Course Description:

Astronomy I and II are advanced courses that introduce students to a variety of topics regarding our solar system and the physical geology of the planets.  We will discuss historical, astronomical and geological topics.  We will survey constellations, investigate our solar system, and discuss star and galaxy formation along with current events in astronomy.

I recommend the following materials for Astronomy I and II:

- 3 ring binder (if it has folders that would be best.)

- Writing utensils: Pencil, pen (blue, black and red)(highlighter, optional)

- Loose-leaf paper

- Calculator (does not need to be a graphing calculator)

- Metric Ruler

Astronomy Textbook:

The Cosmic Perspective, sixth edition.   Bennett, Donahue,Schneider and Voit.   Pearson Addison-Wesley Publishing.

Astronomy I Course Topics:

Unit 1.   Observational Astronomy

Unit 2.   Advancements in Astronomy

Unit 3.   Earth, Moon, and Sun

Unit 4.   Forces and Light

Astronomy II Course Topics:  

Unit 1.   The Formation of Our Solar System

Unit 2.   The Planets

Unit 3.   The Sun and Stars

Unit 4.   Galaxies

Potential Extra Units. Extrasolar Planets

Grading Scale:

Scores will be weighted. Classwork and labs will account for 30% of the grade, tests/quizzes will be worth 60%, and the final exam will account for 10%.

A  100-93%                B-  80-82%                D+  67-69%

A-  90-92%                 C+ 77-79%                 D   63-66%

B+  87-89%                C   73-76%                 D-  60-62%

 B    83-86%                C-  70-72%                 F     0-59%