Astronomy current events question: icy extremophiles

Astronomy 210L, Fall Semester 2010
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!)

Astronomy.com editors, "Looking for the Coolest Forms of Life on Earth," August 9, 2010
http://www.astronomy.com/asy/default.aspx?c=a&id=10112

United Kingdom researchers recently investigated Earth life living __________, which may be similar to conditions for life elsewhere in the solar system.
(A) on top of glaciers.
(B) in thermal geysers.
(C) on oil slicks.
(D) under just-cooled lava flows.
(E) in deep underwater caves.

Correct answer: (A)

Student responses
Sections 70178, 70186, 70200
(A) : 49 students
(B) : 9 students
(C) : 0 students
(D) : 4 students
(E) : 8 students

Astronomy current events question: Googling a meteor crater

Astronomy 210L, Fall Semester 2010
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!)

Kelly Beatty, "New Trove of Iron Meteorites," July 23, 2010
http://www.skyandtelescope.com/news/99103414.html

How did Italian and Egyptian researchers discover a meteor impact crater in the East Uweinat desert of Egypt?
(A) From coordinates given in tomb hieroglyphs.
(B) Revealed after a lake completely evaporated.
(C) Accidentally driving into it while lost in the desert.
(D) Led to it by a stray goat.
(E) Using Google mapping software.

Correct answer: (E)

Student responses
Sections 70178, 70186, 70200
(A) : 2 students
(B) : 21 students
(C) : 6 students
(D) : 2 students
(E) : 40 students

Astronomy current events question: Mars Exploration Rover Spirit incommunicado

Astronomy 210L, Fall Semester 2010
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, "NASA's Hibernating Mars Rover May Not Call Home," July 30, 2010
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/mer/news/mer20100730.html

Why might the Mars Exploration Rover Spirit no longer be able to contact NASA mission controllers?
(A) A software problem.
(B) Not enough solar power.
(C) A massive dust storm.
(D) Covered with dry ice snow.
(E) A massive solar flare.

Correct answer: (B)

Student responses
Sections 70178, 70186, 70200
(A) : 7 students
(B) : 39 students
(C) : 13 students
(D) : 9 students
(E) : 5 students

Astronomy in-class activity: astronomy in the marketplace tags

Astronomy 210 In-class activity 1, Fall Semester 2010
Cuesta College, San Luis Obispo, CA

100819-carwordle
http://www.flickr.com/photos/waiferx/4908645999/
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/2311476/Untitled).



100819-foodwordle
http://www.flickr.com/photos/waiferx/4908668973/
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/2311510/Untitled).


100819-nonfoodwordle
http://www.flickr.com/photos/waiferx/4908703091/
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/2311571/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

Mercury, Saturn, Nova
Saturn, Mercury, Solstice
Mercury, Saturn, Eclipse
Astro, Mercury, Saturn
Saturn, Mercury, Satellite, Comet, Vega, Astro
Saturn, Mercury, Corvette, Galaxy, Nova, Comet
Mercury, Saturn, Taurus
Saturn, Mercury
Mercury, Saturn, Infiniti
Saturn, Mercury, Nova, Galaxy
Mercury, Saturn, Nova, Stratus, Eclipse, Comet
Mercury, Saturn, Satellite, CivicdelSol
Saturn, Mercury, Eclipse
Saturn, Mercury, Eclipse
Saturn, Mercury, Eclipse, Equinox, Polaris
Eclipse, Saturn, Mercury, Nova
Mercury, Comet, AstroVan, Galaxy
Mercury, Saturn, Taurus
Saturn, Mercury, Nova
Saturn, Mercury, Subaru
Nova, Fusion, Saturn, AstroVan
Saturn, Mercury, Nova, Eclipse
Mercury, Saturn, Eclipse
Saturn, Mercury, Eclipse
Saturn, Mercury, Galaxy
Saturn, Nova, Eclipse
Subaru, Mercury, Saturn
Saturn, Mercury, Eclipse
Solara, Mercuryinsurance, Saturn, Eclipse

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

Student responses
Sections 70158, 70160

MilkyWay, MoonPie, MarsBars
LunaBars, Sunkist, SunnyDelight, BlueMoon, SunChips, Orbit
MilkyWay, MarsBars, Starburst, MoonPie
BlueMoon, DarkStarCellars, MilkyWay
MilkyWay, MarsBars, SunnyDelight, MoonPie, Starburst, Astroscereal
Marsbrandcandy, Saturnpeaches, AstroPops
SunnyDelight, Orionchocolate, MilkyWay
MilkyWay, Orbit
Orbit, MilkyWay, Starburst
MoonPie, MarsBars, MilkyWay
AstroFlakes, Starburst, MoonPies
MilkyWay, Starburst, MoonPies
BlueMoon, SunnyDelight, MarsBars, StarBurst
BlueMoon, Starburst, Sunshine
MilkyWay, Eclipse, StellaArtois, BlueMoon
MilkyWay, Starburst, Orbit
Chicken&Stars, Starburst, MilkyWay, BlueMoon, Orbit
Sunkist, CapriSun, MilkyWay, Orbit, Eclipse, BlueMoon, MarsBars
BlueMoon, LunaBars, MilkyWay
Starburst, MarsBars, Nova, LunaBars
MilkyWay, MarsBars, Sunkist, Starburst, BlueMoon
MilkyWay, Corona, Mars
BlueMoon, Starkist, Astropops
MarsBars, SunChips, SunKissedraisins, SunnyDelight
MarsBars, MoonPies, MilkyWay, SunChips
RockStar, MilkyWay, MoonPies
SunChips, MarsBars, BlueMoon
Sunkist, MarsBars, Starburst
SunChips, Sunkist, CarlsJrChickenStars

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

Student responses
Sections 70158, 70160

Comet, Venusrazors, Sundetergent
Moonsand, Venusrazors
Comet, Orbit, FiveStarnotebooks
Comet, P-dogstie, SamsungGalaxy
Comet, BigBangfireworks, Venusrazors, Moonshine
Comet, Tide, Skyyvodka
Comet, Orbitgum, Eclipsegum
Comet, Venusrazors
Comet, SegaSaturn, Venusrazors
Cosmo, Comet
Comet, Venusrazors
Venusrazors, Cosmo, Comet
Comet, Dawn, Orbitgum
Orbitgum, Dawn, Comet
Zenith, Comet, Orbit, UVVodka, Venusrazors
BlueMoon, Comet, Sundetergent
Comet, Tide, Starmagazine
Comet, Venurazors
Venus, Comet, StarBrite
Comet, Dawn, Venusrazors
Orbit, Starmagazine
Dawn, Tide, Comet, Venusrazors
Sundetergent, Venusrazors, Cosmo
Eclipse, BlueMoon, Venusrazors
Comet, Moonboots, BlueMoon
Eclipse, Starmagazine, Venusrazors
Venusrazors
Comet, Sundetergent
Osiris, AlienWorkshop

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• Astronomy in-class activity: astronomy in the marketplace tags (Cuesta College, Spring Semester 2010).

Found physics: University of Colorado, Boulder campus

Found physics items at the Astronomy Society of the Pacific Cosmos in the Classroom National Symposium on Teaching Astronomy for Non-Science Majors, August 2-4, 2010, University Memorial Center (UMC) Ballroom, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO.

20100803686
http://www.flickr.com/photos/waiferx/4882713512/
Originally uploaded by Waifer X

The Colorado Creed, formulated in 2004.


20100803689
http://www.flickr.com/photos/waiferx/4882107619/
Originally uploaded by Waifer X

Staircases on east side of Old Main.


20100803690
http://www.flickr.com/photos/waiferx/4882716282/
Originally uploaded by Waifer X

Southeast corner of Old Main.


20100803691
http://www.flickr.com/photos/waiferx/4882718210/
Originally uploaded by Waifer X

Sculpture in front of Guggenhiem Geography.


20100803696
http://www.flickr.com/photos/waiferx/4882114563/
Originally uploaded by Waifer X

Telescope port in scale model of the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy modified Boeing 747 aircraft.


20100804711
http://www.flickr.com/photos/waiferx/4882115671/
Originally uploaded by Waifer X

Norlin Library.

"Who knows only his generation remains always a child."
--George Norlin

Compare with:

"Nescire autem quid ante quam natus sis acciderit, id est semper esse puerum (To be ignorant of what occurred before you were born is to remain always a child)."
--Marcus Tullius Cicero, De Oratore

"Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it."
--George Santayana

20100804714
http://www.flickr.com/photos/waiferx/4882120423/
Originally uploaded by Waifer X

Sculpture northeast of Norlin Library.