Professor Alexander O'Rourke
September 16, 2012 10:01 PM
Intermediate Astronomy by Professor Alexander O'Rourke
Professor O’Rourke spent hours looking over his lesson plans, trying to narrow down the most important aspects of astrology. Not exactly the easiest feat once you stop and think about it. The dictionary defines astronomy as the study of objects and matter outside of the Earth's atmosphere and their physical and chemical properties. The study of the universe. The study of, well, everything."Start at the beginning, Alex. The basics." He thought to himself as he paced around the Astronomy classroom. There was a fine line between being informative and overwhelming when it came to teaching. A line he was well aware of, particularly when it came to the universe.
"Might as well start with our solar system, since most humans believe the universe revolves around us..." Alex decided, drawing his wand from the pocket just inside his robes. Pointing it at the ceiling, he muttered a few words before the Milky Way spewed forth from the tip, canvassing the ceiling with planets and other celestial bodies.
He then turned wand to the blackboard and watched as a piece of chalk rose into the air, and began writing the words ' What is Astronomy?' Alex nodded slightly in approval, it wasn't his best handwriting, but it'd do. Stepping back to his desk, the astronomy professor straightened his cream colored robes before taking a seat on the edge of it, facing the room before him.
“Welcome to intermediate Astronomy.” He started, placing his wand back inside his robes as his students made their way to their seats. “I’m Professor O’Rourke, and yes, I am English.” He added with a slight smile. Since Alex had been in Arizona, he’d been asked where he was from more times that he cared to count. He figured it’d be easier just to get it out of the way, and hopefully, considering English wizards weren’t a complete novelty; his class would be able to understand him well enough.
The astronomy professor let his hazel eyes survey the classroom for a few more moments, making sure everyone was more or less settled before he started the bulk of the lesson.
"Astronomy…” He started, scratching the back of his neck. “What is it? How do we use it? What are celestial bodies, and constellations? By the end of term, you’ll be able to answer all of these questions. We’ll be covering quite a bit of information, so if at any time you are unsure about something, do feel free to ask. Also, while I am all for learning, this class doesn’t require wands, so please keep them tucked away.”
“The following handout will be used throughout this lesson. Please take one and pass them on.” Professor O’Rourke said, rising from his desk, and handing a stack of parchment from his desk to the student sitting at the end of the first row. “You’ll find it particularly helpful for the homework portion of this lesson, but you may also refer to your textbooks.” Alex folded his arms across his chest and began to pace in front of his class, his brow furrowed slightly as he chose his next course of action.
“Astronomy is the study of the universe—the stars, the planets, other galaxies, black holes, asteroids—everything. It is not to be confused with astrology which, forgive me, is complete rubbish. Astrologers believe that the position of the stars and planets determine an individual's personality and future. Astronomers study the actual stars and planets, but have found no evidence supporting astrological theories. In short, astrology is simply another form of divination. Whether or not you believe in that is up to you, but the only Cancer and Gemini we’ll be studying are the constellations.”
“Astronomy is one of the oldest sciences. Prehistoric cultures left behind astronomical artifacts such as the Egyptian monuments and Nubian monuments, and early civilizations such as the Babylonians, Greeks, Chinese, Indians, Iranians and Maya performed methodical observations of the night sky. It has been used in navigation; Polaris, or the North Star, helped sailors find their way at night. Astronomy allowed people to mark the passage of time through the making of calendars and sundials, which, along with ceremonial uses, allowed them to determine the best time for planting and sowing their crops.
“Without Astronomy, we wouldn’t have watches, compasses, calendars, or a number of technologies that were born of astrological discoveries. We’d also still believe that we revolved around the sun, which, we all know to be erroneous.” Alex paused for a moment, and ran a hand through his artfully disheveled hair. He feared he was getting a little long winded, and decided to get to the assignment. Long lectures often caused him to lose students, and he had to mindful of the fact that he was in the presence of 13 year olds.
“At this point in your lives, you all should know our relative position in the ever expansive universe. Our solar system consists of the Sun, nine planets, their moons, planetoids, asteroids, meteors, and comets. Our solar system is also part of the Milky Way galaxy, along with 100-400 billion other stars and Merlin knows how many other planets.” The professor turned his gaze upward, toward the swirling Milky Way on the ceiling. There was something about the universe that always made him feel particularly insignificant. He took a deep breath to shake the feeling before proceeding, and allowing his gaze to sweep the room once more.
“Moving on, to start to explore and attempt to understand something as massive as the universe, it’s best to start small. For today’s assignment, I’m going to have you lot split into groups. Choose a planet from our solar system, Pluto still counts in my eyes, and write a brief summary on its characteristics. If your chosen planet has moons, include those as well. Place them on my desk when you are finished, and as I stated previously, don’t be afraid to ask if you need assistance.” Alex found his way back to his desk and sat behind it, leaning back casually as his class formed their groups.
((Welcome to Astronomy! Please note your house in the author line so I can award points appropriately. Also, keep the posting rules in mind, and feel free to tag Professor O’Rourke if needed.))
Subthreads: Astronomy Handout by Alexander O'Rourke
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Professor Alexander O'Rourke
Intermediate Astronomy
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Professor Alexander O'Rourke
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Evan Brockert, Aladren
September 22, 2012 7:54 PM
Alas poor Pluto... by Evan Brockert, Aladren
There was nothing typical about Evan and it was something he prided himself on. He liked being unique. It was who he was and he wasn't going to deny it. The third year couldn't imagine being anyone else. Still, he was an Aladren. Evan had been sorted there for a reason and it was a part of him too. A part that enjoyed learning and therefore, he had taken astronomy.Plus, the universe was an amazing place. It was full of some of the most amazing artistry that Evan could imagine. He would love to try and re-create it somehow, though he didn't quite know what materials he would use. He never really did. Perhaps a mosaic of rocks. Of course, Evan would never just use one color for the ones representing the stars. He'd leave some of the pebbles their natural colors and change others using the color-changing charm that he'd learned last year, which was one of the best things Evan ever learned. He'd use clear blue plastic wrap for the background and would hang it against a window. Or over the front of a cardboard box with a light in the back.
He managed to make it to his first Astronomy class on time. Sometimes the Aladren had trouble with punctuality because he'd get distracted by an art project or hunting for supplies or his other interest-collecting bugs. There were so many varied forms of insect life out there and so many in the Labyrinth Gardens. Evan liked to mount them or put them in the huge terrarium Adam had given him despite the fact that Serenity didn't like bugs. She seemed to like Evan though, and more importantly, like his older brother.
The third year couldn't help but notice the fantastic version of the galaxy that covered the ceiling of the classroom. It was downright inspiring though of course, Evan would have used different materials than just making it come out of his wand. Using his wand was important, what made someone a wizard, but that didn't mean it wasn't fun to create using other methods and materials.
Evan made himself listen to Professor O'Rourke's lecture, rather than letting himself get sidetracked with his own thoughts, as he often did. The professor might not have been the most...creative of people in terms of his lesson, which seemed simple and straightforward, but the Aladren liked him anyway, for one simple reason. He had included Pluto as a planet. Evan had been too young to remember it being one but he'd heard about it and he didn't like it. Who were these astronomers to tell Pluto who and what it was?
Turning to the person next to him, the third year asked, "Would you like to work on Pluto with me?" Of course Evan was going to choose to work on the poor little planet that was no longer considered one. Ripping someone's status away from them was one of the greatest shames they could experience and Evan didn't think Pluto had done anything to deserve that.
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Evan Brockert, Aladren
Alas poor Pluto...
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Evan Brockert, Aladren
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Arthur Carey, Aladren
October 01, 2012 12:59 AM
I knew him, Horatio by Arthur Carey, Aladren
Astronomy had been, in Arthur’s experience, an irregularly taught course, moving between instructors and methods more than was usual, and so he felt he had taught himself more of the subject than he’d learned in class. The school, however, encouraged participation in classes he wanted to take CATS in where they were available, so he was here to listen to another presentation he had no doubt would be geared primarily toward the third years. It was the beginning of the year, after all, so a more complex lesson in an Intermediate class was hardly to be hoped for.Still, he found the ceiling display of the heavens most attractive. That was a neat piece of magic, he would like to know how it was done. Perhaps he could use it on the ceiling of his study at home; it would complement the rest of the décor very well, he thought, and he would enjoy the peaceful view. Arthur had always – perhaps because of how poorly he slept, a problem which gave him many more opportunities than he would have had otherwise – particularly appreciated the night sky. If he could sync it to the actual night sky, that would be even better, since it would give him a handy reference point for certain kinds of magic, but it was nice enough just as a decoration. He wondered if the professor would object to being visited after class and asked about the enchantment, but thought overall that he, Arthur, would be more comfortable with trying to look it up in the library first. It was nothing against the new professor, who he did not know yet anyway; Arthur just preferred not to ask for help when he could avoid it.
He disliked being specifically told not to put his wand away even though he had not taken it out in the first place, but other than that, he found nothing too objectionable about the opening lecture. Neither did he find anything very interesting, and so he gave more of his attention to the ceiling, examining the constellations as the lesson went on. He had never been good at the kind of pattern recognition that helped with identifying constellations; Arnold had beaten him at that when they were little with total ease; aside from flying, he thought that was the first thing Arnold had ever been better at, at least in a very technical sense. He had been surprised, but not as much as his brother had….
”For today’s assignment…”
The professor’s voice, saying relevant words, pulled his attention completely back down to the room, where he heard what the assignment was. The solar system – a third year lesson, as he had expected. Perhaps in a month or two, then. He looked, mildly surprised, at the third year who asked him if he’d like to work on Pluto with him.
“Certainly,” he said, recognizing him, at second look, as Mr. Brockert, the second son – the heir’s spare. Arthur had watched him for a while, wondering what sort he might be, and had decided that he was…very strange. That wasn’t something he said lightly, since he knew many people had said it about him, too, but he could think of no better way to express it. That wasn’t necessarily a bad thing, of course – for one thing, Arthur had thought vaguely of seeing if he could push him toward Theresa because of it – but it was something that he thought made the way the third year Aladrens seemed to get along peacefully even more interesting. Thaddeus and Miss Bauer seemed much more intense, he wasn’t sure what to think of Henrietta or the other two girls….
The first thing he thought, almost to his disgust, when he heard Pluto was of Pluto and Persephone, but he saw no need to mention that just yet. “Where would you care to start, Mr. Brockert?” he asked, since he did not formally have permission to use his new group member’s given name and assumed that his own name was something that Mr. Brockert would have picked up somewhere along the way. He did not consider this immodest.
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Arthur Carey, Aladren
I knew him, Horatio
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Arthur Carey, Aladren
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Evan
October 03, 2012 11:48 PM
Let's get to know him a little better. by Evan
Arthur Carey was someone that Nora spoke highly of, whose intelligence the fourth year genuinely respected. That alone made him very unusual, which was something that Evan could relate to. Not that he had a problem with being so himself, he liked being different. One of the worst things to him would be being forced into a metaphorical box, which he felt might as well be a coffin.From what he'd noticed, the fifth year seemed a bit odd too. Which probably meant that Arthur would also be a more interesting person. So many people were the same or, more accurately, similar, which quite frankly made them more boring to Evan. Not many were true non-conformists, most people who didn't fit into the mainstream fit into some subculture that they were conforming to instead.
Then, there were people who thought themselves 'eccentric' when in reality they were the most ordinary people there were. True,they often didn't fit the pureblood mold that Evan was familiar with but the thing was, they were often people who weren't from that sort of background. Yet, they still considered themselves to be odd and quirky when they were conforming in pretty much the way that the Aladren had been thinking about before. Plus, they thought people the opposite of themselves were 'weird' and they just couldn't have it both ways. They weren't any more accepting of people's differences than they said that Evan's 'sort' was. They were nothing but hypocrites.
"Call me Evan." He replied. The third year would still refer to the elder Aladren by as Mr. Carey if he addressed him by name unless he was told otherwise, but he preferred others to use his given name. That was who he was, Evan. That was his identity apart from his family, not that he was ashamed of being a Brockert either. It might not have been his first priority but he also didn't get why anyone would be ashamed to be part of being a prominent pureblood family. That was part of him too, and Evan wanted to be all of what made him him.
"Well, I suppose we can start with listing what we know about Pluto besides that it's not considered a planet anymore and is the smallest." Again, the Aladren lamented this internally. It seemed people were picking on poor Pluto because it was little and not as...bold as other planets like Earth with its human life or Jupiter with its Great Red Spot that stood out like a giant pepperoni on the planet's cheese and tomato sauce looking planet or Saturn with its flashy rings like some old wealthy pureblood lady or Uranus with its unfortunate name. Actually, after Pluto, Uranus was the planet Evan felt the worst for. People were always making fun of it. If Professor O'Rourke had not decided Pluto counted, that's the one he would have done.
He noticed Professor O'Rourke giving Henny and his sister's roommate a pass for something. "Maybe we could go to the library to look up more information." Evan suggested. Later, he might find materials and make a model of Pluto but he didn't know if Arthur would go along with that. However, he wanted to do the-former-planet justice right now.
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Evan
Let's get to know him a little better.
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Arthur
October 06, 2012 10:16 PM
Splendid idea by Arthur
“As you like,” Arthur said when he was given permission to use Evan Brockert’s first name. “You and I both have very common surnames,” he observed as well, though he thought it was a bit simpler to handle Mr. Brockert’s family than his own. At least there only, by and large, seemed to be one kind of Brockert, where the Careys had five branches for everyone else to keep straight and no real way of physically telling any of them except the North Carolinians, for the most part, from the others. He was used to it, but did not envy others the task. Jane did not even, as most of Virginia did, descend from his great-great-grandfather’s identical twin, and yet she could easily pass for his Uncle Donnie’s cousin.“Is the smallest,” he corrected his companion, though he realized a moment later that it could simply sound like an echo. “Our professor counts it, and I believe Muggle astronomers were the ones to change the rules. I fail to see what their judgments on these things have to do with us.” He did not particularly dislike Muggles, but nor did he think that much of what they thought was very relevant, considering the massive gaps in their knowledge of the world. They were fascinating, and had, from what he’d heard from Katrina and read about on his own in secret, developed very interesting and complicated ways of getting around their lack of powers, but magic was too essential to the way the very universe worked. Adding and taking away planets completely threw some areas of study within this subject off-balance, not to mention the entire field of Divination….
…Though that did bring to mind who, exactly, had classed the objects known as planets as such in the first place – well, not so much that, that had mostly been Babylonian court-wizards, but how they had decided what was a planet and what was not. Arthur frowned, distracted, and picked up his quill before remembering Mr. Brockert and looking at him. “Excuse me a moment,” he said politely, then scribbled down the thought in his shorthand. He would ask Jane about it, and then perhaps research the topic further. It was interesting to him.
That done, he offered Mr. Brockert a very small smile. “Lists, of course,” he said, as though nothing had happened. He nodded slowly when the library came up; his expression relaxed slightly at the mention of the library, but he resisted the temptation to just agree. “We should at least look through the textbook first,” he offered matter-of-factly. “That should give us a basic overview, give us a place to start, yes? One step at a time.” He opened the front cover of his own book and looked down at the inside, the first page completely blank, the inside of the cover just as blank. He had inscribed his name, as small as possible, near the bottom of the back cover, not the front. “Would you prefer to write?” he asked.
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Arthur
Splendid idea
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Arthur
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Evan
October 11, 2012 11:42 AM
Thanks! by Evan
"Indeed." Evan replied. They were part of two of the biggest, most powerful pureblood families in America. Between his family and Arthur's they probably controlled three-fourths of the country, and the Brockerts had ties in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Still, the fact that there were a lot of other Brockerts-though aside from Seth, whom Evan wasn't about to refer to as Mr. Brockert, he was the only male at Sonora who actually had the last name Brockert-was one reason that the third year preferred if others used his first name.For a second, he was a bit confused, thinking Arthur thought that Evan had said that Pluto was the smallest when he'd said is. Then the older Aladren further explained and he agreed. Muggles definitely didn't have the right to tell them what to do. His family had the policy of ignoring them, unless they caused trouble. Therefore, Evan did not have to listen to anything they said.
Why would they decide this in the first place? As far as the Aladren was concerned, if something orbited around the sun, it was a planet. As far as he knew, it hadn't stopped doing that. So why did Muggles want to take that away? Wasn't it good enough for them? There were people out there who made purebloods out to be the bad guys and defended the great things that their Muggle relatives did, the accomplishments they'd had. Yet, they were no better. Some arrogant scientist had just randomly decided Pluto was worthless, deserved to be downgraded in status and why? Jerks. Maybe it wasn't all Muggles that were but that scientist certainly was.
He didn't really understand why it was necessary for Arthur to excuse himself to write something down. It wasn't as if he was getting up and going somewhere. Then again, human behavior was hardly Evan's forte, that was Nora's thing. It was more his to come up with interesting art projects. He had to agree with his cousin though, Arthur Carey seemed to also be interesting. It was good to see a fellow 'eccentric'.
"All right." Evan agreed, having no reason to argue, though once they wrote down all the information in the book, he still wanted to go. Pluto deserved a full tribute. He took out a piece of parchment and quill and paused. "Wait, wouldn't writing down everything in the book just be like, not really putting forth effort? Wouldn't we get a lower grade for that?"
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Evan
Thanks!
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Evan
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Arthur
October 17, 2012 7:53 PM
You're welcome by Arthur
“I imagine it would earn us an average one,” Arthur said, looking around the room slowly, taking in the array of faces, “but I cannot say that I know anything about Pluto, other than its position in the Solar System and some myths surrounding the figure it was named for, and I find it difficult to research a topic in depth without looking over the general overview first. Without a base, research becomes aimless, and generally the amount of information involved is overwhelming.”His tone was utterly neutral, though in his last sentence, it began to slip into the dry monotone he used for reading aloud, a tone most often heard by Arnold, who he often re-taught material to during their Saturday study sessions. Explaining his thinking to others was something he tried, quite consciously, to be patient about, since often, even his brothers didn’t follow lines he thought were completely logical. Sometimes, that was their fault, but sometimes, in retrospect, he was able to see that it was his. So he tried to learn patience, and sometimes, he was better at it than at others. Today was a good day. Perhaps tomorrow would not be. He had no way of knowing, though he could always hope.
“However,” he said, “if you’d like to obtain a note of permission from the professor while I do that, you are welcome to do so.”
They would not have time, of course, to get very far into anything; doing any research properly took hours. That was why he would have dearly liked to have the ability to meddle with time, even a little; how pleasant it would be, to twist it about so that he could get hours of work done without feeling them so much, to go back to the same place when and as he pleased and work that way, to be, maybe, though he knew he had not read half enough about the nature of time magic to be sure if it was even possible, able to shatter some of the limitations of mortality, even, by viewing the same thing from different angles, perhaps with slight changes…
It probably was not possible. If it were, he thought they would already understand the whole universe. But the idea had a powerful draw for him. Far more, anyway, than the reception of the existing knowledge, especially on a school level, ever had.
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Arthur
You're welcome
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Arthur
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