About this Project

Overview

This workbook contains fill-in-the-blank notes and in-class activities for a college-level introductory general education course on Astronomy of the Solar System. Part 1 “Backyard Astronomy” covers topics such as motions of the stars, seasons, phases of the moon, light and telescopes. Part 2 “Solar System” covers star and planet formation as well as a survey of the planets and small bodies in the Solar System. The in-class activities include worksheets that can be completed in small groups as well as short personal writings. It was developed for Astronomy 101 at Nicholls State University in Thibodaux, LA.

About the Author

Kaisa E. Young, PhD, is an astronomer and Professor of Physics in the Department of Chemistry and Physical Sciences at Nicholls State University. She teaches and continues to develop student-centered, active-learning, general education courses such as Astronomy of the Solar System, Astronomy of Stars and Galaxies, and Physics of the Universe. Dr. Young is recipient of the 2021 Woman of Achievement Award and 2020 Presidential Award for Teaching Excellence from Nicholls State University. She is active in the scholarship of teaching and learning with a focus on astronomy and physics education. Dr. Young is also passionate about science literacy, regularly visiting K-12 classrooms and organizing astronomy public outreach events.