Class 1: The Sky as a Clock
Long before mechanical clocks, ancient astronomers looked to the sky to track time, planting crops and planning festivals by the movement of the sun and stars. In this class, students will explore how solstices, equinoxes, and star risings helped early civilizations understand the passage of time. They’ll build their own simple sundial and learn to read the sky as Earth’s oldest clock.
Class 3: Tides, Eclipses, and Orbital Resonance
The cosmos is full of hidden rhythms: gravitational dances that shape tides, time eclipses, and lock moons into perfect patterns. In this class, students will explore the elegant physics of alignment and resonance, from Earth’s oceans to Jupiter’s moons. Through interactive models, they’ll visualize how invisible forces pull on water, rock, and orbiting worlds alike.
Class 5: The Electromagnetic Universe
We see the universe in visible light. However, stars and galaxies shine in many other wavelengths, from radio waves to X-rays. In this class, students will learn how astronomers use different parts of the electromagnetic spectrum to uncover cosmic secrets. Through simple experiments with color filters and sunlight, they'll explore how heat and light reveal more than meets the eye.
Class 7: Cosmic Inflation and the Shape of the Universe
What happened in the first moments after the Big Bang, and what shape is the universe today? In this class, students will explore the mind-bending theory of cosmic inflation, the curvature of space, and the faint glow of the cosmic microwave background. Using a timeline stretching across the room, they’ll model the universe’s rapid expansion and visualize how matter thinned out over billions of years.
Class 2: Retrograde Motion and Planetary Puzzles
To ancient sky-watchers, the planets sometimes appeared to reverse direction. This puzzling motion challenged centuries of belief! In this class, students will decode the mystery of retrograde motion by comparing outdated epicycle models with Kepler’s revolutionary elliptical orbits. Through hands-on simulations, they’ll trace Mars’ strange path across the sky and see how big ideas shift when we dare to question what we think we see.
Class 4: Gravity Wells and Space-Time
What if gravity isn’t a pull, but a bend in the fabric of the universe? In this class, students will explore the difference between Newton’s and Einstein’s views of gravity, discovering how massive objects like stars and black holes warp space-time. Using stretchable fabric and marbles, they’ll model orbits, gravity wells, and even how light can curve around invisible objects.
Class 6: Stellar Chemistry and the Periodic Table
The elements that make up our bodies, like calcium, oxygen, and iron, were born in stars and scattered across the universe by supernovae. In this class, students will explore how stars act as cosmic furnaces, fusing atoms and shaping the periodic table. They'll create a color-coded "cosmic origin" chart and experiment with a simple turmeric pH indicator to connect chemistry with starlight.
Class 8: Designing for Space: If You Lived on Another World
Living on another planet means rethinking everything: how we move, breathe, stay warm, and survive in extreme environments. In this final class, students will explore the challenges of life beyond Earth by studying the gravity, atmosphere, and climate of alien worlds. They'll then design and build a survival invention (like a tool, shelter, or suit) tailored to a specific exoplanet or moon, using creativity and real scientific reasoning.
