You must do at least 6 of the following projects: 2 Laboratory Exercises, 2 of the Sci-Fi Movie Reviews and/or Book Reports, and 2 News Media Reviews. Each project has a point value listed for it. Be sure that the 6 projects you choose to do add up to 100 points. If you do a combination that adds to greater than 100 points that's fine, but 100 is the maximum possible points for the class projects. They are due in two week intervals. Each project has a specific due date. The first project due date is Friday, June 2th, the second is Friday June 16th, and the last is Friday June 30th. You must turn in at least 2 projects on each date. They are due before 5PM on each date and must be turned in to me at my office in Campbell Hall. If I'm not in at the time place them in my mailbox on the 6th-floor directly opposite the elevators.
It's in the title 'Science Fiction'. But, how much science is there really in Science fiction? Sometimes there's a great deal more fiction than science. That seems to especially be the case in most Hollywood sci-fi movies. In this project you will choose and watch a sci-fi movie from the list below and write a 2 page (minimum, typed and double-spaced) review of it. In your review please do the following:
For this project you will read a book from the list below and write a report on it (4 pages minimum, double-spaced). They are a mixture of science books written for a general audience and science fiction novels. Your report should summarize the book as much as possible. If it is a sci-fi novel, review the science in it. Are there any science mistakes? What aspects of the book were you able to better understand after having taken this course? Was the science necessary to the plot? For the non-fiction books discuss what you learned from them and how it relates to things you have learned in this course.
Astronomy is one of the News Media's favorite sciences on which to report. You will often see articles in daily and weekly newspapers about astronomy. The television media often report about celestial events such as eclipses and alignments as well as new pictures from space telescopes. Now the internet has its own news services and they seem as interested in astronomy as ever. How well do they do at accurately reporting about a subject that most of the journalists know nothing about? In this project you will read an article from any print or electronic media or watch any television news broadcast about astronomy. Write a review of the article or broadcast and how well the journalist(s) did at explaining the topic (2 pages minimum, double-spaced). Identify at least 3 topics within the article or broadcast that we have discussed in Astro 10. Would you have known whether or not the article was accurate if you had not had Astro 10? Be sure to provide me with a paper copy of the article or a video tape of the broadcast along with your review.
Here are some useful links for this project: