Empirical Investigation in Introductory Astronomy

At Lees-McRae College, empirical investigation is a required component of the general education curriculum. This is defined as experiences which afford students the opportunity to explore issues through the collection and analysis of evidence leading to the formation of informed conclusions. I developed our Astronomy course to add an option in this category for non-science majors beyond our heavily impacted Biology classes. While Introductory Astronomy surveys the development and application of the scientific method, conducting meaningful measurements and analysis can be difficult without a traditional lab. In this talk, I will discuss my approach using available online tools and nighttime observation sessions to follow the historical advancement of understanding through increased accuracy of instrumentation. Student begin making rough estimates of astronomical placements by hand, refine the process using paper quadrant tools, and finally make predictions and test results using home-built astrolabes. Some alterations were necessary due to the impact of hurricane Helene.