Astronomy Course Syllabus

Transcription

1 Astronomy Course Syllabus Course: ASTR& 100 Title: Survey of Astronomy Section: DE Term: 2017 Spring Days: Online Time: Online Location: Online Instructor: Julie Masura Phone None Canvas intranet Emergencies (emergencies only!) Pierce College s Mission We are a community of learners open to all. Our community is built on a foundation of respect and openness to change. Together, we strive to meet the needs of our diverse community and develop each member's abilities. Our commitment to quality education and teaching excellence prepares learners to live and work successfully in an ever-changing world. COURSE DESCRIPTION: There are two general goals for Survey of Astronomy. First, students should understand their place in the universe - where they are, what they are, and how astronomers think that happened. Second, students should understand the scientific -processes by which astronomers arrived at the modern understanding of the universe, including outstanding unresolved issues. ENABLING OBJECTIVES: Describe where you are in the universe. Describe the astronomical processes that enabled you to be here. Relate the early history of astronomy and physics, and show how this exemplifies how science works today. Understand how information is interpreted from distant objects of the universe. Describe how the currently accepted model of the sun (and other stars) is consistent with the observed features of our sun. Describe the classes of stars and how they are organized. Describe the life cycle of stars from birth to death. Describe the different types and features of galaxies - very large collections of stars - that astronomers observe in the universe. TEXT AND MATERIALS: Backman, D.E. and M.A. Seeds ASTRO. 2 nd ed. Belmont: Brooks/Cole. 342 p. (ISBN: ). You may either use a desk copy of the textbook or the electronic version located in the Cengage online classroom below. You may only use a new textbook for this course in order to access CengageNow.

2 YOU MUST PURCHASE A NEW TEXTBOOK! o Paperback ASTRO2 with CNOW Access, $89.95: o Digital Only Access to ASTRO2 and CNOW, $89.95: To access CengageNow for ASTRO2: GRADING, ASSIGNMENTS, AND EXAMINATIONS: Each unit agenda will be posted in the unit folder located under the lessons tab. The agenda will include the reading assignments, exercises, and assessments for that unit. Each unit will include a reading assignment, quiz, exercise, and discussion. Two exams will be administered online on Wednesday before unit 5 (exam 1) and after unit 9 (exam 2) OR the end of each unit in the summer quarter. They will be open book and note. Exam 1 will cover units 1-4 and exam 2 units 5-9. You will have 2 hours to complete the exam. The exam will be taken in the Canvas classroom. GRADING SCHEME Introduction 5% 15% Quizzes 30% Exercises 30% Exams 20% Total 100% GRADING SCALE >93%, %, %, %, %, %, %, %, %, 2.7 <60%, N/C

3 77-79%, 2.3 Extra credit opportunities. You can earn 1 point extra credit by locating a unique article in Scientific American, Astronomy, or Sky and Telescope (journals located in the onlne library) related to the unit being covered. Citations must be in APA format ( To earn this point you MUST post the citation for the journal article in the unit folder prior to the end of that unit. NO LATE EXTRA CREDIT POSTINGS WILL BE ACCEPTED. You could earn up to 10 extra credit points for the quarter. CLASS POLICIES: Attendance: The target level for your total time commitment for this course is 15 hours per week for 10 weeks, or about 18 hours per week for 8 weeks during summer quarter. That total will include participation at least 5 of the 7 days per week. Students who took this course previously found the course intensive, difficult at times, and overall rewarding. To do well in the course, be prepared to spend the estimated time, be prompt on all assignments, and do your own work. I suggest finding 15 hours in your schedule before tackling this course. Flexibility of Class Schedule: Assignments will be due by 11:59 p.m. on the due date specified on the schedule. Any work turned in after that time will result in a point being deducted from the final score. An additional point will be deducted for each day the assignment is late. Negative points will not be awarded, but zeros will be assigned for projects turned in days greater than the assignment is worth. Instructor Expectations: I am available through Canvas intranet . I will respond to your requests within 48-hours Monday - Friday, unless an announcement is posted that will prevent me from doing so. Assignments will be graded soon after they are due. Most grades will be posted by the following Thursday of the next unit. Assignments will not be graded prior to due dates. Netiquette and Privacy: Words can mean many things and what we intend to say is not always what others hear. This is especially true of "online communication" during which other students do not have the opportunity to see your "body language" and therefore have a greater possibility of misunderstanding what you truly mean. Plagiarism: Plagiarism will not be tolerated. Any suspected plagiarism will result in a zero for the assignment. An will be sent privately to students suspected of plagiarism. Please note that plagiarism is not only copying, but also using others thoughts as one s own. Student Expectations: You should be able to do almost all your work offline, then copy and paste your work. Offline work will include INTERNET and library research. Highly disciplined to work 2-3 hours a day through the week

4 Skill at composing via keyboard at reasonable speed Good access to library materials Good reading and comprehension speed Skill at distilling information from several sources into one comprehensive summary ADS Statement: Your experience in this class is important to me, and it is the policy and practice of Pierce College to create inclusive and accessible learning environments consistent with federal and state law. If you experience barriers based on disability, please seek a meeting with the Access and Disability Services (ADS) manager to discuss and address them. If you have already established accommodations with the ADS manager, please bring your approved accommodations (green sheet) to me at your earliest convenience so we can discuss your needs in this course. ADS offers resources and coordinates reasonable accommodations for students with disabilities. Reasonable accommodations are established through an interactive process between you and the ADS manager, and I am available to help facilitate them in this class. If you have not yet established services through ADS, but have a temporary or permanent disability that requires accommodations (this can include but not be limited to; mental health, attention-related, learning, vision, hearing, physical or health impacts), you are encouraged to contact ADS at (Fort Steilacoom) or (Puyallup and JBLM). Agenda: Unit Topic Objective Assignment 0 Introduction to Survey of Astronomy To orient yourself to the course. Autobiography Unit 0 Quiz 1 Scale of the Universe Chapter 1: Here and Now 2 The Night Sky Chapter 2: User s Guide to the Sky: Patterns and Cycles 3 History of Astronomy Chapter 3: The Origin of Modern Astronomy To create perspective of your presence in the universe. To describe where you are in the universe and understand the astronomical processes that enable you to be here. To relate the early history of astronomy and physics, and show how this exemplifies how sciences works today. Chapter 1 Quiz Chapter 1 Exercise Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Quiz Chapter 2 Exercise Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Quiz Chapter 3 Exercise Chapter 3

5 Information from Distant Objects Chapter 4: Astronomical Telescopes and Instruments: Extending Humanity s Vision To understand how information is interpreted from distant objects of the universe. Chapter 4 Quiz Chapter 4 Exercise Chapter 4 4 The Sun Chapter 5: Sun Light and Sun Atoms To describe how the currently accepted model of the sun (and other stars) is consistent with the observed features of our sun. Chapter 5 Quiz Chapter 5 Exercise Chapter 5 Planetary Properties Chapter 6: The Terrestrial Planets To understand the evolution of the formation of planets. Chapter 6 Quiz Chapter 6 Exercise Chapter 6 Midterm Exam I (Units 1-4) 5 Planetary Properties (continued) Chapter 7: The Outer Solar System To describe the formation of the outer planets. Chapter 7 Quiz Chapter 7 Exercise Chapter 7 6 The Solar System Chapter 8: The Origin of the Solar System and Extrasolar Planets 7 Stellar Properties Chapter 9: The Family of Stars To describe the evolution of our solar system. To describe the classes of stars and how they are organized. 8 Structure and Formation To describe the life cycle of stars from birth. Chapter 10: Structure and Formation of Stars 9 The Deaths & Final Stages of Stars Chapter 11: The Deaths of Stars To describe the life cycle of stars to death. Chapter 8 Quiz Chapter 8 Exercise Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Quiz Chapter 9 Exercise Chapter 9 Chapter 10 Quiz Chapter 10 Exercise Chapter 10 Chapter 11 Quiz Chapter 11

6 Exercise Chapter 11 Final Exam II, Units 5-9