In this course we will go on a journey from our planet earth and its companion, the moon, via the other seven planets and the sun to the stars and the depths of the universe. You will hear about the development of the way people have viewed the universe, and you will learn about different types of stars and their life cycles. Eventually, after talking about the galaxies we will focus on the everything, the all-containing, the universe itself.
We will also explore NASA and ESA’s next missions: from Artemis missions to the boldest mission yet: sending humans to Mars.
Learning objectives:
After this course students can…
• reflect how the understanding of the solar system and of the universe evolved since the ancient Greeks
• debate the importance of the scientific method for acquiring the knowledge that allows us to improve our understanding of the Universe
• understand everyday phenomena as eclipses seasons, tides and the phases of the Moon
• differentiate the stages of the life cycle of stars (stars similar to our sun and massive stars)
• debate the current and scheduled space missions (NASA and ESA) and the importance of space exploration.
Forms of assessment:
presentation
participation
reflection task
