HIST 107: History of the Physical Sciences Spring 2019 Syllabus

Transcription

1 Department f Histry / Cllege f Arts & Letters HIST 107: Histry f the Physical Sciences Part 1: Curse Infrmatin Instructr Infrmatin Instructr: Dr. Jesús Rubén Martínez Office: Tahe It s n the 3 rd flr tw drs frm Histry Dept. Office Hurs: Mndays 3 4 PM & Wednesdays 11 AM t nn Office Telephne: r.martinez@csus.edu. This is the best way t cntact me. Curse Descriptin In this class, we will study f the develpment f the majr physical laws presently used in describing ur physical wrld. We will als cnsider sme f the influences f these develpments n ther areas f knwledge and n sciety in general. Meetings Brightn Hall 218 Mndays and Wednesdays 1:30 2:45 PM. Sectin 3, class number Textbk & Curse Materials Required Texts These three bks are required reading. Yu can use any editin. They are all available at the bkstre fr sale and can be checked ut fr tw hurs at a time at the reserves desk at the library. David Lindberg, The Beginnings f Western Science. Stillman Drake, ed., Discveries and Opinins f Galile. Thmas Kuhn, The Structure f Scientific Revlutins. Emili Segrè, Frm X-Rays t Quarks. Recmmended Texts & Other Readings Strunk and White, Elements f Style. This bk is ptinal, but I highly recmmend it t any cllege student. Other shrt readings may be made available in Canvas. Califrnia State University, Sacrament Page 1

2 Curse Requirements Curse attendance. Internet cnnectin (DSL, LAN, r cable cnnectin desirable) Access t Canvas. The handuts, such as this syllabus and the paper assignments, will be psted t Canvas. Curse Structure This is a lecture class where mst f the material n the midterm and final will cme frm lectures. I will als make annuncements and reminders there. I wuld like t encurage discussin, but I can t frce peple t talk (I tried!). If yu have a questin, ther students are prbably wndering the same thing. Discussin is very helpful t keep the material interesting and t let me knw if smething wasn t clear. Online Resurces Be sure t peridically check Canvas. I make annuncements there. Califrnia State University, Sacrament Page 2

3 Part 2: Curse Objectives T d well in this class, yu will gain the fllwing skills: A basic understanding f the histry f the physical sciences. Primarily, we will cver physics, astrnmy, and gelgy. That is, we will skip bilgy and medicine and their varius branches. Learn t read and understand a histry mngraph, that is, a histrian s bk prmting a thesis abut histry. Learn t read and use a physicist s accunt t develp an understanding f the past n yur wn. Experience taking the abve tw surces and writing tw papers that demnstrate that yu read and understd the surce and that yu develped and defended a thesis. The ability t listen t a lecture and understand hw the big picture is supprted by many little details. This skill includes the ability t take effective ntes. Mre specifically, yu will learn abut Ancient Greek metaphysics and astrnmy, the transmissin f that knwledge thrugh Rman, Arab, and medieval Eurpean thinkers, the helicentric debates frm Cpernicus t Galile and Kepler, the beginnings f the scientific methd and its philsphy, the wrk f Isaac Newtn, the spread f Newtnianism, the beginnings f American science, the wrk f James Clerk Maxwell frm thermdynamics t electrmagnetism, the wrk f Albert Einstein frm special and general relativity t early quantum mechanics, the atmic bmb, the spread f gvernment-funded science, and the develpment f mdern physics, including current theries. Yu will meet the bjectives listed abve thrugh a cmbinatin f the fllwing activities in this curse: Attendance is essential t a passing grade. I have fund a strng crrelatin between attendance and exam grades. Of curse, being in class and nt paying attentin is nt helpful. Cmplete all assignments, including bth papers, the midterm, and the final. Nt submitting a paper r missing an exam makes passing the class very difficult. D all the readings. It is nt pssible t d the papers withut reading the bks n which they are based. I strngly recmmend studying fr exams with ther students. Yur grades will benefit greatly frm hearing ther peple s ideas and interpretatins. Mrever, ne f the great benefits f cllege is that yu meet many interesting new peple frm different backgrunds than yu. Califrnia State University, Sacrament Page 3

4 Part 3: Tpic Outline and Schedule Week 1: Jan. 23. Intrductin and Ancient Greece Mnday, January 21 is Martin Luther King Day. N Class. Start reading Lindberg bk Week 2: Jan. 28, 30. Ancient Science t Ptlemy Week 3: Feb. 4, 6. Arabic and Medieval science Week 4: Feb. 11, 13. Cpernicus and Mdernity Start reading Drake. Week 5: Feb. 18, 20. The Helicentric Debates Week 6: Feb. 25, 27. Philsphy f Science: Bacn t Huygens Week 7: Mar. 4, 6. Isaac Newtn and Review fr midterm Helicentrism Paper Due in class and Canvas Mn, Mar. 4. Week 8: Mar. 11, 13. Newtn s Methd. Mnday, Mar. 11: MIDTERM Bring a green bk! Mar. 18, 20. Spring Break! Start reading Kuhn. Week 9: Mar. 25, 27. French Science in the Enlightenment Week 10: Apr. 1, 3. Gelgy and American Science Mnday, April 1 is Cesar Chavez day. N Class. Week 11: Apr. 11, 10. Thermdynamics in the Industrial Revlutin Start reading Segrè. Week 12: Apr. 15, 17. Electrmagnetism: Ether t Einstein Week 13: Apr. 22, 24. Quantum Mechanics and General Relativity Week 14: April 29, May 1. Big Science and the Standard Mdel Paradigm Paper Due in class and Canvas Mn., April 29. Week 15: May 6, 8. Science Tday Final Exam Mnday, May 13, 12:45 2:45 PM Califrnia State University, Sacrament Page 4

5 Summary f very imprtant dates: Mnday, March 4: Helicentrism Paper Due Mnday, March 11: Midterm Mnday, April 29: Paradigm Paper Due Mnday, May 13: Final Exam 12:45 2:45 PM Nte abut calendar/schedule.. The dates f exams and paper due dates are fixed, but the tpics cvered may g ff frm the schedule a bit. We will spend mre time n sme f the tpics n the schedule than n thers. Part 4: Grading Plicy Graded Curse Activities Percent Descriptin 25 First Paper n Helicentrism 25 Midterm 25 Secnd Paper n Paradigms 25 Final Exam 100 Ttal Percentage Pssible Grading is pretty straightfrward: fur things each wrth ne furth f yur grade. The papers shuld be typed and duble spaced in 12 pint Times Rman with 1 margins. Late papers are penalized half f a letter grade per calendar day. I will stp accepting late papers the day I return graded papers. I will require a paper cpy n the due date as well as an electrnic cpy n Canvas. I will pst full descriptins f the papers n Canvas. The midterm and final will be a mixture f shrt answer and essay questins cvering bth the lectures and textbk. See the calendar abve fr due dates. Late Wrk Plicy There will be a five-pint penalty (ut f 100) fr every calendar day that a paper is late. They are due at the beginning f class, s the late penalty starts then. This can bviusly add up quickly, but a late paper is far better than nne at all. Hwever, when I return graded papers t Califrnia State University, Sacrament Page 5

6 the class, I stp accepting any late papers. Viewing Grades in Canvas Pints yu receive fr graded activities will be psted t the Canvas Grade Center. Click n the My Grades link n the left navigatin t view yur pints. I generally d nt pst ther grades n Canvas until (nearly) everybdy has their assignment back. I want students t see their grades with cmments, nt as simply a number. This means that grades will pst sn after I return graded assignments. Letter Grade Assignment Final grades assigned fr this curse will be based n the percentage f ttal pints earned and are assigned as fllws, after runding ff: Letter Grade Percentage Perfrmance A % Excellent Wrk A % Nearly Excellent Wrk B % Very Gd Wrk B 83-86% Gd Wrk B % Mstly Gd Wrk C % Abve Average Wrk C 73-76% Average Wrk C % Mstly Average Wrk D % Belw Average Wrk D 60-66% Pr Wrk F 0-59% Failing Wrk Imprtant nte: Fr mre infrmatin abut grading at Sac State, visit the academic plicies and grading sectin f the university catalg. Califrnia State University, Sacrament Page 6

7 Department f Histry / Cllege f Arts & Letters HIST 107 Part 5: Curse Plicies Attend Class Students are expected t attend all class sessins as listed n the curse calendar. Be n time! I d nt allw cell phnes in class. Even texting is incredibly distracting. I tried allwing it and it was a terrible idea. If yu use a laptp r tablet, yu must sit in the frnt rw. If it becmes clear that yu are using it fr anything besides taking ntes r ding as I instruct, yu will have t put it away. Repeated extracurricular uses will lse yu laptp privileges fr the rest f the semester. Participate I wuld like t repeat that class participatin is helpful t everyne, but in a class this size, I d nt keep track f participatin fr yur grade. Hwever, the class will be a lt mre enjyable and infrmative if yu ask questins. Build Rapprt If yu find that yu have any truble keeping up with assignments r ther aspects f the curse, make sure yu let me knw as early as pssible. As yu will find, building rapprt and effective relatinships are key t becming an effective prfessinal. Make sure that yu are practive in infrming me when difficulties arise during the semester s that I can help yu find a slutin. Think f this frm a bss s perspective: what is better, an emplyee wh makes arrangements when smething ges wrng r ne wh just shws up after the fact withut having dne the wrk? Cme t ffice hurs! I get bred and it can really help yu! Cmplete Assignments Assignments must be submitted by the given deadline r special permissin must be requested befre the due date. Extensins will nt Califrnia State University, Sacrament Page 7

8 be given beynd the next assignment except under extreme circumstances. All discussin assignments must be cmpleted by the assignment due date and time. Late papers are penalized five pints per calendar day. A missing paper r exam makes it very difficult t pass the class. Understand When Yu May Drp This Curse It is the student s respnsibility t understand when they need t cnsider disenrlling frm a curse. Refer t the Sac State Curse Schedule fr dates and deadlines fr registratin. After this perid, a serius and cmpelling reasn is required t drp frm the curse. Serius and cmpelling reasns includes: (1) dcumented and significant change in wrk hurs, leaving student unable t attend class, r (2) dcumented and severe physical/mental illness/injury t the student r student s family. Incmplete Plicy Under emergency/special circumstances, students may petitin fr an incmplete grade. An incmplete will nly be assigned in extreme cases, such as a medical emergency. Yu still have t d the wrk if yu get an incmplete. If that becmes necessary, we can discuss a timeframe, but it is generally by the beginning f the next semester, including summer classes. Infrm Yur Instructr f Any Accmmdatins Needed If yu have a dcumented disability and verificatin frm the Office f Services t Students with Disabilities (SSWD), and wish t discuss academic accmmdatins, please cntact yur instructr as sn as pssible. It is the student s respnsibility t prvide dcumentatin f disability t SSWD and meet with a SSWD cunselr t request special accmmdatin befre classes start. SSWD is lcated in Lassen Hall 1008 and can be cntacted by phne at (916) (Vice) (916) (TDD nly) r via at sswd@csus.edu. Cmmit t Integrity As a student in this curse (and at this university) yu are expected t maintain high degrees f prfessinalism, cmmitment t active learning and participatin in this class and als integrity in yur behavir in and ut f the classrm. Califrnia State University, Sacrament Page 8

9 Plagiarism gets yu a zer n the paper with n chance f making it up. Sac State's Academic Hnesty Plicy & Prcedures The principles f truth and hnesty are recgnized as fundamental t a cmmunity f schlars and teachers. Califrnia State University, Sacrament expects that bth faculty and students will hnr these principles, and in s ding, will prtect the integrity f academic wrk and student grades. Read mre abut Sac State's Academic Hnesty Plicy & Prcedures Definitins At Sac State, cheating is the act f btaining r attempting t btain credit fr academic wrk thrugh the use f any dishnest, deceptive, r fraudulent means. Plagiarism is a frm f cheating. At Sac State, plagiarism is the use f distinctive ideas r wrks belnging t anther persn withut prviding adequate acknwledgement f that persn s cntributin. Surce: Sacrament State University Library Imprtant Nte: Any frm f academic dishnesty, including cheating and plagiarism, may be reprted t the ffice f student affairs. Curse plicies are subject t change. It is the student s respnsibility t check Canvas fr crrectins r updates t the syllabus. Any changes will be psted in Canvas. Califrnia State University, Sacrament Page 9