The purpose of this course is to provide a survey of the science of astronomy concentrating on the sky, history, fundamental physics, observational methods, stars, planets, galaxies, and cosmology. Additionally, you will be expected to exercise and improve your critical thinking, written and oral communication, and problem solving skills by participating in discussions, demonstrations, and laboratory activities. The UCA Core Program has published the objectives for the Critical Inquiry skill set that students should attain through their natural science courses.
Students should be able to:
- understand what the realm of science is, and why science is important to their lives;
- understand current principles and theories used to explain natural phenomena and to understand the role of theories in science;
- do science as a process by conducting systematic observations, formulating and testing hypotheses, recognizing sources of error and uncertainty in experimental methods, and disseminating results;
- understand how human activity affects the natural environment;
- make informed judgments about science-related topics and policies.
