HOU 101 Course Overview

Welcome to HOU 101...

Course Structure and Goals

The HOU 101 course includes:

Installing the HOU Image Processing Software on computers
Gaining comfort with and competence in using the HOU image processing software
Accessing and Downloading Images
Going through core curriculum activities
Learning or reviewing a few basic concepts in astronomy and real sky observation
Fostering inquiry-based learning with HOU images and tools

HOU 201 will prepare teachers for advanced use of HOU which includes:

Understanding the mechanics of how some of the HOU-IP software tools work
Exploring more advanced curriculum topics
Pursuing student research projects

Technical Issues

This course requires Netscape version 3.0 or higher or Internet Explorer version 4.0 or higher.

Relative size font has been used whenever possible so that you may change your own browser settings to make the text comfortable for you to read.

For those of you who are taking the course for credit, some assignment pages will lead you to the WebCT course site, a database driven web site that is hosted at UC Berkeley. You will require a userid and password to log into WebCT that will be issued by the Hands-On Universe office.

You will find instructions about using the WebCT site on the introductory page of that site.

For All Participants:

There are several areas where this course links to pages on the Internet. If you are sent to an outside link, you will need to be on a computer connected to the Internet for the link to work.

This HOU course uses plug-ins to display multimedia content. Please click the button that says "Check Plug-Ins" to see if you have those installed. If you don't have the plug-ins installed, visit the links provided to download the plug-ins and then come back here. Plug-in software is provided by third party vendors not associated with Web-CT or HOU.

Check Plug-Ins

Assessment and Evaluation

If you are taking this course for credit, you must complete all assignments and exams on the WebCT site. If you are taking it solely for personal interest and professional development, we still recommend that you do the activities, as they are typical of those you will be teaching in your own class with HOU. The quizzes will give you an idea of how you are doing relative to the expectation of people who have experience teaching HOU.

The next page is mainly for teachers who are taking this course for credit though University of California Extension. If you are not taking the course for credit, ...Skip the Next Page.