Ay300 Project: Design a Demonstration

This project is designed to let you lead the development (or significant improvement) of an astronomy demonstration for AY 10 (or AY 7) level students. You and your 2 or 3 partners should select a nontrivial physical concept in astronomy and create a physical demonstration of the concept for use in sections (or possibly lecture).

Since many demos already exist on the EBRB, you are also encouraged to Improve-A-Demo, where you significantly rework a current demo, making it better suited for group work activities, etc.

This project has three stages:

  1. First, each group will develop a demo concept and present it to the class (~ 5 min presentation). Ay300 students and instructors will then briefly discuss the proposal and offer feedback.
  2. Next, each group will actually construct the demo and perform it in class. (Recall that any reasonable expenses can be reimbursed.) Again, Ay300 students and instructors will briefly discuss the demo and offer feedback.
  3. Finally, each group will create GSI instructions (and probably an associated worksheet) for the demo and include it in the EBRB.
  4. Optional: Actual use your demo (or someone else's demo) in a section! Ask for feedback from the students.

The schedule is the following:

  1. on Sept 16: Chose a group of three or four for your project. Discuss some general ideas outside of class in the next week. List your group members below. If you are improving a demo, tell us which one you plan to improve.
  2. on Sept 23: Present your concept to the class.
  3. on Oct 7: You will present the actual demo on this date.
  4. Before the semester is over: All groups will put a copy of their GSI instructions (and possibly associated worksheet) into the EBRB.
Groups
Member 1 Member 2 Member 3 Member 4 Improve or Design?
Aaron Lee Albert Einstein someone else maybe someone else? Improve - Kepler's Laws Demo