Astronomy quiz question: rise/set positions and paths of the sun

Astronomy 210 Quiz 1, spring semester 2020
Cuesta College, San Luis Obispo, CA

An observer in San Luis Obispo, CA notices that there are approximately 10 hours between sunrise and sunset. On this day, the sun rose:
(A) between northeast and east.
(B) due east.
(C) between east and southeast.
(D) between southwest and west.
(E) due west.
(F) between west and northwest.

Correct answer (highlight to unhide): (C)

Students completed this diagram of the paths for the sun for San Luis Obispo, CA on an in-class activity ("lecture-tutorial"). However, this diagram was not provided on the quiz.


In December, the sun will rise on the horizon between east and southeast, and takes 10 hours to set on the horizon between southwest and west.

Section 30676
Exam code: quiz02s4L3
(A) : 8 students
(B) : 4 students
(C) : 30 students
(D) : 2 students
(E) : 0 students
(F) : 1 students

Success level: 68% (including partial credit for multiple-choice)
Discrimination index (Aubrecht & Aubrecht, 1983): 0.70-->

Astronomy quiz question: rise/set positions and paths of the sun

Astronomy 210 Quiz 1, spring semester 2020
Cuesta College, San Luis Obispo, CA

An observer in San Luis Obispo, CA notices that there are approximately 10 hours between sunrise and sunset. On this day, the sun will set:
(A) between northeast and east.
(B) due east.
(C) between east and southeast.
(D) between southwest and west.
(E) due west.
(F) between west and northwest.

Correct answer (highlight to unhide): (D)

Students completed this diagram of the paths for the sun for San Luis Obispo, CA on an in-class activity ("lecture-tutorial"). However, this diagram was not provided on the quiz.


In December, the sun will rise on the horizon between east and southeast, and takes 10 hours to set on the horizon between southwest and west.

Section 30674
Exam code: quiz01N3ve
(A) : 4 students
(B) : 0 students
(C) : 4 students
(D) : 11 students
(E) : 3 students
(F) : 9 students

Success level: 37% (including partial credit for multiple-choice)
Discrimination index (Aubrecht & Aubrecht, 1983): 0.52

Astronomy quiz archive: stars/sun/seasons/moon phases

Astronomy 210 Quiz 1, spring semester 2020
Cuesta College, San Luis Obispo, CA

Section 30674, version 1
Exam code: quiz01N3ve


Section 30674

0- 8.0 :	* [low = 6.0]
8.5-16.0 :	****************
16.5-24.0 :	********** [mean = 21.6 +/- 8.6]
24.5-32.0 :	*************
32.5-40.0 :	**** [high = 40.0]

Section 30676, version 1
Exam code: quiz01s4L3


Section 30676

0- 8.0 :	* [low = 8.0]
8.5-16.0 :	****
16.5-24.0 :	***************
24.5-32.0 :	*********** [mean = 26.6 +/- 9.5]
32.5-40.0 :	************** [high = 40.0]

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: 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.)

Astronomy quiz question: rise/set positions and paths of the sun

Astronomy 210 Quiz 1, fall semester 2019
Cuesta College, San Luis Obispo, CA

An observer in San Luis Obispo, CA watches the sun rise in June. As soon as __________ later, the sun will rise on the horizon due east.
(A) 10 hours.
(B) 12 hours.
(C) 14 hours.
(D) One month.
(E) Three months.
(F) Six months.

Correct answer (highlight to unhide): (E)

Students completed this diagram of the paths for the sun for San Luis Obispo, CA on an in-class activity ("lecture-tutorial"). However, this diagram was not provided on the quiz.


In June, the sun will rise on the horizon between northeast and east, and takes 14 hours to set on the horizon between west and northwest. The sun will rise on the horizon due east during March or September. So the soonest that the sun will rise on the horizon due east after June would be September, three months later.

Section 70158
Exam code: quiz01SLYc
(A) : 13 students
(B) : 25 students
(C) : 4 students
(D) : 0 students
(E) : 10 students
(F) : 2 students

Success level: 26% (including partial credit for multiple-choice)
Discrimination index (Aubrecht & Aubrecht, 1983): 0.64

Astronomy quiz archive: stars/sun/seasons/moon phases

Astronomy 210 Quiz 1, fall semester 2019
Cuesta College, San Luis Obispo, CA

Section 70158, version 1
Exam code: quiz01SLYc

Section 70158

0- 8.0 :	* [low = 6.0]
8.5-16.0 :	****************
16.5-24.0 :	********** [mean = 21.6 +/- 8.6]
24.5-32.0 :	*************
32.5-40.0 :	**** [high = 40.0]

Section 70160, version 1
Exam code: quiz01nGh7

Section 70160

0- 8.0 :	*** [low = 8.0]
8.5-16.0 :	*******
16.5-24.0 :	******* [mean = 19.0 +/- 7.6]
24.5-32.0 :	***
32.5-40.0 :	* [high = 36.0]

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

Astronomy 210, fall semester 2019
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, and on reading advice from previous semester Astr 210 students.

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.

"Precession--it's crazy to think that in a number of years, Polaris won't be the north star anymore."

"How we 'invented' the zodiac signs. I was completely unaware about how we labeled each month's zodiac with the sun's alignment of each sign's constellation."

"How Australians have many different views of stars and constellations not visible to North Americans."

"The different moon phases, because I've never really known what any of them are besides a full moon."

"While I was aware of the meaning of summer/winter solstice, it hadn't occurred to me what equinox meant."

"Reading the tips from past students was super-useful, not all teachers base their questions off the quizzes but it seems that you do and I would not know that without their help."

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

"Precession was the most confusing thing to me, although I didn't find it difficult after re-reading a few times."

"I am having trouble understanding rotation, revolution, and precession. When I read the textbook I had a hard time visualizing the motions in my head, but the presentation slides helped me understand the topics more than just reading the text. Still, I feel like I would have to have someone else explain these subjects to me in order to completely grasp what I am learning."

"The phases of the moon were the most confusing because there were just too many for me to recollect."

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.	***************** [17]
April 25.	** [2]
July 4.	[0]
August 20.	** [2]
(Unsure/guessing/lost/help!)	******************* [19]

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

Earth's rotation: 24 hours [93%]
Earth's revolution: one year [95%]
Earth's precession: 26,000 years [98%]
The moon's revolution: one month [80%]

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.	******** [8]
Disagree.	*********** [11]
Neutral.	*************** [15]
Agree.	****** [6]
Strongly agree.	[0]

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

"I just haven't ever seen any evidence to back up astrology or any of the associated beliefs, so I don't put any stock into it."

"I would whole-heartedly disagree, however I have heard stories from my parents about older people correctly guessing their zodiac sign by judging their character, so that's kinda odd."

"Don't care about it, people are entitled to their own opinions and beliefs as long as they don't intrude upon others' rights."

"I don't really place a strong belief in astrology, but I do have an app on my phone that has freakishly correct advice/predictions that are way too much of a coincidence for my liking. Other than that, I feel that astrology was used in the past for predictions, because people were searching for ways to find answers to their problems."

"I'm a Christian, so I believe that we have free will and that stars, as awesome as they are, are only physical objects that cannot predict one's future. They can tell you what season, month, and even day it is by their position, but they cannot tell you about your own personal future. I still think it is fun to read horoscopes every once in a while, however, I do not believe them."

"It's just against my religion to base your future off of the astrology."

"I believe that most can be superstition that is bias due to generality."

"I am neutral towards the topic of astrology because I doubt that it can affect my life in significant ways. But it always will fascinate me how spot on some people are with their astronomical signs."

"I think that most of the information is very general and can be taken in a lot of ways, making it easy for people to become attached. There are a few predictions that seem very accurate though."

"I think it's possible to make somewhat accurate predictions about the future using astrology but there is really no proof or good way to prove the predictions."

"I strongly believe that astrology is able to make accurate predictions of one's traits/way of thinking, but not predict the future."

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

New moon: first [93%]
Waxing crescent: second [88%]
First quarter: third [90%]
Waxing gibbous: fourth [80%]
Full moon: fifth [85%]
Waning gibbous: sixth [78%]
Third quarter: seventh [83%]
Waning crescent: eighth [75%]

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

"'Show up to class.' Seems about right. It's probably the most real advice in the whole page, especially considering how pretty much every other student recommends it. Considering the class is once a week and is three hours of lecture, not showing up to class once equates to not showing up to class for a whole week. It would make sense if this was a bad decision to make."

"'I would recommend focusing on the relationship between the concepts discussed, and perhaps forming visual models to help remember. Also, if nothing else, read the blog.' I think this advice is one of the best. Astronomy is a very visual field of study, but it can be very easy to get flustered and just give up if one just reads a whole bunch. I think it's important to watch YouTube videos about different subjects throughout the course in order to wrap our heads around some concepts."

"'Stay up to date with the readings. There were times when I fell behind with the book readings and it was twice as hard to read double the material and understand it.' I like this piece of advice, mostly because I have been in the place where I've fallen behind in class and it is so so difficult to come back from that. I've found that it is easier to keep up with the work, then forgot about it and then do it all at once. Especially because, I don't learn much (if at all), if I'm cramming it all into my brain before the midterm or test or whatever."

"'Don't be afraid to ask questions.' To me this makes a lot of sense. Because if you do all of the textbook and online reading obviously you are going to have specialized questions. Google may not be able to answer all of the questions. Asking the professor may be able to clear up some of that confusion. I think this could be a benefiting factor towards a students success in the classroom."

"'Do your best to do all of the online reading assignments.' I agree with this statement because showing up does affect how much you learn and also doing the homework will help understand what was taught in class."

"'Do all things early.' I think this is important because if you choose to procrastinate with a class you don't really understand you will fall further behind and then you won't be able to pass the class. So getting things done early makes you organized and focused more." "

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

"I would like to learn how to use the starwheel--I'm still confused on how to use it."

"How did the zodiac constellations come to turn into the belief system it is are today? How do these constellations relate to the time we are born?"

"Are there any tricks to memorizing the phases of the moon?" (We'll go over this in class tonight.)

"How do we determine the age of the universe? And how can we tell how big it actually is, given that there is light from really, really, really, far away that hasn't even reached us yet. So how can we really know the size of the universe? Does it just keep going?" (Those are really, really deep questions that we will get to ask (and answer) much later this semester. Stay tuned.)

"I was told in a class I took long ago that the shift in magnetic field was due to an effect similar to having shoes in a clothes dryer; the iron in Earth's core shifts due to fluid mechanics, and during certain periods 'knocks around,' until it becomes stable again for a little bit. Is this an accurate analogy, too simplistic or completely wrong? (Because now it is stuck in my head.)" (That sounds like a great explanation for how Earth's magnetic dynamo works, based on current understanding.)

"Will we be learning about blood moons?" (Yes--many lunar eclipses are dark brown, but some are orange or reddish, and those would be called "blood moons." More on that phenomena next week, after you take the first quiz.)

"What is your passion outside of teaching?" (Living the #vanlife with Mrs. P-dog.)

"What is your personal opinion on astrology?" (Let me consult my Magic 8Ball® and see what it says.)

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

Astronomy 210, fall semester 2019
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, and on reading advice from previous semester Astr 210 students.


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 celestial sphere. I had never really thought about how the rotation of the earth affected what we see in the night sky, or that the sky I see at this time of year might look totally different in a few months."

"The precession of Earth astounds me that it lasts 26,000 years. I've never heard about this factor of theEarth like most of the things already discussed in the chapter."

"The phases of the moon, and how the sun illuminates light to it. The moon is visible as a half circle two times during the eight phases."

"I've always had some interest in zodiac signs so it was interesting to note that they represent where the earth is in its orbit around the sun. I always knew they had certain dates but I never knew the reasoning for it."

"I really enjoyed learning about the earth rotation and its effect on the celestial sphere. I never knew that the zodiac signs had a connection with the months. I've never really understand how all the zodiac sign stuff worked and I kind of got a hint of it, so that was groovy. Also just learning about the proper moon vocabulary was interesting."

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

"The starwheel was confusing because I still don't know how to read it and I can't find all the constellations."

"Generally, my issue would be remembering some vocabulary as well as needing some refreshers on some methods of starwheel use."

"The concept of the 'wobbling poles'. I was under the impression that the poles were sort of fixed, and that's why they can be used for navigational purposes. I'm looking forward to a more in-depth explanation in class."

"The waxing and waning moon phases because I don't quite understand how to identify either or."

"How the moon goes through its phases and where exactly is earth's and the sun's placement in creating each phase. I've read the book and the presentation I felt was more helpful but for some reason it doesn't seem to be clicking."

"The Earth-moon-sun diagrams, I really tried to understand it, but I was struggling with the slides. I couldn't really understand what it was trying to convey. If you could please go over this the next time we meet in class that would great."

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.	********** [10]
April 25.	[0]
July 4.	[0]
August 20.	* [1]
(Unsure/guessing/lost/help!)	******** [8]

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

Earth's rotation: 24 hours [100%]
Earth's revolution: one year [63%]
Earth's precession: 26,000 years [100%]
The moon's revolution: one month [63%]

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.	* [1]
Disagree.	**** [4]
Neutral.	******** [8]
Agree.	***** [5]
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'm neutral because I'll be in my room reading my zodiac thing, and bam next thing I know the predictions come true and I find like 20 bucks on the floor."

"I do believe in a spiritual sense that zodiac signs are accurate to some degree just based off of when you were born and the character traits you hold , but I do think people take them too far when they try to tell people their futures."

"I never really believed in astrology having to do anything with our future. I also haven't put much though into it. I just find it difficult to believe that stars can predict our future, but I may be wrong."

"My answer is neutral because I find it rather hard to believe that based on astrology one can determine their own future. That I know of there is no scientific evidence that guarantees what exactly can happen. Also the future itself is very unpredictable I don't believe there is any way one can truly know what will happen."

"I chose neutral because I believe that although it could predict our futures we can choose to change what is expected on this Earth and in our future. We can change anything we have the power of doing."

"Never had much faith in anything, so I guess it's just because astrology has never been in my life much."

"Astrology is a load of garbage. The idea that the positions of the stars could in any way predict or portend the future is ridiculous, and it makes me angry when people bring it up."

"I'm not sure why I believe in astrology. I do find it very ironic that many events in life do match up to the explanations of astrology. So much so, that over my adult years, it is hard to deny the link between astrology and logical/realistic thinking. I do know that my life's outcome does not solely rely on astrology."

"I don't believe that your life is decided by the stars, but it's fun to follow and compare with other people."

"Astrology is a pseudoscience and therefore not factual."

"I am neutral because I think they are capable on making accurate predictions, but they also can fail to predict it correctly."

"I feel, at least for me, seasons and sky positions can greatly affect my mood therefore altering how I behave and progress or degrees."

"Astrology seems to be accurate at times. Although I don't believe it determines everything in life, I do believe it plays a small part in who we are."

"I don't really have an opinion on this because I don't see any ways in which it can predict my future, however, if I were to be shown the different ways, than I could possibly have a different opinion."

"Astrology has been around for thousands of years and they have not disappointed. With the invention of telescopes we were able to see when comets were going to pass by or if there was to be a solar eclipse in the next year of so."

"I chose neutral because I like to believe in logical answers yet there's always a part of me that hopes supernatural stuff like this actually occurs. "

"When I was in high school, I would use some apps that would tell me my horoscope. I wouldn't look at the daily ones until the day was over so I wouldn't have an altered mindset throughout the day. Almost all of the horoscopes were accurate, though others that weren't accurate didn't really factor in the attribute of interacting with other people of different zodiac signs. Same would go for weekly (which I wouldn't check until the weekends (those had larger margins of error, however)), and the monthly I would check on the 25th day of every month (also larger error margin)."

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

New moon: first [84%]
Waxing crescent: second [89%]
First quarter: third [89%]
Waxing gibbous: fourth [79%]
Full moon: fifth [84%]
Waning gibbous: sixth [79%]
Third quarter: seventh [84%]
Waning crescent: eighth [84%]

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

"'You learn everything in class, so study your notes and your quizzes.' I agree with this advice because you cant really learn what's being learned in class if you aren't in class. taking notes is something everyone should do so that you can study it and do good in the class."

"'Do all the things early!' I can agree with the student who wrote this. Staying on top of your work is key. I have a big problem with procrastination and tend to leave everything to the last minute. I hope this semester to get ahead of my work and take this advice serious."

"'Just show up to class, do the reading, and don't be afraid to ask questions.' this advice is something I agree with because I lack on the reading at times and I would like to change that."

"'Take your time doing the reading! Make time for online reading assignments and study continuously.' I agree with this piece of advice because I like to have a steady pace while I learn. If I don't take my time I will not learn anything."

"'To be successful in this course you need to understand the online reading assignments and be an active listener during lectures.' I agree with this because understanding the online assignments will help me succeed in astrology and being an active listener is important because failing to pay attention to what the teacher is saying in any class is just going to make your work more difficult to do."

"'Just keep swimming' was probably my favorite out of all of them. (A) Nostalgia. (B) It's very true. Since this won't be a conventional subject that you would learn as a GE in high school, I know it's going to be a challenge for me. Knowing this, I'm determined to get through this semester (right now anyway) and face these challenges head on with the support of P-dog and my peers/colleagues."

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

"Please help distinguish the terms from each other."

"Although I procrastinated this week, I look forward to a great semester. The class seems very interesting and honestly I have hardly any education or recall about anything that has to do with astronomy. As of right now I don't really have questions but I'm sure a few weeks into the semester I will have many. I also haven't purchased my starwheel so I was unable to complete that question."

"I am having a hard time understanding what is due, when is it due, and where do I access everthing. I feel that there are several different places to access asignments and I just need better direction so that I can gain assurance."

"Will we be given a study guide for quizzes and exams? And are we going to go over the moon phases in class?" (Yes, and yes.)

"Do we go over all the material we just read in the book and in the presentations in class?" (Yes, and yes, but selectively in-depth, depending on your responses to the online reading assignments.)

"So when you hear a thing referred to as a 'blood moon' what is that and how often does that occur?" (Many lunar eclipses are dark brown, but some are orange or reddish, and those would be called "blood moons." More on that phenomena next week, after you take the first quiz.)

"How long have you taught astronomy? You said you majored in physics and were approached to teach astronomy, but you never said how long ago that was." (I taught my first class in astronomy nearly twenty years ago.)

Astronomy quiz archive: stars/sun/seasons/moon phases

Astronomy 210 Quiz 1, spring semester 2019
Cuesta College, San Luis Obispo, CA

Section 30674, version 1
Exam code: quiz01n1aR


Section 30674

0- 8.0 :	*** [low = 8.0]
8.5-16.0 :	********
16.5-24.0 :	******** [mean = 23.3 +/- 9.7]
24.5-32.0 :	*******
32.5-40.0 :	********* [high = 40.0]

Section 30676, version 1
Exam code: quiz01sRmB


Section 30676

0- 8.0 :	*** [low = 5.0]
8.5-16.0 :	*********
16.5-24.0 :	************* [mean = 23.9 +/- 9.2]
24.5-32.0 :	**********
32.5-40.0 :	*********** [high = 40.0]