What's included
18 pre-recorded lessons
6 weeks
of teacher support1 year access
to the contentProjects
1 hour per week. Projects within Universe SandboxCertificate of Completion
includedClass Experience
𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘴 𝘢𝘯 𝘢𝘴𝘺𝘯𝘤𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘯𝘰𝘶𝘴 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘴𝘦. 𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘯𝘰 𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘮𝘦𝘦𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴. 𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘺𝘱𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘴 𝘸𝘰𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘧𝘶𝘭 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘯𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘢𝘤𝘳𝘰𝘴𝘴 𝘥𝘪𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦 𝘻𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥/𝘰𝘳 𝘥𝘰𝘯’𝘵 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘧𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦 𝘰𝘯 𝘤𝘢𝘮𝘦𝘳𝘢. The cosmos, while vast, is controlled by universal physical laws that are used to make predictions and better understand the ‘hows’ and ‘whys’ of astrophysics. In this self-paced class, students will use a simulation program called Universe Sandbox where they will be introduced to a new astrophysical concept each week. This class is intended for the intermediate to advanced astronomy student, and the Universe Sandbox program is needed. Students should also familiarize themselves with the basic controls of Universe Sandbox before class through the provided introductory video. This course can be taken in tandem or separately from "Exploring Astronomy and Astrophysics With Universe Sandbox" as the course content doesn't build or depend on each other. I also recommend logging into the Outschool classroom on a separate device than what the student will use for 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/ 𝑾𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒕𝒐 𝒆𝒙𝒑𝒆𝒄𝒕 𝒇𝒓𝒐𝒎 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒄𝒐𝒖𝒓𝒔𝒆: ✨Each week, a series of videos will be posted for the student to follow along with and will consist of step-by-step instructions on building new simulations, formulating hypotheses, testing the hypotheses, and applying astrophysics. (See the topic list below.) ✨The students will also be given a corresponding handout and regular assignments to do within Universe Sandbox. (See the 'Syllabus' section for a more detailed outline)
Learning Goals
Students will be come familiar with astronomy terms.
Students will learn about astrophysical processes.
Syllabus
Curriculum
Follows Teacher-Created Curriculum6 Units
18 Lessons
over 6 WeeksUnit 1: ✨Planetscaping
Lesson 1:
Planetscaping a Pre-existing Planet
Students will be guided through a tutorial showing them the fundamental steps of Universe Sandbox's planetscaping tools.
Lesson 2:
Planetscaping a Blank Planet
Students will create their own unique world using Universe Sandbox's planetscaping tools.
Lesson 3:
Create a Solar System
Students will create their own solar systems with their newly designed planets and moons.
Unit 2: ✨Terraforming
Lesson 4:
The Habitable Zone
Students will learn about the habitable zone and what characteristics influence a planet's ability to have temperatures conducive for water on its surface.
Other Details
Parental Guidance
From Universe Sandbox: " Accordingly, we will not knowingly collect or use any personal information from children that we know to be under the age of 13. In addition, we will delete any information in our possession that we discover originates from a child under the age of 13.
Parental Controls. If you believe that your child’s personal information was mistakenly collected through our services, please contact us immediately at info@universesandbox.com and we will work with you to determine if this is the case and remove such information if necessary."
Please see https://universesandbox.com/privacy/ for further questions.
External Resources
In addition to the Outschool classroom, this class uses:
Sources
Stellarium
Universe Sandbox
Teacher expertise and credentials
Master's Degree in Science from The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa
I am a 5-star ACE certified teacher and was recognized as an Outschool "Outstanding Educator." My passion is teaching astronomy. There is nothing like hearing the "Ooos" and "Awws" from families who have seen the rings of Saturn for the first time through a telescope. The Universe is a vast and amazing place! I am looking forward to sharing many of its curiosities and wonders with your learner!
𝐄𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞
I hold a Bachelor's degree in Physics from Angelo State University and a Master's of Science degree in Astrophysics from the University of Alabama where I studied extragalactic astronomy. While in graduate school, I was also a Teaching Assistant for the department's astronomy classes and labs.
During my undergraduate years, I had the honor of working at Texas' second largest planetarium on the campus of Angelo State University. I loved coordinating public planetarium shows and star talks. During this time, I realized how much I love astronomy education.
For the past decade, I have had the opportunity to homeschool my 3 children. I also teach astronomy classes in my community, allowing me to share these explorations with others. I enjoy catering to different learning styles and appreciate what each learner brings to the classroom.
Reviews
Self-Paced Course
$13
weekly or $77 for all content18 pre-recorded lessons
6 weeks of teacher support
Choose your start date
1 year of access to the content
Choose your start date
Ages: 7-12