Essay

The objective of the essay is to allow you to investigate some ideas about science and/or astronomy in more depth that the usual classroom experience.

Focus

The focus can be a topic, a question or set of questions, a set of materials, or a book (or two). It should be of more than passing interest to you. Make the topic substantial, but not too broad. When you get ideas and references to your materials together, e-mail them to me. You should have a description of what you want to study and how you are going to learn what you want to learn. For example this can be as simple as a single book with a few questions that the book might address. The deadline for this is August 31.

Focusing the focus

I may pose a few questions or make some comments and we will come to some agreement on what you will be doing. Your final focus document will be posted on the web.

The Summary and Questions

You will write a summary of what you have learned and submit it electronically. Due October 8. This will be posted with your focus document. As a part of class participation all class members will be asked to submit a question or a suggestion for revision for your response. I will choose some of these and add some of my own.

Response and Complete Project

You will respond to the suggestions and questions with a complete essay on your topic. You can incorporate the summary into a new essay or use it as a starting point. You are encouraged to see how all the comments and questions fit into one picture rather than answering them piecemeal.

While your summary and essay will be publicly posted your grade will not be. The summary is 20% of the essay grade and the final essay the remaining 80%