I. General Information

1. Course Title:
Flight to Edge of Space: Learning and Experimentation

2. Course Prefix & Number:
ESCI 1480

3. Course Credits and Contact Hours:

Credits: 2

Lecture Hours: 1

Lab Hours: 2

4. Course Description:

In this course students will work as a team to plan and successfully conduct a stratospheric balloon flight. Activities include hypothesis writing; experimental design, construction, and execution; data collection and analysis; and scientific report writing and presentation. Successful execution of a stratospheric balloon flight requires extensive teamwork and collaboration. Content topics in this course include Earth atmospheric structure and dynamic processes, and contemporary topics in atmospheric pollution, and societal issues involving the atmosphere. A companion physics course is required which will involve topics in atmospheric physics and geophysics, as well as electronics assembly and testing, and acquiring a working proficiency with navigational systems. The balloon flight will involve at least one all-day field excursion, and is required for this course. This is one of two courses in a learning community. The other is PHYS 1480 Flight to the Edge of Space: Electronic, mechanical, and navigational systems. Both courses must be taken concurrently. Expect extensive collaboration, communication, and transfer across the two courses.

5. Placement Tests Required:

Accuplacer (specify test):

Reading College Level CLC or Reading College Level

Score:

6. Prerequisite Courses:

There are no prerequisites for this course.

9. Co-requisite Courses:

II. Transfer and Articulation

III. Course Purpose

2. MN Transfer Curriculum (General Education) Courses - This course fulfills the following goal area(s) of the MN Transfer Curriculum:

• Goal 3 – Natural Sciences
• Goal 10 – People and the Environment

IV. Learning Outcomes

1. College-Wide Outcomes

College-Wide Outcomes/Competencies	Students will be able to:
Demonstrate written communication skills	Demonstrate skills in writing scientific reports and reflections on geoscientific literature.
Demonstrate reading and listening skills	Improve retention and understanding and demonstrate understanding of geoscientific theories.
Analyze and follow a sequence of operations	Demonstrate the ability to follow sequentially organized operations in all phases of the stratospheric balloon flight project.
Work as a team member to achieve shared goals	Demonstrate a team-oriented approach to successful completion of an stratospheric balloon flight project.

2. Course Specific Outcomes - Students will be able to achieve the following measurable goals upon completion of the course:

• Demonstrate understanding of geoscientific theories (MnTC Goal 3);
  
• Formulate and test hypotheses by designing and executing a stratospheric balloon flight (MnTC Goal 3);
  
• Do data collection, statistical and graphical data analysis, and calculate error and uncertainty of experimental data (MnTC Goal 3);
• Communicate experimental findings, analyses, and interpretations both orally and in writing (MnTC Goal 3);
• Explain the basic structure and function of the global atmospheric system and human interaction with that system (MnTC Goal 10);
• Investigate, measure, and display patterns in the ways that society interacts with the atmosphere (MnTC Goal 10);
• Critically evaluate contemporary and historical environmental and natural resource issues involving the atmosphere (MnTC Goal 10); and
  
• Propose and assess alternative solutions to environmental issues involving the atmosphere (MnTC Goal 10).

V. Topical Outline

Listed below are major areas of content typically covered in this course.

1. Lecture Sessions

1. Unit 1 Climate and the Atmosphere
• Heating the atmosphere
• Composition of the atmosphere
• Vertical structure of the atmosphere
• Earth-Sun relationships
• Energy, heat, and temperature
• Heating the atmosphere
• Human impact on global climate
2. Unit 2 Water in the air
• Water's physical states
• Humidity
• Adiabatic cooling
• Process that make air rise
• Astmospheric stability
• Condensation and cloud formation
3. Unit 3 How air moves
• Air pressure
• Wind
• Pressure systems
• Atmospheric circulation
• Local wind
• Gathering data on the atmosphere 
4. Unit 4 Weather and storms
• Air masses
• Fronts
• Cyclones
• Thunderstorms and tornadoes

2. Laboratory/Studio Sessions

Laboratory activity (some labs span more than a single lab session)

1. Earth's atmosphere
2. Measurement and instruments
3. Error and uncertainty in measurements
4. Getting to know stratospheric balloon hardware and sensors
5. Designing a science experiment
6. Conducting a tethered low altitude balloon flight
7. Stratospheric ballon flight: Launch, tracking, and Recovery (8 hours required field work)
8. Data processing and analysis
9. Statistical analyses of data
10. Formatted research writing
11. Scientific presentation using various media