What They've Always Wondered: Questions Students Ask on the First Day of 'Astro 101'

摘要

Tapping into students' native curiosity is one of the most effective ways to motivate students in an introductory astronomy course. I present the results of a multi-year campaign to collect one question about astronomy from each student at the first lecture of a large, college-level astronomy course for non-science majors. I show how the questions that students submit not only identify which topics interest them, but also provide insight into their concepts of what astronomy is and their understanding of the nature of science itself.