Exploring Astronomy and Astrophysics With Universe Sandbox (13-18 Year Olds)

The cosmos, while vast, are controlled by universal physical laws that are used to make predictions and better understand the ‘hows’ and ‘whys’ of astrophysics. In this ongoing class, students will use a simulation program called Universe Sandbox where they will be introduced to a new astrophysical concept each week. (The weekly topics are  self-contained, so the information we have covered in previous classes won't be required for the future classes and students can join at anytime during the session.)

This class is intended for the intermediate to advanced astronomy student. Students should also familiarize themselves with the basic controls of Universe Sandbox before class. I have made a brief introductory of the Universe Sandbox simulation and controls: https://bit.ly/3H3Wpfs

While a personal copy of Universe Sandbox is not required for this class, it is *highly* recommended. I will be sharing my screen so that all students can see the simulations. However, having Universe Sandbox up and running on the learner's device will allow them to test out their own creations and simulations.

I also recommend logging into the Outschool classroom on a separate device than what you will use Universe Sandbox. It's an amazing program and because of that, it can take up a lot of a computer's processing power. It can also make it difficult to see the shared screen and your computer.

**Universe Sandbox can be purchased here: http://universesandbox.com/buy/

A course outline will be as follows:

Topic 1: Week of April 6
Topic 2: Week of April 13
Topic 3: Week of April 20
Topic 4: Week of April 27
Topic 5: Week of May 4
Topic 6: Week of May 11
Topic 7: Week of May 18
Topic 8: Week of May 25

**No class: Week of June  1  & June 8

Topic 9: Week of June 15
Topic 10: Week of June 22
Topic 11: Week of June 29

Topic 1: Explore the Solar System
Our Solar System is vast and is made up of an amazing assortment of planets! In this class, we will explore the Solar System and learn about how astronomers use density to determine a planet's properties. We will also create our own customized object by using our knowledge of the Moon's density.

Topic 2: Collisions and Tidal Forces
What would happen if the Moon orbited too close to the Earth? How were Saturn’s rings formed? In this class, students will gain a deeper understanding for these physical properties and how they work.

Topic 3: Gravity and Orbits (Part 1)
Kepler’s Laws of Planetary Motion play a vital role in our understanding of our Solar System. We will use this knowledge to simulation orbits with our Solar System and then apply it to exoplanetary systems.

Topic 4: Gravity and Orbits (Part 2)
From planetary motion to rocket science, gravity is an important concept in our Universe. In this class, students will investigate how gravity influences objects all around us.

Topic 5: Planetscaping
In this class, students will be guided on how to use Universe Sandbox's new planetscaping feature to make their own planets.

Topic 6: Terraforming
Earth is the only known planet able to support life. In this class, we will explore some of the special characteristics that makes Earth habitable and apply those to see if we can terraform other worlds.

Topic 7: Celestial Mechanics
The Universe is bound by physical laws that astronomers use to describe how things work and make accurate predictions. In this class, we will investigate different simulations and apply some of these laws.

Topic 8: The Habitable Zone and Exoplanets
Since the 1990s, the search for planets outside of our Solar System has yielded thousands. But, could any of these worlds support human life? In this class, we'll talk about the necessary conditions needed to make a planet habitable and students will get to design their own solar system.

Topic 9: Stars and the HR Diagram
Stars come in a variety of temperatures and sizes. In this class, we'll look at the properties of stars and what they can tell us about the Universe.

Topic 10: Stellar Endings: Main Sequence Stars
With the help of advanced telescopes like Hubble, Chandra, and the James Webb Space Telescope, astronomers are gaining insight about how stars come to an end. In this class, we'll model various simulations of stellar endings  for Sun-like stars, including red giants and supernovae.

Topic 11: Stellar Endings: Supergiant Stars
With the help of advanced telescopes like Hubble, Chandra, and the James Webb Space Telescope, astronomers are gaining insight about how stars come to an end. In this class, we'll model various simulations of stellar endings supergiant stars, including supernovae, stellar mass black holes, neutron stars, and pulsars.


At the end of the 11 weeks, the topics will start again at Topic 1. If the learner missed any of the listed topics, the class will cycle through again in a new section and the topics will be repeated.
**************************************************************************

Reasons why astronomy education is important:
1) It’s a lifelong tool that children will use. Having an understanding of the heavens will be something they appreciate throughout their lives.

2) Astronomy encourages kids to get outside. Having an understanding of the stars will encourage kids to get outdoors and look up as they gain confidence in their knowledge of the motions and placement of celestial bodies.

3)It is a hobby that the entire family can do and enjoy together. Classical astronomy doesn’t require specialized tools or instruments. Families can simply enjoy together time, gazing at the stars.

4) It is cross-curricular. There are innumerable references to astronomy in literature, history to name a few. Having an understanding of the heavens will help to deepen an appreciation in these other areas, too.

5) Astronomy is fun and a great way to get kids excited about science! Kids can hardly get enough of hearing about black holes, exoplanets, stars, and the Solar System. Astronomy is a great “springboard” for them to delve deeper into more science and math concepts.

Classroom Expectations and Guidelines:
1) My goal is to keep classes close to the scheduled amount of time, however, sometimes classes with low enrollments or especially talkative students may go over or under a few minutes.

Classes will begin and end at the scheduled times, even if learners are late to the classroom or absent.
2) If no learners are in the classroom, I will wait 10 minutes before exiting the classroom. As stated in Outschool’s policy, “If your learners have not joined the meeting 10 minutes after the start time, the meeting may be canceled, at the teacher’s discretion.  This is considered a missed meeting and you are not entitled to a refund.”

3) To ensure safety and security, ALL of my students are required to turn their cameras on at the beginning of class so I can check identity. They may turn their cameras off after I have verified them. Students will also be asked to speak throughout each class, so a working microphone is required. This also helps ensure security and safety.

4) I follow all Outschool refund policies. Please familiarize yourself with them here: https://support.outschool.com/en/articles/16379-refund-policies-and-happiness-guarantee

5) For multiple learner’s from your household, Outschool’s policies states, “Parents are welcome to enroll two or more learners in the same section of a class provided that the class has enough spaces. You will need to enroll each learner separately for the section, but learners are welcome to share a device if that would make it easier to attend class.”