Astronomy current events question: habitable zone exoplanet TOI 700 d

Astronomy 210L, spring semester 2020
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!)

Jeanette Kazmierczak, "NASA Planet Hunter Finds its First Earth-Size Habitable-Zone World" (January 6, 2020)
nasa.gov/feature/goddard/2020/nasa-planet-hunter-finds-its-1st-earth-size-habitable-zone-world

NASA's Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) discovered an Earth-size exoplanet in a star's habitable zone, where this exoplanet may have _________ on its surface: (A) liquid water. (B) microbial mats. (C) active volcanoes. (D) phosphate-rich soils. (E) carbon-rich deposits.

Correct answer: (A)

Student responses
Sections 30679, 30680
(A) : 31 students
(B) : 4 students
(C) : 2 students
(D) : 4 students
(E) : 2 students

Astronomy current events question: Venus' active volcanoes?

Astronomy 210L, spring semester 2020
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!)

News release, "Scientists Find Evidence that Venus May Have Active Volcanoes" (January 3, 2020)
lpi.usra.edu/features/010320/venus/

Venus may currently have active volcanoes, based on laboratory experiments of how __________ may have affected minerals over time.
(A) solar storms.
(B) ancient oceans.
(C) meteor impacts.
(D) strong magnetic fields.
(E) atmospheric conditions.

Correct answer: (E)

Student responses
Sections 30679, 30680
(A) : 2 students
(B) : 1 student
(C) : 3 students
(D) : 7 students
(E) : 27 students

Astronomy current events question: exoplanet evaporating around white dwarf WDJ0914+1914

Astronomy 210L, spring semester 2020
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!)

News release, "First Giant Planet around White Dwarf Found" (December 4, 2019)
eso.org/public/news/eso1919/

The white dwarf WDJ0914+1914 is orbited by an evaporating __________, based on analyzing the gases in its surrounding disk. (A) comet belt.
(B) ring system.
(C) antimatter cloud.
(D) Hawking black hole.
(E) Neptune-like exoplanet.

Correct answer: (E)

Student responses
Sections 30679, 30680
(A) : 3 students
(B) : 3 students
(C) : 10 students
(D) : 4 students
(E) : 21 students

Online reading assignment: motions and cycles, advice from previous students (SLO campus)

Astronomy 210, spring semester 2020
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 Earth's rotation/precession/revolution/tilt, the moon's motions and cycles, along with advice from students from the previous semester.

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.

"The animated GIFs in the presentation were helpful and interesting the ones used for rotation helped with my understanding."

"That the stars are actually present in the daytime, and that the reason for that is the atmosphere's scattering of sunlight overpowers our naked eye to only seeing the sky as clear and blue."

"The length of the precession really shows just how insignificant we are even though our perception of time makes us seem all important with how we measure history."

"The changing of our north star. I knew that it wouldn't be Polaris forever but I didn't know the timeframe. At what point do we not have a 'north star?'"

"The fact that one day there won't be a 'north star' and that the 'north star' has been and will be something other than Polaris is so weird!"

"I never knew what people meant when they would talk about their 'sun-sign' until going through the presentation slides and reading about it so that interested me a lot and I can't wait to learn more about it. (Side note: I would have done the reading in the book, but it has not arrived in the mail, therefore I haven't been able to.)"

"The reason that each zodiac sign is assigned to the stretch of time that it is. I didn't realize that it had to do with the sun being in between Earth and the constellation during that period of time."

"I did not know that seasons are caused by changes in the amount of solar energy that Earth's hemispheres receive at different times of the year."

"Even through all the phases of the moon there is still a side of the moon that we don't see because it rotates to be make us see the same side."

"That the moon orbits around Earth in about a month. I honestly never thought it would take that long for it to orbit around Earth."

"Moon cycles. This was personally interesting to me, because I never realized how many different phases there were. I didn't know about the waxing and waning phases until this class. The waxing phase gets more full over time, while the waning phase gets less full overtime. Moon cycles in general are just very interesting to me, and I look forward to learning more about them."

Describe something you found confusing from the assigned textbook reading or presentation preview, and explain why this was personally confusing for you.

"I find the starwheel confusing."

"I'm wondering if there is a way to easily remember the different terms given! There are a lot of 'r's [rotation, revolution, precession] and I fear mixing them up."

"I found the vocabulary confusing because of the sheer amount of it and because of the fact that the later concepts regularly made reference to the vocabulary that was just introduced, making me have to go back and reread a lot."

"'Sun-sign' astrology was a little confusing for me at first. Is this the same thing as the zodiac signs?"

"Seasons. I don't know why I haven't thought about what causes seasons or the science behind them since I first learned an overview in elementary school. It seems like a simple concept but paired with the rotation of the planet, it starts to get confusing with how it all works."

"I have a hard time identifying the different moon phases. When looking at pictures, I still have a hard time telling whether the phase is waxing or waning and a crescent or gibbous moon."

"I found it a little confused how to tell the difference between a new moon and a full moon, because I quite honestly don't remember what a new moon even is! Figuring between the waning and waxing will need some practice as well, and so on."

The constellation Virgo is just above the east horizon, as seen by an observer at 11 PM in San Luis Obispo, CA. What date is this? (Ignore daylight saving time.)

February 20.	******************* [19]
April 25.	[0]
July 4.	* [1]
August 20.	** [2]
(Unsure/guessing/lost/help!)	**************** [16]

Match these cycles with their approximate duration.
(Only correct responses shown.)

Earth's rotation: 24 hours [89%]
Earth's revolution: one year [89%]
Earth's precession: 26,000 years [100%]
The moon's revolution: one month [78%]

I believe astrology is able to make accurate predictions about my future. (This is just an opinion question, there are no right answers.)

Strongly disagree.	***** [5]
Disagree.	*********** [11]
Neutral.	***************** [17]
Agree.	**** [4]
Strongly agree.	* [1]

Briefly explain your answer regarding your belief/disbelief in astrology. (This is just an opinion question, there are no right answers.)

"I somewhat agree because with my sign, Aquarius, my personality does not match up with the description of what an Aquarius is."

"Just because I was told we come from the stars."

"I don't think that astrology can predict how we will feel on a certain day or what we will experience exactly, but I feel like our zodiac signs do match our personalities and the kind of people we are. I think because of that it wouldn't be to hard to guess what that group of people in a certain month may be feeling or going through as a whole but I don't think astrology can tell the future, I just think it can hit a vague sense of what people could be going through based off a wide range of people born in the same month."

"I dont believe astrology is capable of influencing our decisions or events that happen to us. It is hard to believe that a certain position of a star in the sky can directly influence ones life, but I have seen people with similar tendencies share zodiac signs. Whether that is due to generalized traits or the influence of space on humans, I am not sure."

"I believe astrology has a good portion of science to it and I feel that beliefs discerned from the stars is a matter of opinion. Such as saying personality traits of each zodiac are very vague."

"I do belief in astrology because it speaks to me."

"This has nothing to do with what happens on Earth there is way too many variables that happened throughout our day that astrology cant predict the future."

"I answered neutral because some of the things it says is true and other times it's totally incorrect."

"I think astrology can do a lot of things, but I don't think it is capable of making accurate predictions about my future. I don't understand how astrology can tell you what your personality is, what your job should be, or what kind of person you should be friends with. I think astrology is a relic from a time when we understood much less about the world around us."

"Pseudoscience was explained in the reading and it was said that astrology made be the oldest pseudoscience. I found the astrology predictions interesting, but I don't believe that some how the stars can predict how my week or life is going to go based on when I was born."

"I don't believe in astrology but I do find it interesting that people believe that the way the stars are aligned determine your future and personality but for me I would need a little more proof that this is actually true."

"I do not agree with this because it is a pseudoscience, and it can't be proven that the positions of the sun, moon, stars and planets have an affect on the outcomes of the future of any of our lives. I believe that when reading predictions in astrology, we give meaning to the things we relate to, and they are often very general to be able to reach a larger target audience. We are the ones that put the power and meaning into the things astrology tells us."

"I'm not sure what this means. I believe that astrology is a helpful tool and will effect our future as a whole but I don't think if will predict my future. i am not too sure yet as well."

"I do not believe that the stars in the sky when I was born has any effect on my personality or fate an more than what was on the TV at the time would."

"I love astrology but I don't think life decisions should be based on it. I think because of the slight fluctuations in the earth's gravitational pull marked by the constellations, it holds some weight. That is probably just my crazy talking though. I truly believe that who you are, your character traits, your likes/dislikes, the people you choose to like, the people you choose to dislike, etc, can all be based on astrology. I believe it can predict your future."

"With absolutely no science behind it and based solely on my own experiences, I do think astrology is interesting and relevant to learning more about yourself. I don't think that horoscopes hold much weight as most of them are just made up for magazines, etc. However, I deeply identify with my zodiac sign and feel that we are connected to the stars. How, exactly, I don't know and doubt I'll ever know for sure."

"I just don't see the connection between space and people. I think its foolish to believe whatever our sign in telling us because in reality we won't know what is happening and it can't in any way predict the future."

"Well, I read the article saying astrology was 'pseudoscience,' so I know now it's not factual, but it's kind of fun, so I'm a little bummed."

"I believe in it and study it a lot. It's interesting and fun for me and I don't think it's 100% accurate, but I enjoy it. To me it's shown me a lot of insight."

"I believe that astrology holds the same merit as religion does. I do believe that people with the same sign tend to have certain similarities, but I don't think astrology determines what kind of person you are or will be."

"My answer is neutral because I really am not sure about any of it, I have no knowledge on the subject, so I don't have an opinion on it really. If I had to say, I would believe it is involved with our futures."

"I don't think that my future is set in stone, nor is it directly related to the concepts/system of zodiacs if that makes any sense."

"I have always thought that it was absurd to group everybody who was born in similar months with the same personality types, and predictions of the future. The aspects that I do enjoy are ancient myths and stories that surround these star formations."

"I believe that astrology can make correct assumptions, but I don't believe that you are the way you are simply because of the day you were born. People don't have any one behavior, so its easy for astrologists to throw out things and wait for things to stick."

"Like all girls I used to look to astrology and believe it. I dont really know how I feel about it know, I think it's a bit vague."

"I think there are some basic predictors but at the same time, I don't think it completely navigates your life or your actions/decisions. I don't know about making predictions about your future but I think certain signs share certain distinct characteristics."

"I am pretty convinced that most information you read about your astrological sign that seems 'accurate' is cherry-picked. In a recent study for instance, the researcher told the participants he could supposedly guess their astrological signs. He gave each person a handout (corresponding with their sign) that included a personality description. Everyone was in awe about how personal and accurate their astrology results were. However, the researcher disclosed that he had handed everyone the same piece of paper. This comes to show how our brains selectively find information that confirms our beliefs, even if we are unaware. Thus when reading about your astrological sign, it is difficult to take an objective approach and thoughtfully assess whether the information is truly accurate or inaccurate."

"I believe the more that we advance in astrology the better off we will be for the future when we start sending mass amounts of people up into space."

"Well now we're getting into philosophy, but I disagree for a few reasons, chief among them is that I don't believe our future is predetermined. So with that belief and the belief that your future is constantly changing with the choices you make, there cannot, in my mind, be a way to 'predict' it."

"A lot of the predictions regarding astrology are very generic and have either been way off or spot on."

"I have never seen scientific proof about the accuracy of astrology."

"I don't believe in astrology enough to actually base any decisions on it. But it is a fun thing to think about when it comes to personality traits. It can be surprisingly accurate at times. The telling the future through horoscopes part I don't really pay attention to."

"I believe that many of the comments relating to signs can be seen in people when you really look into their lives, but I do not believe that astrology can make predictions about the future."

"I don't believe that astrology is a good predictor of the future. I think that astrology readings tend to seem 'surprisingly accurate' because they involve information that is typically accurate for a lot of different types of people, and tend to be fairly vague to be more applicable. "

Place these moon phases in chronological order in their cycle (starting with new moon).
(Only correct responses shown, in unscrambled order.)

New moon: first [97%]
Waxing crescent: second [76%]
First quarter: third [86%]
Waxing gibbous: fourth [82%]
Full moon: fifth [87%]
Waning gibbous: sixth [74%]
Third quarter: seventh [74%]
Waning crescent: eighth [68%]

Pick one piece of student advice from the previous semester, and discuss why you agree (or disagree) with it.

"'Prepare by doing the reading assignments to provide a rough assessment of your understanding, and questions to bring for the lecture.' Important because the reading assignments help to gauge comprehension of the material, and if there are challenging topics, to ask questions in order to have them clarified."

"'Do your homework and pay attention to the presentation slides posted on the blog. If you don't understand something, Google it. But come to class prepared enough to teach the subject to another student and you'll be fine.' I agree with this students advice, because I have heard that you can learn best by teaching someone else the subject, which ends up helping both students in the situation. Keeping up with homework and not forgetting to do it is important as well."

"'Come to every class--most important thing.' I chose this one because last year was my first semester at Cuesta and towards the end of it I my attendance was not the best. I need to make sure I come since this class is only once a week."

"'Be genuinely interested' was a funny piece of advice because you cannot choose what you're interested in. I did pick this course though because I'm interested so luckily that won't be a problem."

"'Turn off your phone in class.' I agree with this statement because the phone is one the biggest distractions in school and since this is just a one day a week class we cram in a bunch of material, so it's good to stay focused and have no distractions."

"'GO TO CLASS!' Anytime I've struggled in a class is because I didn't attend and failed to stay engaged. Showing up is half the battle for me."

"'Simply review your quizzes because they will be re-written on the exams.' I agree with this bit of advice coming from a former student of this class it helps the person taking realize there is more importance to the quiz sooner rather than later. I also feel that is an overlooked part of many classes because I tend forget about the quizzes and there is definitely answers that will help you later on."

"'Go to office hours with the practice quizzes, get help answering them, study up those sheets and you'll never worry about failing a quiz.' I agree, because office hours are perfect for getting clarification on anything. It's accessible to get help on understanding some of the homework assignments, study guides, or even getting clarification on past quizzes. Asking questions and getting help is the best thing a student can do to succeed in a course."

"'In order to succeed in astronomy, you need to do be in class every day. Skipping any class day will cause you to lose points for the in-class activities. You also need to do the online reading assignments as missing them will hurt your grade. Finally, study for the exams and the final, they are the most important to do and getting a good grade on them will boost your grade significantly.' I agree with this persons advice because I think this is true for every class in college. Doing all the work and showing up to class will benefit you, not hurt you. It is the smarter decision to show up to class and interact in group activities. Also, to study for the test and quizzes is so important and a must do."

"Tackle the material covered with general curiosity. In a sense 'trip out' and invest your time into genuinely and you will do great!" I agree with this past student because all we can do is tackle the information in front of us. Its up to us to be able to take in this new information, and I'm very excited to see what astronomy has to offer."

"'Do the reading assignments on time. It's easy to forget, and the lost points add up.' I Agree with it because it is easy to forget when you only have the class once a week."

"'Keep up with the blogs, not just the reading.' I strongly agree with this advice because the readng explains the material, but the blog shows many examples. The blog helped me better understand the material that I read."

"'Keep up with the blogs, not just the reading.' I agree with this piece of advice already because my first impressions of the blogs is that they are handy tools that seem to compress the information in the book into broken down slides with helpful visuals. I feel the blogs will help reinforce what we will be engaging with in the book."

Ask the instructor an anonymous question, or make a comment. Selected questions/comments may be discussed in class.

"This reading had interesting topics, and please go over the readings a little more in depth for a student that learns better from auditory learning."

"Can you please put up the instructions for each type of starwheel question again? (The notes on that (along with all other written notes from class this semester) are posted on Twitter using the #CuestaAstr210 hashtag.)

"I'm having a bit of trouble knowing just by looking at a moon whether it is waxing or waning. It usually takes a lot of thinking and comparing to get the right answer. Do you have any tips or tricks for identifying which of those it is quickly?" (We'll be going over that in class tonight.)

"Will we be memorizing a lot of vocabulary for this course?" (Yes, but we will introduce, drill, and review these terms quite a bit in each class.)

"Have you watched the movie Interstellar?" (Yeah. I liked the robots the best.)

"I'm wondering what length you're looking for with these responses. I tried to dedicate several sentences to each one but I'm wondering if that's enough or if they need to be a paragraph or two." (Just a sentence or two, as I'm basically looking to see if you're engaged with material. If you are really engaged, then feel free to write more.)

"Do you think time travel is possible?" (Well, maybe only in the forward sense.)

"In astrology was wondering if you know about houses and rising/ascendant signs? And if you've ever done your natal chart with birth time and place? Or if you've heard about trines/squares/opposition/and sextiles in astrology?" (Sounds like you know quite a bit more about astrology than I do. However, we will cover "sun-signs" (which essentially is your "house") in class this week, and later discuss your rising and setting signs, all of which we can find using a starwheel (and your birth date/time).)

"I am ready to get going in this class."

Online reading assignment: total internal reflection, polarization

Physics 205B, spring semester 2020
Cuesta College, San Luis Obispo, CA

Students have a bi-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 total internal reflection and polarization.


Selected/edited responses are given below.

Describe what you understand from the assigned textbook reading or presentation preview. Your description (2-3 sentences) should specifically demonstrate your level of understanding.

"As the angle of incidence increases, so does the angle of refraction. I also understand that when the angle of incidence exceeds the critical angle there is no refracted light (saw this in lab), resulting in total internal reflection."

"Total reflection was the reason why we couldn't solve one of the problems on the in-class worksheet. In our case the refraction from water to air went past the critical angle which meant that the light was only reflected back into the water. "

"I understand why we received a 'domain error' when calculating the transmitted light ray from the previous class' worksheet. This was due to total internal reflection, which meant that no light was transmitted into the lower refractive index material, but instead only reflected back into the higher refractive index material. TIR occurs when the incident is greater than the critical angle."

"Total internal reflection is when light is in a higher refraction material index making n₁ higher, and slower for light to move through. If the incident angle is greater then the critical angle, it is reflected back into the higher index material."

"I really understood and actually kind of enjoyed reading about total internal reflection. It was interesting to see how many aspects of life the concept applies to, including diamonds and optical fibers in the medical field. The critical angle was also a part of the reading that I was able to comprehend and even complete some problems on."

"Fiber optics is a demonstration of total internal reflection that we use in our every day lives. Light is shone through a fiber and reflects with little loss of light all the way to the other end. Fiber optics is used in computers, cable and much more to transmit data at high speeds."

"Light can also be transmitted vertically or horizontally by an antennae, which is a polarized light source, where the receiving antennae should be positioned the same as the transmitting one."

"Radio waves transmitted from vertical antennas release vertical radio waves--which are read by accepting vertical antennas. The same goes for horizontal radio waves and antennas."

Describe what you found confusing from the assigned textbook reading or presentation preview. Your description (2-3 sentences) should specifically identify the concept(s) that you do not understand.

"I found it confusing how it is helpful to know about the critical angle. As well, I didn't understand when you know there is a critical angle. Is it just when you use Snell's law and the equation can't be solved?"

"I'm confused about how optic fibers work in an endoscope."

"Optic fibers--does it contain mirrors to reflect light? I was confused as why the light does not simply escape through the sides of the object."

"Polarization. Basic review and explanation is needed."

"I do not understand polarized light waves and how they work. If they use transverse waves, then it can move in multiple directions. have a hard time imagining what a vertical antenna does."

If the incident angle of a light ray is less than the critical angle, the light ray will be:

reflected.	[0]
transmitted.	*************** [16]
(Both of the above choices.)	************ [12]
(Neither of the above choices.)	[0]
(Unsure/guessing/lost/help!)	*** [3]

If the incident angle of a light ray is greater than the critical angle, the light ray will be:

reflected.	*************************** [27]
transmitted.	[0]
(Both of the above choices.)	[0]
(Neither of the above choices.)	* [1]
(Unsure/guessing/lost/help!)	*** [3]

Total internal reflection is possible when a light ray in a __________ medium hits a boundary with a __________ medium.

faster; slower.	********** [10]
slower; faster.	************************ [14]
(Both of the above choices.)	[0]
(Unsure/guessing/lost/help!)	******* [7]

A vertical antenna will emit __________ polarized light.

horizontally.	[0]
vertically.	*************************** [27]
(Both of the above choices.)	* [1]
(Neither of the above choices.)	[0]
(Unsure/guessing/lost/help!)	*** [3]

Horizontally polarized light can be received by a _________ antenna.

horizontal.	************************** [26]
vertical.	[0]
(Both of the above choices.)	* [1]
(Neither of the above choices.)	[0]
(Unsure/guessing/lost/help!)	**** [4]

Ask the instructor an anonymous question, or make a comment. Selected questions/comments may be discussed in class.

"Is total internal reflection what is happening when Snell's law cannot be calculated in our calculators and it gives an 'error' reading?" (Yes.)

"May we review when to use Snell's law from Monday versus the law of reflection from today's reading (critical angles)?"

"Why does total internal reflection only occur when light moves from slower to faster medium?"

"Can you please recap on polarized light/antennas? Thank you!"

"I would like to go over the different symbols and how to use them."

"Cool but challenging."

"So far the topics for this semester seem very independent and that they don't really build on each other?"

Online reading assignment: motions and cycles, advice from previous students (NC campus)

Astronomy 210, spring semester 2020
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 Earth's rotation/precession/revolution/tilt, the moon's motions and cycles, along with advice from students from the previous semester.


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.

"Australians see a lot of stars and constellations that we can't and we see a lot of constellations that they can't see. It's really obvious once you think about it, but it had never crossed my mind until now. It is weird to me that the Australians can't see the Big Dipper, which is why this fact stuck with me and why I found it interesting."

"That Earth takes 24 hours to fully rotate and also there are 24 hours in a day. I know that seems like something I should have already put together but I didn't."

"Earth spins like a top for precession. It blows my mind that it takes 26,000 years for one full cycle to occur."

"That eventually the North Star won't be what it is now. I thought that Polaris was always the North Star and that it wouldn't change."

"Earth's orbit around the sun doesn't make up the seasons on Earth because the Earth's orbit is essentially the same distance around the sun throughout the year."

"Astrological sun-signs, because when you think of stars and their constellation you don't think that they are also during the day."

"We only see the same one side of the moon as it passes through its cycles of phases."

"If you watch the moon throughout the night, the markings on its face don't change."

Describe something you found confusing from the assigned textbook reading or presentation preview, and explain why this was personally confusing for you.

"The motions and cycles. Specifically the tilt of Earth's rotation axis, but I understand that this tilt makes the seasons change."

"Fully memorizing all the moon phases at the moment seemed confusing to me, but eventually ill figure it out."

"The difference between rotation and revolution. Also, I would like to go more in depth about how seasons change. Lastly, more examples of pictures between waxing, waning, crescent, gibbous, first quarter, and third quarter."

The constellation Virgo is just above the east horizon, as seen by an observer at 11 PM in San Luis Obispo, CA. What date is this? (Ignore daylight saving time.)

February 20.	********************** [22]
April 25.	[0]
July 4.	[0]
August 20.	** [2]
(Unsure/guessing/lost/help!)	******** [8]

Match these cycles with their approximate duration.
(Only correct responses shown.)

Earth's rotation: 24 hours [91%]
Earth's revolution: one year [81%]
Earth's precession: 26,000 years [94%]
The moon's revolution: one month [75%]

I believe astrology is able to make accurate predictions about my future. (This is just an opinion question, there are no right answers.)

Strongly disagree.	** [2]
Disagree.	********* [9]
Neutral.	***************** [17]
Agree.	*** [3]
Strongly agree.	* [1]

Briefly explain your answer regarding your belief/disbelief in astrology. (This is just an opinion question, there are no right answers.)

"I believe astrology has a lot to do with how you feel and act. The way the seasons and weather changes your mood."

"It's an ancient superstition not really based on anything concrete."

"Well, astrology can be entertaining but it's against my religion."

"I don't fully agree with this, but I also don't disagree. I know it sounds silly, but sometimes it predicts stuff that is sorta accurate."

"I'm not fully convinced that the universe is as large as we think, how would we know?"

"Astrology is pretty amazing and I definitely believe it can show us how our planets work but not specifically are own life's future."

"Nothing can predict my future."

"I feel like from the astrology I have read (from Buzzfeed, and Seventeen magazine) that it is just made up and is for fun. But I'm interested in hearing how and if it really does have an impact."

"I have seen so many people obsess over their zodiac signs and heavily emphasize how 'relatable' their sign is. I have seen some things about my zodiac sign that I can relate to, but I have seen some that are unrelatable. Regarding whether or not I believe that astrology can predict my future, I am unsure because I haven't been educated on it or learned anything that would make me feel a certain way."

"I am a very hard facts kind of person. though I take novelty in things like being a Aries, I do not put stock in divination."

"The reason that I have a neutral opinion is that I'm not sure if it does or doesn't, and haven't really looked into it. So I'm not going to pre-judge something that I'm not sure about. If it does predict the future then I will definitely look more into it because that sounds cool. But if it doesn't I will still have a neutral opinion because I don't want to negatively affect someone who does believe in it."

"I don't really believe it, but I do sometimes."

"I say neutral due to the fact of not really knowing the knowledge I am going to obtain from this course over the semester."

"I am open to learning the reasoning behind astrological beliefs, but I don't actively believe in it currently."

"I don't feel any particular way about astrology since I myself haven't delved into it."

"I do believe on how astrology works but I don't believe that there Is life on other planets."

"My belief regarding astrology is that it is to be true, but only in a sense. I think it is a matter of opinion and if you choose to take the predictions into consideration then you will choose the right steps to your future."

"I have always believed in astrology. This is so because I feel this has a huge impact on our astrological signs and the way we act as well how our lives are each day. I am that type of person who is always looking at my sign as well as those around me and I think maybe this is why certain things are happening because of the signs."

"I'm not sure I've never had any personal experience with astronomy in that way but it would be cool I don't believe that astrology can define my future."

"I don't believe that any provable evidence has come to light."

"I do listen once in a while my zodiac sign but I don't fully believe in it. I grew up in a house where we have the believe that astrology doesn't control our future/daily lives."

"I disagree with this because most of the time it seems that the signs predict similar scenarios with only little difference between them."

"There is no way to tell what your future will be or what will happen."

"The personality traits are just vague enough to fit most people anyways. I also think it could be some self-fulfillment, like if a Gemini is funny and also has some anxiety then it reinforces the idea that astrology is true because sharp wit and anxiety are supposed to be Gemini traits? And so that Gemini goes, 'Oh yeah I *do* have anxiety and make good jokes, maybe this is a real legit thing,' and notices less that they also have traits of all the other signs."

"I know people who really believe it can predict their futures however, personally I don't see how it would be associated with the future, maybe I'd believe it if it predicted something right."

"I disagree because they can predict something very vague and you might make a connection that isn't connected to it or just barely connected. Nothing against it and I like the constellations but I just find them as a waste of time."

"There's no scientific basis to astrology but it can be fun to believe in things that are not based in fact and considered 'magical.'"

"I'm neutral on this topic because I don't know that much about astronomy so far to make a yes or no answer. Im leaning more to the disagree side, because I don't understand how it would predict an individuals future thats more up to themselves as a person."

"I do not believe that astrology has an influence on our future or personalities because it is a pseudoscience, so it has been disproved by various sciences. It shows no sufficient scientific evidence that it has a connection between the planets and the personalities of people."

"I'm not quite sure about astrological predictions so I cant say yes but I would like to be educated on the topic to be able to draw a confident conclusion."

"I have never really thought about it, some people say yes and I am open to anything, and would love to know more."

Place these moon phases in chronological order in their cycle (starting with new moon).
(Only correct responses shown, in unscrambled order.)

New moon: first [88%]
Waxing crescent: second [81%]
First quarter: third [84%]
Waxing gibbous: fourth [75%]
Full moon: fifth [78%]
Waning gibbous: sixth [75%]
Third quarter: seventh [78%]
Waning crescent: eighth [66%]

Pick one piece of student advice from the previous semester, and discuss why you agree (or disagree) with it.

"'Come to every class--most important thing.' I agree because bad attendance is the easiest way to fail."

"'Do the quiz question packets! Those will help you in preparing for the quizzes and tests which make up the majority of your grade. Helps you get a good grasp of the material. And of course showing up to class!' I agree that I should review the quiz packets and do them on my own in preparations for in-class quizzes and exams. I also read that I should answer the questions on the quiz packet by myself and then visit you during your office hours and make corrections and ask questions."

"'Something I had to learn during this course is to try and open my mind to the universe and using lots of visuals to understand how everything is connected. Specifically for this class I would say showing up for class and participating in lecture is super-important.' I find this piece of advice very helpful because I will definitely have that issue where I wont open and think 'out of this world'. It will get overwhelming if I don't open up because the universe is SO BIG and there is a lot of information on it. I will have to channel my inner sponge and soak up all the information and as they said to actively participate so I can comprehend it as well. (actively talking through a confusing topic for it to make sense too)."

"'Do the reading assignments on time. It's easy to forget, and the lost points add up.' This has to be the advice I took the strongest. As someone who has a busy work life it becomes easy to forget about smaller assignments given."

"'Come to class prepared enough to teach the subject to another student and you'll be fine.' I think if you're prepared enough to teach the subject to another student I think you'll be most prepared for quizzes/exams as well."

"'Simply review your quizzes because they will be re-written on the exams.' I think this was a good piece of advice because it gives me an extra study to go off of for exams while I'm studying."

"'Tackle the material covered with general curiosity. In a sense 'trip out' and invest your time into genuinely and you will do great!' This is my favorite one because that's what space and the sky does to me is trip out!"

Ask the instructor an anonymous question, or make a comment. Selected questions/comments may be discussed in class.

"Why do circumpolar constellation never rise or set from the mid-northern latitude?" (Circumstellar constellations are located are very close to Polaris. Since all stars rotate counterclockwise around Polaris, the circumstellar constellations just go around and around Polaris without actually touching the horizon, so they never get below the horizon.)

"Are the quiz packets essentially a study guide? Have you created an easy way to remember all of this information? Maybe an anagram? How many classes can we miss before it heavily hurts our grade?" (Many of the questions from the quiz packets are "templates" used to construct new quiz questions. Also you can miss about two weeks of in-class activities without impacting your grade (as there are approximately two weeks' worth of extra in-class activities this semester.)

"How long are the quizzes and tests? What percentage of our grade are the quizzes and test? Just a general breakdown of points for the whole semester would be great to know." (From the syllabus, quizzes are 20 minutes long, and midterms are 80 minutes long. (The final exam is 120 minutes long.) A whole letter grade jump for this class is 100 points; all of your quizzes are worth a total of 150 points, while your first midterm, second midterm, and final exam are each worth 100 points. So it's important to do decently on all these tests.)

"I appreciate that you offer this reading assignment to see where we need extra help on in class because it shows us that you care to focus on where we are struggling most." (I appreciate the effort you all are taking in to letting me know what we need to spend time on for the upcoming class.)

"From what I understand, what you go over in class will partially decided by what students answer on these assignments. If the majority of students seem okay with a section, will there still be time for the students who are struggling with a particular section? Or will they have to reach you after class for further help?" (I plan to address what most of the students seem to need for each class; so if you need further clarification on a particular topic, see me after class, or during office hours, or e-mail me.)

Online reading assignment: electromagnetic waves, reflection and refraction

Physics 205B, spring semester 2020
Cuesta College, San Luis Obispo, CA

Students have a bi-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 electromagnetic waves and redirecting light (reflection and refraction), along with advice from students from the previous semester.


Selected/edited responses are given below.

Describe what you understand from the assigned textbook reading or presentation preview. Your description (2-3 sentences) should specifically demonstrate your level of understanding.

"The concept of the electromagnetic spectrum and the difference between visible light and other types of radiation like infrared."

"Electromagnetic radiation is a large spectrum and visible light is the only wavelength range that we can perceive."

"Speed and frequency are independent parameters, while wavelength is dependent and therefor set by λ = v/f. Light reflection is light bouncing off a surface, refraction is light bending through an object."

"Light traveling through any other transparent source than vacuum will experience a slower speed, and with that slower speed, the index of refraction will be greater than one."

"Light can be refracted as it passes through different materials giving it bending like an illusion. According to Snell's law n₁·sinθ₁ = n₂·sinθ₂ where n₁ and n₂ are the indices of refraction and θ₁ and θ₂ are the incident and refracted angles."

Describe what you found confusing from the assigned textbook reading or presentation preview. Your description (2-3 sentences) should specifically identify the concept(s) that you do not understand.

"I don't understand why if you change to a denser medium that wavelength and velocity decreases when I think it should increase to travel through the medium."

"I am having a hard time finding or understanding the relationships between the speed, frequency, and wavelength of light as it passes from one medium to the next."

"I didn't really understand index of refraction. I understand how to use it not why we use it."

"How to apply Snell's law. A better description of the sayings 'fast-to-slow bends toward the normal' and 'slow-to-fast bends away from normal' is needed."

"I was most confused by the definition of the 'normal.' I didn't understand where the term came from or was in reference to."

"Snell's law seems pretty confusing, but I'm sure if you go over it in class that I'll be solid."

"Some of the equations and how to use them properly."

"Need to review most of the signs and symbols."

Consider light traveling either through air (n_air = 1.0) or through water (n_water = 1.33). Light travels with the faster speed through:

air.	************************************ [36]
water.	* [1]
(There is a tie.)	[0]
(Unsure/guessing/lost/help!)	* [1]

A ray of light has an incident angle of 60° in air, and a transmitted angle of 36° in plastic. Determine what happens to each of the following parameters as the light passes from air into plastic.
(Only correct responses shown.)

speed v: decreases [79%]
frequency f: remains constant [47%]
wavelength λ: decreases [42%]

For the above example of light incident in air being transmitted into plastic, __________ has the greater index of refraction.

air.	[0]
plastic.	********************************** [36]
(There is a tie.)	[0]
(Unsure/guessing/lost/help!)	** [2]

A ray of light has an incident angle of 20° in plastic, and a transmitted angle of 29° in air. Determine what happens to each of the following parameters as the light passes from plastic into air.
(Only correct responses shown.)

speed v: increases [66%]
frequency f: remains constant [58%]
wavelength λ: increases [40%]

For the above example of light incident in plastic being transmitted into air, __________ has the greater index of refraction.

air.	**************************** [28]
plastic.	***** [5]
(There is a tie.)	[1]
(Unsure/guessing/lost/help!)	**** [4]

State your preference for denoting the inverse sine operation.

Arcsin.	[0]
sin–1.	******************************** [32]
(No preference.)	**** [4]
(Unsure/guessing/lost/help!)	** [2]

Pick one piece of student advice from the previous semester, and discuss why you agree (or disagree) with it.

"'A piece of advice I would give myself is to get help from a tutor immediately because you can't teach yourself how to do it," is a statement I inherently disagree with given my experience in this previous semester. Although at times some concepts may be difficult to grasp, with some in class review and at home practice at problems, the material is generally understandable on my own or with some light guidance."

"'I would tell myself that if you never miss a lab or lecture there's a very good chance that you'll get an 'A' in this class. I would also tell myself to spend a good amount of time trying to understand the reading assignments on waiferx.blogspot.com because they're super-informative and helpful with understanding the material.' After taking Physics 205A with Dr. Len last semester, I know completing the homework and reading assignments are EXTREMELY important. After gaining points from the smaller assignments, I was able to receive a low grade on the final and still earn an 'A'."

"'Just stay on top of your assignments, it's easy points. Also try to focus on things that aren't very clear to you the most because if you have a grasp on other concepts then it's pretty straightforward, considering physics is somewhat logic based. Also for the midterms just study what you messed up on the quizzes and grind those concepts into your skull. Other than that, easy cash. I should not procrastinate to study when an exam is coming up.' I agree with it because this is exactly how I learned and survived my with my A last semester."

"'Make sure to do all the online homework and reading assignments because those points rack up.' I would chose this statement as it is something I failed to do successfully that cost me the higher grade."

"'Define equation variables before the exams.' Even if the problems on the tests and quizzes from last semester didn't make much sense at first glance, they could have still been done correctly if you had a complete understanding of the equations and their variables."

"'I would advise myself to do all the homework assignments to maximize my points in those categories and give myself a chance of skipping the final altogether.' I agree with the statement above because I took Physics 205A last semester with P-dog and I know that getting an 'A' is possible as long as I keep up with all the homework, going to class, and doing well on the quizzes. This semester I would like to not have to take the final, therefore I'm going to be reaching for that goal all semester long."

"'Stay on top of the assignments and don't forget them.' Last semester for about the first few months I was forgetting to do the HW and Reading assignments and as a result, I left a lot of free/easy points on the table. But I changed that towards the end of the semester."

"'Don't give up and keep moving forward! Read the book from the start of the semester!' was good reminder that you always have to take one step at a time and the only direction you can go is forward by studying and doing homework. I agree with this, because as long as you keep putting in the time, your understanding of the concepts will only grow."

"'Spend more time going back through notes/examples from class.' This is because this piece of advice is what I do to study for most of my classes. I believe this helps me understand the material the most efficient way possible."

Ask the instructor an anonymous question, or make a comment. Selected questions/comments may be discussed in class.

"It seems as though we're hitting the ground running this semester. So far I am intimidated by the optics topics but am hoping I will feel better about them after lecture."

"Is the difficulty of the homework, quizzes and worksheets similar to the exam difficulty?" (The homework and worksheets are adapted from actual quiz questions; but we will also assign past exam questions for you to study later this semester.)

"Please go over this stuff!"

"Looking forward to this semester! So far it seems like the concepts are going to be super-different!"

"Great to be back!"

"Getting my book soon."

Astronomy in-class activity: planet-hunting

Astronomy 210 In-class activity 6 v.20.01.14, spring semester 2020
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 determine where in the sky each naked-eye planet will be observed on a given date (here, February 5, 2020).




Previous posts:

• Astronomy in-class activity: planet-hunting
  fall semester 2019 (August 29, 2019).
• Astronomy in-class activity: planet-hunting
  spring semester 2019 (February 6, 2019).
• Astronomy in-class activity: planet-hunting
  fall semester 2018 (August 28, 2018).
• Astronomy in-class activity: planet-hunting
  fall semester 2017 (September 6, 2017).
• Astronomy in-class activity: planet-hunting
  spring semester 2017 (February 1, 2017).
• Astronomy in-class activity: planet-hunting
  fall semester 2016 (August 31, 2016).
• Astronomy in-class activity: planet-hunting
  spring semester 2016 (February 4, 2016).
• Astronomy in-class activity: planet-hunting
  fall semester 2015 (September 3, 2015).
• Astronomy in-class activity: planet-hunting
  spring semester 2015 (February 4, 2015).
• Astronomy in-class activity: planet-hunting
  fall semester 2014 (September 3, 2014).
• Astronomy in-class activity: planet-hunting
  spring semester 2014 (February 6, 2014).
• Astronomy in-class activity: planet-hunting
  fall semester 2013 (September 5, 2013).
• Astronomy in-class activity: planet-hunting
  spring semester 2013 (February 6, 2013).
• Astronomy in-class activity: planet-hunting
  fall semester 2012 (September 6, 2012).
• Astronomy in-class activity: planet-hunting
  spring semester 2012 (February 2, 2012).
Astronomy in-class activity: planet-hunting
fall semester 2011 (September 1, 2011).
• Astronomy in-class activity: planet-hunting
  spring semester 2011 (February 2, 2011).
• Astronomy in-class activity: planet-hunting
  fall semester 2010 (September 2, 2010).
• Astronomy in-class activity: planet-hunting
  spring semester 2010 (February 4, 2010).

Cuesta College District Calendar Committee: faculty feedback on spring break placement

Cuesta College District Calendar Committee
Faculty feedback form on spring break placement
(fall semester 2019)
N = 114

Background:
The District Calendar Committee would like faculty feedback on the placement of spring break for academic years 2021-2022 and 2022-2023 (which are still conventional, non-compressed semesters) to right after the ninth week of instruction.

Currently fall flex days are placed at the end of eighth and beginning of the ninth week of instruction, which closely aligns with the middle of fall semester for 9-week sessions.

However, spring break is currently placed in the first full week in April (after the eleventh week), which means that late-start 9-week session students:

1. have no break between early- and late-start 9-week sessions; and
2. have a week-long break in instruction one or two weeks after the beginning of the late-start 9-week session.

Motivation:
Moving spring break for the 2021-2022 and 2022-2023 academic calendars to after the ninth week of instruction would better serve the increasing number of students taking 9-week courses, and would be consistent with the current placement of fall semester flex days in dividing early and late start 9-week courses.

Summary and informational notes:

1. Spring break 2020 and spring break 2021 would remain unchanged (first full week in April).
2. Proposed spring break 2022 would move from first full week in April (Monday 4/4 to Saturday 4/9) to Monday, 3/21 to Saturday, 3/26.
3. Proposed spring break 2023 would move from first full week in April (Monday 4/3 to Saturday 4/8) to Monday, 3/20 to Saturday, 3/25.

The results of this survey will be reported to the next meeting of the District Calendar Committee in January 2020, and be published publicly online as well.

Proposal:
Are you in favor of placing spring break after the ninth week of the semester at Cuesta College?

Yes.	***************************************************************************** [68%; 77 votes]
No.	*********************** [23%; 26 votes]
No opinion/not sure.	*********** [10%; 11 votes]

The following are all of the optional comments to this question, verbatim and unedited.

"I marked not sure because breaks because my midterms for the 18-week courses tend to fall during the 10th week, which makes scheduling them very difficult, so I would prefer that breaks NOT happen during the 9th/10th week. But I understand about the 9-week courses. (Which are technically 8-week courses, if offered during the second 9 weeks in spring.) Additionally, I would like to see and end to mid-semester Flex Days because of the disruption to courses."

"From a purely Cuesta College instructional standpoint, it makes sense to place the break between the 1st and 2nd 9 week courses. From a personal perspective, especially for those of us who have children in school, aligning our break with our local K-12 districts eases the logistical burden of having a different spring break that our children."

"Some attempt should be made to line up spring break with the K-12 schools. Even though not all school districts have the same break, any alignment is better than no alignment. Our current calendar DOES line up with at least one school district. Our students with children are deeply and negatively impacted when our break does not line up. Further, a 'family-friendly' and supporting institution should support its own working parents in this regard."

"I think that spring break should be tied to Easter, except in years when Easter falls after week 9 (and then be placed in week 9) so that it is more likely to align with local schools. Low-income and single parents should not be expected to choose between going to class and taking care of their kids. I’m disappointed that even though I have given this feedback in every calendar survey the calendar committee never seems to take it seriously."

"I firmly believe that the current spring break schedule is the BEST! I enjoy the 8th/9th week flex day schedule. Additionally, aligning Spring Break with SLCUSD K-12 allows for the many employees and especially our students at Cuesta with children (THERE ARE MANY!!!) in the school district an actual spring break. Without this alignment, there is no opportunity for an actual spring break for Cuesta employees and students and in fact it is twice the work trying to schedule child care while working or attending classes. I have personally had several students over the years not attend classes for a week due to the child care issue. It should be noted that child care is a nationwide concern, not just here at Cuesta."

"The current spring break placement coincides with the spring break of SLCUSD and makes it easier for faculty and staff with school-age children to manage the break."

"Good idea!"

"Seems to me this still only leaves eight weeks for the second '9-week' classes--which is fine with me as my classes are adjusted to eight weeks since we always lost spring break week in any case."

"I think faculty and students alike benefit by having the break fall later than midway, so that there is less of the term still left to completed afterward."

"I find it easy to plan when it is always the same week, so whatever you decide, let's keep it the same week each spring."

"I prefer to have spring breaks that line up with SLCUSD or Cal Poly districts. It is confusing for the community to have differing academic schedules. However, I understand the preference to have a break in the middle and include within that time the flex days similar to the fall semester. Therefore I am withholding an opinion. Look, the vast majority of our faculty teach at both Cuesta and Poly. We should have those spring breaks align. To not do so burdens our most precariously situated faculty, and they could use a break."

"I'd like spring break to fall at the same time as the SLCUSD calendar."

"I personally still favor spring break being the week before or after Easter. The first week of April has been okay, it's aligned with my children's spring break twice, but I wouldn't like it any earlier. It is beneficial for many of our students who are parents to have our spring break align with the local school districts."

"This really needs to be coordinated with the K-12 spring breaks to help faculty with children."

"During spring break, I encourage my late-start students to read and prepare for their term project (due two weeks after spring break)."

"Although my department may not be greatly affected by the change in spring break, I do wonder about the impact of shifting content and exams to accommodate this change."

"Any chance we could move October flex days to the three days before Thanksgiving?"

"I prefer the break later."

"Why not a choice to align with Easter as in the past?"

"It's likely hard because of the semester length difference but it may help PT faculty that work at Cuesta and Hancock to have our calendars match up more closely (there would be an actual break!)"

"Very reasonable change."

"Are we the only school in the county that meets the day before Thanksgiving? If so, then that's quite a disservice to many of our students. Just saying."

"I never give my 9-week classes a break during spring break, but it makes sense to move it and make it a little easier because it's awkward that way."

"Some of the rationale provided doesn't convince me that a change is necessary, as 1) not all students who sign up for a 9-week class sign up for another 9-week class immediately following and 2) online instruction means that even though students get a break two week into a 9-week class, that they probably still have assignments and or work that they can complete through the online modules. What would be best for students and faculty alike is if we could manage to always align Spring Break with San Luis Coastal, as many faculty and students have children (or siblings) in SLCUSD and coordinated breaks would be a great help (in arranging child care, etc.)."

"I would prefer we are aligned with Cal Poly's spring break. This is especially true if we want to market our classes to Poly students."

"The first full week in April is in perfect alignment with my course plan. I am tired of rearranging my course content to match Cuesta's spring break moving target."

"Please continue to align spring break with the K-12 schedule for local districts. The hardship posed to families and single parents with younger children by not having spring break align outweighs the desire to have a week between 9-week sessions."

"I would like spring break to align with the local schools."

"The motivation blurb said it best...'better serve students!'"

"It should be done more consistently. Just make it after week 9 every year. Don't know why calendar changes are so glacial here. What are people doing all year?"

"To me, it makes no sense to have spring break so near the end of the semester as it has been."

"Makes sense to do it at the end of the ninth week. Thank you for improving the calendar."