YOUTH INITIATIVE HIGH SCHOOL

Waldorf Initiative in Viroqua, Wisconsin, USA

 

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The Shape of the Universe:

Astronomy, Cosmology, and Physics

YIHS 12th Grade Path Class -- Spring Semester 2007

Teacher:  Jacob Hundt

 

Of all the natural sciences, astronomy is the one most akin to poetry.  Ever since human beings first pondered at the stars or basked in the warmth of the sun, the objects and phenomena of the heavens have been closely associated with all that is beyond ordinary Earth-bound understanding: the sublime, the eternal, the supernatural.  From the earliest cultures we can find record of until today, careful observations and contemplations of the skies have structured the lives of people everywhere, serving as the basis for religions, for systems of timekeeping, and for the continuing exploration of the origins and fundamental laws of the Universe.

 

In keeping with the ancient origins of the study of the stars, our most important task in this class will be to familiarize ourselves with the night sky through direct observation.  Students will be expected to participate in at least two evening stargazing sessions during the semester.  Our telescope and naked-eye observations will lead us toward a far ranging investigation of astronomical objects and phenomena, including stars, planets, galaxies, and the more exotic things found in more distant regions of space and time.  In order to comprehend this all, we will need to familiarize with a variety of principles from physics, including gravitation, electromagnetic radiation and optics, and relativity.  Along the way, we will trace the way in which scientific understandings of the structure and order of the cosmos have evolved, from the harmonious system of Ptolemy, through the clockwork universe of Newton, to the fantastic and improbable cosmology initiated by Einstein and the founders of quantum mechanics.

 

This class will cover the following topics:

--How to look at the night sky and recognize the important constellations.

--How the stars, moon, planets, and other objects appear to move through the night sky over the course of the night and year.

--How the scientific view of the origin and structure of the cosmos has evolved since the time of the ancient Greeks.

 

We will also seek answers to some or all of the following questions:

--What causes the phases of the moon?

--What are the characteristics of the different planets of the Solar System?

--Why was Pluto recently demoted from a major planet to a minor planet?

--How does a telescope work?

--What keeps the Earth going around the Sun?

--What is a star and what makes it shine?

--What is gravity?

--What is a black hole?  What happens if you fall into one?

--What was the Big Bang?

--Why can’t anything go faster than the speed of light?

--How many dimensions are there?

--What is the significance of E=mc2?

--What is the relationship between space and time?

--Why does the universe appear to be expanding?

--Why is nuclear radiation harmful and where does it come from?

--What is light?

--Is space infinite?

--What is the shape of the Universe?

 

 

 

Class Expectations and Requirements:

 

1.  Active participation in all class discussions and activities, including readings and other homework.

2.  Participation in at least two evening stargazing sessions, to be held periodically during the semester.

3.  A score of at least 60% on each of three closed-note exams.

4.  A presentation to the class on one of the planets or other objects of the Solar System, completed alone or in collaboration with one partner.  Each presentation should include:

     a) an oral presentation of 20-30 minutes

     b) an original handout of one page to be distributed to the class

     c) an attractive and informative artistic rendering of the subject

 

 

 

The Shape of the Semester

 

PART A: Sky Phenomena & An Introduction to Stargazing

Week 1:  January 8, 10, 11

Week 2:  January 15, 17, 18

Week 3:  January 22, 24, 25

 

Week 4: January 29, 31,  Feb 1:  Jacob gone on College Tour.  Students work on planet presentations

 

PART B: The Solar System:  Student presentations

Week 5:  February 5, 7, 8:

Week 6:  February 12,  14, 15:       Exam 1

 

February 19-March 16:  Guatemala Trip

 

PART C: Classical Cosmology and Newtonian Mechanics

Week 7:  March 19, 21, 22:

Week 8:  March 26, 28, 29:

Week 9:  April 2, 4, 5:                    Exam 2

 

April 9-13:  Spring Break

April 16-20:  Theme Week

 

PART D: Albert Einstein, Stephen Hawking, and Quantum Mechanics

Week 10:  April 23, 25, 26:

Week 11:  April 30, May 2, 3:

Week 12:  May 7, 9, 10:              Exam 3