Cuesta College, San Luis Obispo, CA
Students have a weekly online reading assignment (hosted by SurveyMonkey.com), where they answer questions based on reading their textbook, material covered in previous lectures, opinion questions, and/or asking (anonymous) questions or making (anonymous) comments. Full credit is given for completing the online reading assignment before next week's lecture, regardless if whether their answers are correct/incorrect. Selected results/questions/comments are addressed by the instructor at the start of the following lecture.
The following questions were asked on reading textbook chapters and previewing presentations on runaway planets (Venus and Mars), jovian planets (Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune), and the dwarf planets (and the International Astronomy Union classification scheme).
Selected/edited responses are given below.
Describe something you found interesting from the assigned textbook reading or presentation preview, and explain why this was personally interesting for you.
"Venus may have been similar to Earth, just with a different atmosphere, and being slightly closer to the sun."
"All of the histories of the planets. What astronomers think the planets were like billions of years ago. And to think that some planets might have had life forms, billions of years ago."
"That Hawaii has shield volcanoes like the ones on Mars."
"How sunlight affects the color of the clouds in the atmosphere of Jupiter and Saturn."
"Learning about planets' atmospheres because it helps me understand why we can have life on Earth and not on other terrestrial planets."
"That Venus and Mars were both considered runaway planets."
Describe something you found confusing from the assigned textbook reading or presentation preview, and explain why this was personally confusing for you.
"Why Pluto was deemed not a planet in 2006. I get the reasoning, but it just seems stupid."
"Atmosphere stuff: outgassing, retention, carbon cycles. All of it."
"There is no plate tectonics on Venus, how is that true?"
Identify the relative amounts of these characteristics for Venus, compared to Earth. (Only correct responses shown.)
Interior core heat, today: about the same as Earth [33%]
Geologic activity, today: less than Earth [59%]
Volcanic outgassing, up until now: about the same as Earth [41%]
Heat from the sun: more than Earth [81%]
Amount of atmosphere, today: more than Earth [63%]
Identify the relative amounts of these characteristics for Mars, compared to Earth. (Only correct responses shown.)
Interior core heat, today: less than Earth [85%]
Geologic activity, today: less than Earth [56%]
Volcanic outgassing, up until now: less than Earth [70%]
Heat from the sun: less than Earth [74%]
Amount of atmosphere, today: less than Earth [70%]
Which jovian planet has the coolest interior temperatures?
Jupiter (most massive). ** [2] Saturn (most prominent rings). ** [2] Uranus (least active weather patterns). ****** [6] Neptune (farthest from the sun). *********** [11] (Unsure/guessing/lost/help!) ****** [6]
I believe Pluto should be a planet.
Strongly disagree. ** [2] Disagree. ** [2] Neutral. ************* [13] Agree. ******* [7] Strongly Agree. *** [3]
Briefly explain your answer to the previous question (whether Pluto should be a planet).
"Based on the current definition Pluto is not a planet. However, just because we want to change the definition does not mean that Pluto should suffer."
"Since Pluto has moons, then to me it is a planet."
"I don't know enough about Pluto to make a clear decision."
"Pluto is cute and I think it is sad to declare it a planet then take it away."
"Live and let live. I have always known Pluto as a planet."
"I don't really care much. I kind of feel like, why change it now? But now that I've read a bit more, Pluto doesn't meet some of the criteria to be considered a planet so I understand them making the change."
"I grew up with Pluto being labeled a planet. But now it's not and I'm not bothered by it."
" If we let Pluto be a planet, we'll probably have to let other dwarf planets (Eris, Ceres, etc.) be planets as well."
Ask the instructor an anonymous question, or make a comment. Selected questions/comments may be discussed in class.
"I need more lecture time in class." (Well, sure, as long as you keep telling me specifically what you need more clarification on.)
"I would like it if we had more time to review for the quizzes. I studied a good amount of time and still did bad on the last quiz. Maybe I am studying the wrong things, or just not understanding. It would be helpful if we went over it more in class." (Let's have a discussion later about what you're doing (or not doing). Meanwhile, we'll have a practice quiz for review this week to prepare for the next upcoming quiz.)
"What are your thoughts on Pluto? Do you believe it should be considered a planet?" (Did we not already talk about this on the first day of semester?)
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