive vector is attached to the tip of the previous vector suggests a path, starting from the first vector through the second vector. The resulting equivalent "shortcut" vector is then the resultant of adding these two vectors.

    Let's instead translate these vectors such that their order is switched. As before, the resulting equivalent "shortcut" vector is the resultant of adding these two vectors.

    Notice that the resultants of adding these two vectors does not depend on the order. This means that like scalars, the order of addition does not matter, and thus vector addition is commutative.

    Let's now do vector subtraction, which builds on our discussion of vector addition.

    The twist here is that we can interpret subtraction of a vector as the addition of a negative vector, which results in switching its direction (while keeping the same magnitude).

    Now that the subtracted vector is turned around, then after translation, vector subtraction is merely the tail-to-tip vector addition of the first vector to the reversed (subtracted) vector.

    Let's see if the order of subtraction is important. We'll reverse the direction of the other vector this time.

    Now that the subtracted vector is turned around, then after translation, vector subtraction is still the tail-to-tip vector addition of the first vector to the reversed (subtracted) vector.

    Notice that the resultants of subtracting these two vectors does depend on the order. This means that like scalars, the order of subtraction does matter, and thus vector subtraction is non-commutative.

    Flashback: trigonometry! Boring, yes, but important.

    Briefly, given the magnitude and direction of a vector, the cosine and sine trigonometric functions allow the x- and y- components of a vector to be calculated.

    Conversely, given the x- and y- components of a vector, the Pythagorean theorem and the inverse tangent trigonometric function allow the magnitude and direction of a vector to be calculated.

    Note that there is a fair amount of care to be taken in determining the right ± signs and angles here, as not all vectors are conveniently going to be located in the first quadrant. Caveat geometer.

    But I repeat myself.

    20110808

    Astronomy in-class activity: planet classification schemes

    Astronomy 210 In-class activity 24 v.11.05.04 (revised), spring semester 2011
    Cuesta College, San Luis Obispo, CA

    Students find their assigned groups of three to four students, and work cooperatively on an in-class activity worksheet to discuss the history of planetary classification schemes, and implement the current International Astronomical Union classification scheme to categorize different solar system bodies.



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