We recently purchased a portable wide-field telescope that should allow some good seeing by going somewhere nearby where it is nice and dark. The telescope is an Astroscan 2001 made by Edmund Scientific. It is a four-inch Newtonian reflector, made for traveling, including a set of six eyepieces plus a Barlow lens for a wide range of magnifications.
The telescope has been checked out twice by Dr. Don Mizuno, a real expert in these matters. His initial review and his report based on some clearer nights have lots of helpful information and exciting tips.
Also note that one of the in-class activities will be to construct a small telescope, similar to what Galileo used as far as magnification is concerned. This telescope, however, is considerably more sophisticated.
These observing trips will be organized throughout the semester. They are strictly optional, but if you'd like to go and write up your experience, you can earn extra credit towards your course grade.
There are a few web sites where you can see what's interesting to look for in the sky, on a day to day basis. For example, check out North American Skies and the Abrams Planetarium "Skywatcher's Diary" at Michigan State University. (MSU is at about the same lattitude as Troy.) Another good source is Sky and Telescope magazine and their online service. You might also look at Astronomy Magazine who maintain a list of "current sky events". It's also possible to get a glimpse of the Space Shuttle and the Mir Space station at various times.