Re: Suggestions for new astronomy class

["James W. Wheeler" <jwheeler@EAGLE.LHUP.EDU>]

I would also recommend the ESSC laboratories from Sky publishing and the
CLEA computer activities from Gettysburg College.  (I think they will be
doing a workshop in San Antonio.)

Do some observing!  Naked eye for starters, binoculars as the next step,
take it as far as your equipment, budget, and cloud cover will allow.  One
or two sessions-perhaps an out of class project.

The Astronomical Society of the Pacific also sells slides.  Cost is about
a dollar per slide.

Good Books:
Tayler or Meadows on Stellar Structure and Evolution
Sciama on Cosmology
Sky and Telescope Magazine
Astronomy Magazine
Scientific American

There are web sites which link to a very large number of Astronomy sites.
www.aspsky.org
www.aas.org
www.darksky.org
www.gettysburg.edu
www.noao.edu

On Tue, 6 Apr 1999, David Strasburger-fac wrote:

> Next spring I will be teaching a half-year course in introductory
> astronomy to high school juniors and seniors.  I have been teaching high
> school physics for nine years but have never taught astronomy other than
> where astro topics come up in physics classes.
>
> I am working on a proposal for some development money from my school
> (natch) and looking for suggestions.
>
> 1) Summer course suggestions -- can anyone recommend a summer institute
> which might be helpful to me?  My background in astronomy includes one
> undergraduate class and recreational reading on my part.  I need to learn
> (re-learn?) some basic observing techniques, among other things.
>
> 2) activity/resource suggestions  -- I'd love to hear suggestions also on
> other resources for teachers that people have found useful.   I want
> something that is probably impossible: a relatively hands-on
> activity-oriented class with a minimum of nighttime work (I live over 1/2
> hr from my schol) .   I want to do some direct observing, but I am also
> thinking about simulations, in-class spectroscopy experiments, analysis of
> astronomical data available on the web....
>
> 3) text suggestions -- Any texts that people particularly like?
>
> 4) Reference books -- I am writing this note at the kind suggestion of
> Donald Simanek who has already sold his pile of old astro books by the
> time I reached him.  If you have older texts, resource books, equipment
> etc that you think might be useful for a first-time astro teacher and
> you'd be willing to sell them, please let me know.
>
> Feel free to respond directly to me if you are so inclined -- I don't want
> to clutter the list.
>
> Many thanks
>
> David Strasburger
>
> David_Strasburger@nobles.edu
> 781/326-3700 x319
>
> Noble & Greenough School
> 10 Campus Drive
> Dedham Mass
> 02026