Lecture-Tutorials for Introductory Astronomy provides a collection of 44 collaborative learning, inquiry-based activities to be used in introductory astronomy courses. Based on education research, these activities are "classroom ready" and lead to deeper, more complete student understanding through a series of structured questions that prompt students to use reasoning and identify and correct their misconceptions. All content has been extensively field tested and six new tutorials have been added that respond to reviewer demand, numerous interviews, and nationally conducted workshops. An Instructor Resource Center page is available with complete notes and text art.
Take a few moments to look up at the glorious night sky and appreciate the majestic beauty of Gods vast universe. Astronomy is one of the most fascinating and awe-inspiring of all of the sciences, but it can be hard to find a junior high-level curriculum for it that is easy-to-use, factual, and presented from a biblical worldview. Our Introduction to Astronomy course meets all of those requirements, though, and will captivate any stargazer. Using the comprehensive, photo-filled The Stargazers Guide to the Night Sky as its base, students will soon find that the stars are just a glance away! This course will teach students the basics for how to see the stars (with or without binoculars or telescope), the times to see specific galaxies and celestial objects, and most importantly, how to determine what they are looking at during certain times of the year.
"Lecture-Tutorials for Introductory Astronomy," which was developed by the Conceptual Astronomy and Physics Education Research (CAPER) Team, is a collection of classroom-tested activities designed for the large-lecture introductory astronomy class, although it is suitable for any astronomy class. The Lecture-Tutorials are short, structured activities designed for students to complete while working in pairs. Each activity targets one or more specific learning objectives based on research on student difficulties in astronomy. Most activities can be completed in 10 to 15 minutes. The instructor's guide provides, for each activity, the recommended prerequisite knowledge, the learning goals for the activity, a pre-activity assessment question, an answer key, suggestions for implementation, and follow-up questions to be used for class discussion or homework.
Astronomy is written in clear non-technical language, with the occasional touch of humor and a wide range of clarifying illustrations. It has many analogies drawn from everyday life to help non-science majors appreciate, on their own terms, what our modern exploration of the universe is revealing. The book can be used for either aone-semester or two-semester introductory course (bear in mind, you can customize your version and include only those chapters or sections you will be teaching.) It is made available free of charge in electronic form (and low cost in printed form) to students around the world. If you have ever thrown up your hands in despair over the spiraling cost of astronomy textbooks, you owe your students a good look at this one. Coverage and Scope Astronomy was written, updated, and reviewed by a broad range of astronomers and astronomy educators in a strong community effort. It is designed to meet scope and sequence requirements of introductory astronomy courses nationwide. Chapter 1: Science and the Universe: A Brief Tour Chapter 2: Observing the Sky: The Birth of Astronomy Chapter 3: Orbits and Gravity Chapter 4: Earth, Moon, and Sky Chapter 5: Radiation and Spectra Chapter 6: Astronomical Instruments Chapter 7: Other Worlds: An Introduction to the Solar System Chapter 8: Earth as a Planet Chapter 9: Cratered Worlds Chapter 10: Earthlike Planets: Venus and Mars Chapter 11: The Giant Planets Chapter 12: Rings, Moons, and Pluto Chapter 13: Comets and Asteroids: Debris of the Solar System Chapter 14: Cosmic Samples and the Origin of the Solar System Chapter 15: The Sun: A Garden-Variety Star Chapter 16: The Sun: A Nuclear Powerhouse Chapter 17: Analyzing Starlight Chapter 18: The Stars: A Celestial Census Chapter 19: Celestial Distances Chapter 20: Between the Stars: Gas and Dust in Space Chapter 21: The Birth of Stars and the Discovery of Planets outside the Solar System Chapter 22: Stars from Adolescence to Old Age Chapter 23: The Death of Stars Chapter 24: Black Holes and Curved Spacetime Chapter 25: The Milky Way Galaxy Chapter 26: Galaxies Chapter 27: Active Galaxies, Quasars, and Supermassive Black Holes Chapter 28: The Evolution and Distribution of Galaxies Chapter 29: The Big Bang Chapter 30: Life in the Universe Appendix A: How to Study for Your Introductory Astronomy Course Appendix B: Astronomy Websites, Pictures, and Apps Appendix C: Scientific Notation Appendix D: Units Used in Science Appendix E: Some Useful Constants for Astronomy Appendix F: Physical and Orbital Data for the Planets Appendix G: Selected Moons of the Planets Appendix H: Upcoming Total Eclipses Appendix I: The Nearest Stars, Brown Dwarfs, and White Dwarfs Appendix J: The Brightest Twenty Stars Appendix K: The Chemical Elements Appendix L: The Constellations Appendix M: Star Charts and Sky Event Resources
Discover how to find constellations like the Royal Family group or those near Orion the Hunter from season to season throughout the year How to use the Sea of Crises as your guidepost for further explorations on the moon's surface Investigate deep sky wonders, extra solar planets, and beyond as God's creation comes alive! Think you know all there is to know about our solar system? You might be surprised at some of the amazing details that you find when you begin Exploring the World of Astronomy! From the rugged surface of the moon to the distant and mysterious constellations, this book provides an exciting educational tour for students of different ages and skill levels. Learn about a blue moon, the 400-year storm on Jupiter, and what is meant by "the zone of life." Discussion ideas, questions, and research opportunities help expand this great resource on observational astronomy into an unforgettable educational course for middle school to high school students!
The eighth edition of Explorations: An Introduction to Astronomy shares with students a sense of wonder about the universe and the dynamic, ever-changing science of astronomy. The text is approachable and uses analogies and examples from the world around us to help students understand more complex content. New to this eighth edition is an updated, visually exciting art package that enhances student learning with clear, accurate representations that reflect the most current data in the field. Print student edition textbook.
The ninth edition of Explorations: An Introduction to Astronomy continues to share with students a sense of wonder about the universe and the dynamic, ever-changing science of astronomy. Written for students of various educational backgrounds, Explorations emphasizes current information, a visually exciting art package, accessible writing, and accuracy.