Astrobiology (SC-3b)

• 1/2: Introduction to the course, pass out syllabus, lecture and reading on "What is Astrobiology?", begin Signs of Life Activity

What is Astrobiology? Check out this MC break it down for ya:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NL3lhm6oy5I

Another cool video on Astrobiology from NASA (with epic space music!):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1HCs2lT1Mmk

• 1/5: Signs of Life Activity continued, lecture and reading on "How Many Worlds Might Harbor Life?"


• 1/9: Finish "How Many Worlds Might Harbor Life?", lecture and reading on "Pseudoscience and Skeptical Thinking" plus Pseudoscience Article questions (DUE Thurs. 1/12 in class):

1. From each article, what is the theory or hypothesis used to explain the "Face on Mars"?

2. What evidence did each article use to prove or disprove the Face on Mars?

3. Compare how the two articles used data in contradicting reports about the Face on Mars

4. How would you check the statements in each article to verify their claims?

5. Which article would you classify as pseudoscience, and why? Explain.

Here's a video on the Drake Equation explained in simple terms:

http://www.blacksitemedia.com/play.php?vid=192

Normally I have beef with Wikipedia, but this is a really comprehensive list of links concerning different examples of pseudoscience that'll keep you busy for a while! They're all clickable, for further reading.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_topics_characterized_as_pseudoscience

• 1/12: Watch "Secrets of the Sun" with film questions, begin lecture and reading on "What is A Star?"

If you missed it or would like to see it again, here's the full movie online:

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-1245724174908696506#

Here's a couple more videos on the sun that are pretty sweet:

http://video.nationalgeographic.com/video/player/science/space-sci/solar-system/sun-101-sci.html

http://science.discovery.com/videos/space-school-the-sun.html

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qZe5D3MSjOI&feature=relmfu

A good one on solar storms and solar weather and their effect on Earth:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NrIx6BKO6IE

• 1/16: NO SCHOOL- Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
• 1/19: "What is a Star?" continued

OK, this will blow your mind. Check out the size comparisons (to scale) of different types of stars: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pLWkkx8VzdM&feature=related

• 1/23: H-R Diagram Class Activity plus H-R Diagram questions (in-class). If you didn't finish them in class, they're DUE Thurs. 1/26 in class. Here they are (but remember you'll need to see an H-R Diagram in order to answer them):

Looking at the H-R Diagram:

1. Describe the general trend between temperature and brightness

2. What is the color and brightness of the most abundant stars? What about the rarest?

3. What are the characteristics of the stars that do not conform to the graph's trend (fall along the Main Sequence)?

4. In term's of the graph's trend, is our Sun a typical or exceptional star, and why?

5. In the stars that fall along the Main Sequence, what relationship do you notice between color and expected lifetime?

6. How does the color of the star relate to its mass and temperature?

7. Why might stars of one color be much more abundant than stars of another color?

8. Which type(s) of star should we consider first when looking for stars that might have life-supporting worlds around them, and why?







Here's a couple websites with images, info, and interactive examples of the H-R Diagram: http://bork.hampshire.edu/~sam/extraordinary/HR%20Diagram.jpg http://sunshine.chpc.utah.edu/labs/star_life/hr_diagram.html

http://www.astro.uni-bonn.de/~javahrd/

And here's an H-R Diagram video:

http://www.spacetelescope.org/videos/heic1017b/

• 1/26: Lecture and reading on "The Life Cycle of A Star", receive "Star Life Cycle Project Guidelines", begin Star Life Cycle Projects

Here's a sweet video on the life cycle of a star like our sun-12 billion years in 6 minutes (with a tight soundtrack by FC Kahuna):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mZL7VBmeFxY&feature=related

More star life cycle videos, with good info on stellar characteristics (or at least sweet visuals and music): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YU6X3SPZAJo&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l0aGANf5YI8&feature=related

And a good one from the Discovery Channel:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4s7vyDLgk3M&feature=related

• 1/30: Unit Quiz One and Binder Check, Star Life Cycle Projects continued
• 2/2: Star Life Cycle Projects continued
• 2/6: Star Life Cycle Projects continued
• 2/9: Finish Star Life Cycle Projects
• 2/13: Lecture and reading on "Galaxy Q and A", Galaxy Graphic Organizer

A couple videos on galaxies, including the Milky Way:

http://www.videojug.com/film/how-big-is-the-galaxy

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zCSSaDPxQls

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pOjZInwd5Ks

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XRnsy8YYcq0&feature=related

http://science.discovery.com/videos/space-school-milky-way.html

• 2/16: Finish "Galaxy Q and A", Scale Model Solar System Walkthrough Activity, Galaxy homework (DUE Mon. 2/20 in class):

1. Define "galaxy", and describe the structures of a galaxy

2. Describe why the Star-Gas-Star cycle is important to Astrobiology

3. Define "Interstellar Medium", and describe why the ISM is so important to the formation of planets

4. Describe three conditions that are necessary in order to have a habitable planet in our galaxy

5. Which type of galaxy seems the most likely place to have life in it, and why?

• 2/20: Lecture and reading on "Basics of Our Solar System", Solar System homework (DUE Mon. 2/27):

1. Explain how our solar system got its patterns of motion and became a disc

2. What is the "frost line"? How did it contribute to the formation of the two types of planets?

3. Describe the differences between asteroids and comets. Also, describe how they represent the "leftovers" from the planet formation process

4. List and describe four differences between terrestrial and jovian planets

Here's a couple videos on the solar system's formation:

http://www.metacafe.com/watch/1111454/formation_of_the_solar_system_great_animation/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5l5mB-rFuGo

• 2/23: No School- Rodeo Break
• 2/27: Lecture and reading on "Terrestrial and Jovian Planets"
• 3/1:
• 3/5: Midterm Exam and Binder Check,