All resources in OpenStax Astronomy

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Guide for Debunking Pseudo-Science Connected with Astronomy

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In this guide, you will find books, articles, and websites that help teachers of astronomy address some of the weird topics on the fringes of science that students sometimes hear about and want to have clarification for. Included are astrology, UFOs as alien spaceships, crop circles, denial of evolution and the big bang, the “face” on Mars, claims that NASA never landed astronauts on the Moon, and others.

Material Type: Homework/Assignment, Student Guide, Syllabus

Author: Andrew Fraknoi

Some Useful Websites to Obtain Astronomical Images

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This resource suggests some of the best places on the web for astronomy instructors to obtain high-quality images for showing in class (and gives the direct URL for obtaining the photos). It includes general sources, such as the Hubble image gallery and NASA’s Planetary Photojournal, as well as more specific sources for a particular observatory or wavelength range.

Material Type: Reading

Author: Andrew Fraknoi

Distant Nature: Astronomy Exercises

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“Distant Nature: Astronomy Exercises” is a basic set of Open Educational Resource based astronomy exercises designed to be used as instructional aids in conjunction with textbooks and/or live observational exercises. These Exercises utilize the free planetarium software Stellarium.

Material Type: Activity/Lab, Homework/Assignment

Author: Stephen Tuttle

Astronomy Star Project

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This is a project I assign my students in an introductory, non-science major astronomy class. Each student is assigned one of the 25 brightest stars in the sky and they are asked to research and apply concepts they have been learning in the class to their particular star. I leave it up to them to decide the format of their final project - most do PowerPoint but some have done videos or podcasts. One student actually landed a part time job at a radio station after they heard her recording her star project! Many students tell me this is a highlight of the course!

Material Type: Assessment

Author: Erik Christensen

OpenStax Astronomy Slide Presentations in pdf form

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The slideshows that go with OpenStax Astronomy are PowerPoint, which is great for editing and improving, but a bit awkward for instructors who need to load MS PowerPoint in order to present. I used the cc-by license to place them on Wikiversity. I also invite others to collaborate on developing OpenStax materials on Wikiversity and/or Miraheze.

Material Type: Lecture, Lecture Notes, Student Guide

Author: The authors of OpenStax Astronomy

OpenStax Astronomy Video Lecture List

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This is a list of video lectures that I have created for an online class that I teach. These are lectures from each of the 30 chapters in the OpenStax textbook. The lectures generally run between 10 and 20 minutes and I have created 2-4 per chapter. The links are all to videos loaded to YouTube and are all captioned (edited by me, not YouTube auto captioning). Images were obtained from Wikimedia Commons and were limited to those in the public domain or under a CC license and are credited in the footer of each slide. Feel free to use any that you find useful or provide the list to students who may want to review the materials. For anyone interested, I can provide access to the lecture slides as well so that they could be modified to fit your specific requirements. You can contact me directly at: rmwagner@hacc.edu This resource has been updated to a full list of 99 lectures covering all 30 chapters in the book.

Material Type: Lecture

Author: Robert Wagner

Introduction To Astronomy (ASTR 101)

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This course provides an introduction to the universe beyond the Earth. We begin with a study of the night sky and the history of the science of astronomy. We then explore the various objects seen in the cosmos including the solar system, stars, galaxies, and the evolution of the universe itself. As an online course, it is equivalent to 6 lecture hours, and satisfies science requirements for the AA and AS degree. It is designed to be thorough enough to prepare you for more advanced work, while presenting the concepts to non-majors in a way that is meaningful and not overwhelming. We will consider the course a success if you have learned how to think about the universe critically in an organized, logical way, and to have enhanced your appreciation of the sky around us.

Material Type: Assessment, Full Course, Reading, Syllabus

Earth Science

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Earth science is the study of our home planet and all of its components: its lands, waters, atmosphere, and interior. In this book, some chapters are devoted to the processes that shape the lands and impact people. Other chapters depict the processes of the atmosphere and its relationship to the planet’s surface and all our living creatures. For as long as people have been on the planet, humans have had to live within Earth’s boundaries. Now human life is having a profound effect on the planet. Several chapters are devoted to the effect people have on the planet. Chapters at the end of the book will explore the universe beyond Earth: planets and their satellites, stars, galaxies, and beyond.

Material Type: Full Course, Textbook

Remix

Women in Astronomy

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Please note: An updated, expanded version of this guide for 2022 is available at: http://bit.ly/womenastronomers This is a guide for Astronomy 101 instructors (and other educators) on the issues that have faced women in astronomy and the work of some of the women who can serve as role models for the next generation. Written by Andrew Fraknoi (Foothill College), it is part of a series called “Unheard Voices,” sponsored by the Heliophysics Forum of the Space Missions Directorate at NASA. The guide includes written, on-line, and audio-visual materials, many of which can be used directly in the classroom or for student papers. It features sections on: the history of women in astronomy in general, materials on selected women astronomers of the past, issues facing women in astronomy today, and materials on selected contemporary women astronomers.

Material Type: Teaching/Learning Strategy

Author: Andrew Fraknoi

Short Astronomy Videos to Use with Each Chapter of OpenStax Astronomy

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This listing includes a wide range of short videos (15 minutes or less) that can be used in introductory astronomy courses.  It is organized by the chapter topics in the OpenStax Astronomy textbook.  We don’t include simulations.  To suggest other video that you have found particularly useful for Astro 101 courses, please drop a line to the compiler at: fraknoi@fhda.edu

Material Type: Lesson, Teaching/Learning Strategy

Author: Andrew Fraknoi

Black Lives in Astronomy

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This focused resource guide, "Black Lives in Astronomy," includes specific written and video resources about and by 25 black astronomers, as well as general materials to examine the history and issues facing black members of the astronomical community. It includes both older, established scientists and people early in their careers. It is aimed at the Astro 101 and amateur astronomer level, and thus does not include any technical materials. I hope this resource will give instructors and students examples of authentic black voices that can be shown in class or used in assignments.

Material Type: Case Study, Homework/Assignment, Lesson Plan, Student Guide

Author: Andrew Fraknoi

Responding to Claims about Alien UFOs: A Brief List of Resources on the Web

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For decades, the media have given enormous attention to sensational claims that vague lights in the sky are actually extra-terrestrial spacecraft. Recently, there has been a flurry of misleading publicity about UFOs on military photographs. A sober examination of these claims reveals that there is a lot LESS to them than first meets the eye: when there is enough evidence, UFO claims can be explained by terrestrial or celestial phenomena (including lights from human craft and re-entering space junk). This up-to-date guide provides key resources available free on the Web, to help scientists, educators, students, and journalists learn about the skeptical perspective (and the background stories) behind these claims.

Material Type: Lecture Notes, Primary Source, Reading

Author: Andrew Fraknoi

This Day in Astronomical History

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This new astronomical calendar, compiled by textbook lead author, Andrew Fraknoi lists, month by month, 158 astronomical anniversaries and birthdays that are important for the history of our understanding of the universe. While many such calendars exist, this one differs by focusing on real astronomical research (and not so much on anniversaries of human space flight.) And it includes a more diverse group of scientists, including more women and more people of color.  The calendar is available without charge at: http://bit.ly/astrodates  

Material Type: Homework/Assignment, Lecture Notes, Teaching/Learning Strategy

Author: Andrew Fraknoi

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