Updated: 9 September 2020

Kathy Cooksey, Instructor
June 23−July 25, 2008, Summer Session I, UCSC
MWF 10:00 AM−12:45 PM, Nat. Sci. Annex 102

Course Description

General Course Material

• Syllabus (PDF)
• Constants, Equations, Conversion Factors (as given for math quiz, PDF)
• Constants, Equations, Conversion Factors, Terms (PDF)
• Glossary of Terms (PDF)
• Introductory Survey (PDF)

Lectures

1. Overview of Cosmology (PDF)
2. Post-Inquiry Random Walk (PDF)
3. Light: Properties and Information (PDF)
4. Early History of the Universe (Part I) (PDF ERRATUM)
5. Early History of the Universe (Part II) (PDF)
6. Objects in the Universe: Stars (Part I) (PDF)
7. Objects in the Universe: Stars (Part II) (PDF)
8. Objects in the Universe: Galaxies (Part I) (Discussion)
9. Objects in the Universe: Galaxies (Part II) (PDF)
10. Future of the Universe (Part I) (PDF)
11. Future of the Universe (Part II) (DNE)

Readings

1. "The Secret to Raising Smart Kids," Scientific American, C. S. Dwek, 11-28-2007 (PDF; Online)
2. Optional: "The Threat of Stereotypes," J. Aronson, Educational Leadership, 63:14−19, 2004 (PDF Online)
3. "Misconceptions about the Big Bang," C. H. Lineweaver and T. M. Davis, Scientific American, 02-21-2005 (PDF; Online, including some figures not in the PDF, though try this PDF.)
4. "The Lives of Stars: From Birth to Death and Beyond (Part I)," I. Iben, Jr. and A. V. Tutukov, Sky & Telescope, Dec. 1997 (PDF)
5. Optional: "The Lives of Stars: From Birth to Death and Beyond (Part II)," I. Iben, Jr. and A. V. Tutukov, Sky & Telescope, Jan. 1998 (PDF)
6. "The Life Cycle of Galaxies" G. Kauffmann, F. van den Bosch, Scientific American, Jun. 2002 (PDF)
7. "Dark Energy & the Preposterous Universe," S. Carroll, Sky & Telescope, Mar. 2005 (PDF; Online PDF)
8. Optional: "Dark Energy & the Preposterous Universe," S. Carroll, astro-ph, Jul 2001− the technical version (Online PDF; Website)

Assignments

1. Scale Models in Astronomy (PDF)
2. Quiz #1: "Misconceptions" reading+ (PDF)
3. (Energy) History of the Universe (PDF)
• Question 3 instructions: Measuring the Distance to Nearby Galaxies (from Astronomy Department, University of Washington)
• Worksheet (PDF, Online)
• Graph paper (JPG)
4. Quiz #2: "Stars" reading+ (PDF)
5. Quiz #3: Math #1 (PDF)
• THIS IS NOW AN EXTRA CREDIT PROBLEM SET
6. Measuring the Universe (PDF)
7. Quiz #4a: Student Presentations 1 (PDF)
8. Quiz #4b: Math #2 (PDF)
9. Quiz #5a: Student Presentations 2 (PDF)
10. Quiz #5b: Math #3 (PDF)

Web Resources

• ClassAction by University of Nebraska at Lincoln: interactive app with concept questions and explanatory graphics
• Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) provides great Education resources
  • Zooniverse.org hosts many citizen-science projects, including the famous SDSS Galaxy Zoo
  • Spectral Classification of Stars activity, that uses SDSS data
• Astronomy Notes: Like a textbook on the web.
• Universe 101: Big Bang Theory: NASA cosmology tutorial.
• The Universe Adventure: slick tutorial with animations, etc.
• Bad Astronomy: Debunking astronomy misconceptions.
• Stars & Galaxies: A Hypertext course: Explorable web of information.
• Astronomy Picture the Day (APOD): cool astronomy image and explanation every day.
• MultiWavelength Milky Way: NASA-Goddard Space Flight Center informational website.
• And, of course, my other teaching resources, particularly for COSMOS with its Variable Stars Project
• Recommendations from the wide, wide world:
  • Backyard Astronomy Basics: beginner's astronomy page, recommended by Liam (April 2018)
  • The 88 Constellations and Their Brightest Stars: for those actual backyard astronomers, recommended by a member of Lake Jennings Boy Scouts of America Troop 325 (Oct 2019)
  • 44 Closest Stars and How They Compare to Our Sun: a cool and informative infographic, recommended by Hannah from a Girl Scout Troup, as she worked from home on her Space Sciences Explorer Badge (Sep 2020)
  • Space Elevators and Astronomy: a brief introduction to the usefulness of space elevators (and links to even more) but also a compendium of other astronomy web resources; recommended by Emma, via a Bright County Mentor (May 2019)