Teacher pages 9-26 Student pages 1-26

Chapter 1: The Solar System and Beyond

Teacher pages 11-22 Student pages 1-14

An introduction to the nature, size, and scale of the Solar System and its place in the Milky Way Galaxy, along with some activities for expressing and visualizing these sizes and scales.

Poster Page: Who is More Important? (Brahe and Kepler)
Investigations 1.1a-c: Sizes and Distances of the Sun, Earth, Moon, and Planets
Core Activity 1.2: Unit Conversion
Core Activity 1.3: String Model of the Solar System
Core Activity 1.4: Mathematical Estimation of Sizes and Distances
Poster Page: An Arm's-Length Reach Into the Universe (the Voyagers)
Space Talk on Objects in Our Solar System

Chapter 2: The Nature of Stars

Teacher pages 23-26 Student pages 15-26

An introduction to the basic physical properties of stars that affect their appearance: apparent brightness, distance, temperature (seen as color), and the relationships among these properties.

Investigation 2.1: The Properties of Stars
Core Activity 2.2: Understanding the Temperature Scales
Investigation 2.3: How Bright Is It?
Core Activity 2.4: The Apparent Colors of the Night Sky
Poster Page: The Man Who Colors the Stars (David Malin)
Space Talk on Interstellar Distances

UNIT 2: INTRODUCING THE SKY

teacher pages 27-44 student pages 27-70

Chapter 3: Familiarizing Yourself with the Night Sky

teacher pages 29-36 student pages 27-46

An introduction to "star hopping" and the planisphere-methods and tools which help students locate the constellations and determine when they are in the sky-as well as the Sky Gazer's Almanac, which provides additional information on celestial events and times.

Investigation 3.1: Drawing a Star Map
Core Activity 3.2: Using the Planisphere
Activity 3.3: Searching for Constellations
Poster Page: Where to Go, What to Do.... (Navigating by the Stars)
Activity 3.4: Using the Sky Gazer's Almanac
Space Talk on The Pawnee Sky Chart

Chapter 4: Our Bearings in the Sky

teacher pages 37-44 student pages 47-70

This chapter describes and explains the apparent daily and yearly motions of celestial objects and introduces some simple activities to investigate and illustrate them. The celestial sphere model is introduced here, and the equatorial coordinate system is explained as one means of accurately locating objects in the night sky.

Investigation 4.1a: Understanding the Motions of the Earth-Moon System
        4.1b: Understanding the Motions of the Stars and Constellations Across the Sky
Core Activity 4.2: Using a Quadrant to Measure the Motion of the Moon, Stars, and Sun Across the Sky
Core Activity 4.3: Why Constellations Appear in Different Places in the Sky at Different Times of the Year
Poster Page: Abe Lincoln and the Almanac Trial
Core Activity 4.4: The Rotating Earth and the Sun's Apparent Motion Across the Sky

a) Shadow Stick Astronomy
b) Shadows on a Sphere

UNIT 3: OBSERVING VARIABLE STARS

teacher pages 45-64 student pages 71-122

Chapter 5: Introducing the Hands-On Astrophysics Constellations

teacher pages 49-52 student pages 71-88

This chapter presents five constellations: Auriga, Ursa Major, Cygnus, Cepheus, and Cassiopeia. In the Northern Hemisphere, Auriga is a winter constellation, Cygnus is a summer constellation, and the rest are circumpolar. Students will investigate the stars and other celestial objects these constellations contain, and they will learn about some of the mythology associated with these constellations.

Investigation 5.1: The Magnitude of Stars in a Constellation
Poster Page: How Do You Keep Track of the Stars? (Star Catalogues)
Investigation 5.2: A Study of the Constellation Auriga, the Charioteer
Investigation 5.3: A Study of the Constellation Ursa Major, the Big Bear
Investigation 5.4: A Study of the Constellation Cygnus, the Swan
Investigation 5.5: A Study of the Constellation Cepheus, the King of Ethiopia
Investigation 5.6: A Study of the Constellation Cassiopeia, the Queen of Ethiopia
Poster Page: Astronomy is for Everybody
Space Talk on Variable Stars

Chapter 6: Measuring Variable Stars Visually

teacher pages 53-58 student pages 89-108

This chapter is an introduction to identifying and making magnitude estimates of variable stars, using the slide and print sets accompanying the HOA curriculum. The classroom activities prepare students to successfully observe variable stars in the real sky, and to perform an accurate analysis of their data.

Investigation 6.1: Interpolation
Core Activity 6.2: Estimating Magnitudes Using Interpolation
Core Activity 6.3: How Accurate Are Your Results?
Poster Page: The Dangers of Radiation
Core Activity 6.4: More Magnitude Estimations
Core Activity 6.5: Collecting Your Own Data
Poster Page: Who Are the Amateur Astronomers?
Core Activity 6.6: Magnitude Estimation and Graphing with Slides (and/or prints)
Space Talk on Visual vs. Photoelectric Observational Data

Chapter 7: Observing Variable Stars in the Real Sky

teacher pages 59-64 student pages 109-122

This chapter is the core of the Hands-On Astrophysics curriculum, introducing students to the process of variable star research. Students will be able to systematically observe bright variable stars such as delta Cephei and W Cygni.

Poster Page: Starlight In Your Eyes
Poster Page: Occupational Hazards of Variable Star Observing
Core Activity 7.1: Observing Your First Variable Star-Delta Cephei
Poster Page: She Discovered How to Calculate the Distances to Galaxies (Henrietta Leavitt)
Activity 7.2: Observing the Variable Stars W Cygni and Chi Cygni
Space Talk on Cepheids

UNIT 4: THE MESSAGE OF LIGHT

teacher pages 65-74 student pages 123-156

Chapter 8: The Nature of Light

teacher pages 67-70 student pages 123-138

An introduction to the basic physics of light and the rest of the electromagnetic spectrum, and how spectroscopic analysis of the colors within visible light gives information about chemical composition.

Investigation 8.1: The "Flavors" of Light
Core Activity 8.2: Spectra of the Elements
Core Activity 8.3: The Inverse Square Law
Poster Page: Inverse Square Relationships
Activity 8.4: Light Pollution
Space Talk on Rainbows

Chapter 9: The Life of a Star

teacher pages 71-74 student pages 139-156

This chapter introduces the Hertzsprung-Russell (H-R) diagram, a graph depicting the stellar spectral types that represent the evolutionary stages of stars.

Investigation 9.1: The Continuous Spectrum
Poster Page: "The Most Original Thinker of All...." (Antonia Maury)
Core Activity 9.2: Plotting an H-R Diagram
Core Activity 9.3 (a & b): Variable Stars and the H-R Diagram
Poster Page: Planets or Stars?
Space Talk on Stellar-Like Objects Not on the H-R Diagram

UNIT 5: ANALYSIS OF VARIABLE STARS

teacher pages 75-100 student pages 157-250

Chapter 10: Statistical Concepts

teacher pages 79-82 student pages 157-180

This chapter introduces the statistical concepts necessary to analyze and interpret variable star data. Histograms, relative frequency, variability (range, average deviation, variance, standard deviation, the normal curve), and error bars are presented.

Investigation 10.1: Finding the Average
Core Activity 10.2: Constructing a Histogram
Core Activity 10.3: Finding the Average Deviation
Poster Page: Hands-On Universe
Core Activity 10.4: Variance and the Standard Deviation
Core Activity 10.5: The Standard Error of the Average-The Error Bar
Poster Page: Variable Star Mythology
Activity 10.6: Statistical Analysis of Delta Cephei
Math Talk on Uses and Misuses of Statistics

Chapter 11: Variable Stars, Light Curves, and Periodicity

teacher pages 83-88 student pages 181-206

This chapter discusses different types of variable stars and introduces light curves, the most important graphs in variable star astronomy. It discusses the characteristics of variable star light curves and demonstrates how to plot and interpret them.

Investigation 11.1: Recognizing Periodic Curves
Poster Page: Mapping the Universe (HIPPARCOS)
Core Activity 11.2: Analyzing the Light Curve for Star X
Activity 11.3: Analyzing the Light Curve for Delta Cephei
Core Activity 11.4: Pogson's Method of Bisected Chords
Core Activity 11.5: VSTAR
Poster Page: Radar Guns and Speeding Stars
Space Talk on DI Her-A Puzzling Binary System

Chapter 12: Variable Stars and Phase Diagrams

teacher pages 89-92 student pages 207-228

This chapter introduces phase diagrams, which show the average behavior of a star during its cycle and determine the accuracy of the measured period. Mathematical and computer techniques for determining periodicity are also presented utilizing the VSTAR software program.

Investigation 12.1: Periodic Cycles
Core Activity 12.2: Folded Light Curve of the Variable Star SV Vul
Core Activity 12.3: Another Folded Light Curve of SV Vul
Core Activity 12.4: Yet Another Folded Light Curve of SV Vul
Poster Page: SS Cygni
Activity 12.5: Folded Light Curve of Star X and Delta Cep
Core Activity 12.6: VSTAR
Space Talk on Mira Stars
Poster Talk: Theoretical Glue

Chapter 13: Variable Stars and O-C Diagrams

teacher pages 93-100 student pages 229-250

This chapter introduces the concept that processes that are periodic are predictable. For periodic variable stars, astronomers can use prediction to plan their observation of the stars, and also to look for deviations from periodicity. This chapter introduces the O-C diagram, which can determine deviations from predicted values.

Investigation 13.1: Constructing an O-C Diagram
Core Activity 13.2: Understanding O-C with Miras
Core Activity 13.3: Prediction of SS Cyg
Activity 13.4: Prediction and Observation of Delta Cep
Poster Page: Universal Models
Core Activity 13.5: Prediction and Analysis of the Period of R Cyg
Activity 13.6: O-C for Eclipsing Binary Stars
Space Talk on The Eclipsing Binary Algol
Poster Talk: The Birch Street Irregulars

Appendices

Hands-On Astrophysics Website (diagram)
Eclipsing Binary Stars: Observing Procedures/Objectives
Summary of Variable Star Types
AAVSO Program Stars in the HOA VSTAR Software Database
Software Instructions

VSTAR
HOAENTER
HOAFUN