| Jan. 14 | Introduction The Scientific Method | Articulate personal world view | - | - |
| Jan. 16 |
Gods & Creation myths |
Harrison: Chapters 1, 25 Hetherington: Chapters 1, 2, 3 Handout: Egypt & Babylon | CR 9-15 | - |
| Jan. 21 |
Human and Geological timeline |
Harrison: Chapters 1, 25 Hetherington: Chapters 1, 2, 3 | Close Reading | - |
| Jan. 23 | Planetarium Visit | - | - | - |
| Jan. 28 | Cancelled by cold weather | - | - | - |
| Jan. 30 | The Ancient Philosophers |
Stenudd: All Harrison: Chapter 2, 8 (beginnings: pp28-34, 147-152) Hetherington: Chapters 4, 6; see also p. 69 & 177 Quick links: Epicurus, Stoicism from the IEP | - | - |
| Feb. 4 | Aristotelean, Epicurean, & Stoic World Models | - | - | - |
| Feb. 6 | Revolutions Ptolemey to Copernicus Making a Claim |
Harrison: Chapter 2 Hetherington: Chapters 7, 8 Explore Ptolemy, Copernicus, Brahe, Galileo, Kepler Read Galileo: Starry Messenger Abbreviated Dialogue | Full Dialogue | CR 120-129 | - |
| Feb. 11 |
Kepler & Galileo Supporting a Claim |
Hetherington: Chapters 12, 13 Historical sketches: Kepler | Galileo | CR 187-195 |
Midterm First draft Due electronically midnight Sunday Feb. 9 |
| Feb. 13 | The Clockwork Universe Newton, Descartes |
Harrison: Chapters 3 & 4, esp. Bentley-Newton correspondence, pp60-61 Hetherington: Chapter 14 | - | - |
| Feb. 18 | The Great Debate | Hetherington p. 321-327, Chapter 18 | CR 203-211 |
Distribute drafts to peers by 10pm Feb. 19 |
| Feb. 20 | Peer Review | - | Paramedic method | - |
| Feb. 25 | Library resources | - | Databases | Midterm Paper Due |
| Feb. 27 | An Expanding Reality Einstein & Hubble |
Harrison: Chapters 7, 8 & 14 especially pp. 147-154 and 275-285 Hetherington: Chapter 19 See also this AIP website | - | - |
| Mar. 4 | Model Universes |
Harrison: Chapters 15, 16, 18 especially pp. 307-309 and 359-367 | - | - |
| Mar. 6 | The Hot Big Bang |
Hetherington: Chapter 20 Harrison: Chapters 19, 20 | - | - |
| Mar. 11, 13 | SPRING BREAK | - | - | - |
| Mar. 18 | Inflation |
Harrison: Chapters 21, 22 Hetherington: Chapter 22 What is the Inflation Theory? (very brief) The Inflationary Universe by Guth & Steinhardt (in Scientific American 1984) The Inflation Debate by Steinhardt (in Scientific American 2011, in which Steinhardt has second thoughts) Class Handout. See also Ned Wright's cosmology tutorial, especially Flatness & Horizon & Inflation | - |
Mar. 17 - 21: Individual meetings with Prof. McGaugh to discuss topic for final paper |
| Mar. 20 | The Dark Side |
Dark Matter: A brief primer | A modest primer | Physics Teacher article Hetherington: Chapter 23 | - | - |
| Mar. 25 | Writing Workshop | - | - | - |
| Mar. 27 | Research Workshop | - | - | - |
| Apr. 1 | The Dark Side Strikes Again |
Other Perspectives: The Missing Universe (Astronomy Magazine April 2014) Does dark matter exist? | Dark matter is dead The Case Against Cosmology | Sociology of Modern Cosmology Humans and Cosmology: Epicycles, Tenacious Beliefs and Test Particles in Motion | - | Annotated Bibliography |
| Apr. 3 |
Multiverses Presentation Instruction |
Hetherington: Chapter 28 Class Handout (Tegmark) | - |
Final paper detailed OUTLINE Due electronically midnight Sunday Apr. 6 |
| Apr. 8 | Presentation Instruction Life in the Universe |
Harrison: Chapter 26 Drake's Equation | - | - |
| Apr. 10 | Student Presentations | your talk | - | - |
| Apr. 15 | Student Presentations | your talk | - | - |
| Apr. 17 | Student Presentations | your talk | - |
Distribute drafts to peers by 10pm Apr. 21 |
| Apr. 22 | Peer Review | - | - | - |
| Apr. 24 | No class | Individual meetings with Dr. Iammarino | - | Final paper due by midnight Monday Apr. 28 |