Faces of the Sun and Cognitive Phases

We designed an untraditional laboratory that focuses on students conceptional changes as they view images and movies of the Sun. At the beginning and throughout the laboratory students are asked what they expect to see, and are quizzed on how seeing the real images changed their perception. Guiding questions assure that the students think through individual steps. In the first exercises they look at the sun in projection and do a short exercise to get a feel for the scale of the Sun and the Earth. In the second exercise they look at images of the Sun taken with Halpha and special XRay filters and identify features they they cannot normally see with their eyes. And in the third part they watch movies to get a feel about the dynamic activity of the Sun. The results of how students respond to these exercises will be presented, including how their perception of the Sun has changed.