Summer 2000 SYLLABUS

PHYSICS 101: ASTRONOMY

To learn about and appreciate:

• the methods and theories of modern astronomy
• the methods of modern science
• our place in the universe

After taking this course, you should be able to:

• make elementary observations of the night sky
• offer your friends elementary explanations for most of the phenomena you observe
• read and correctly interpret articles in the popular press regarding the science of astronomy and space exploration
• explain the process of scientific reasoning
• justify huge expenditures of money in the pursuit of detailed information about the universe we live in!!!

Homework and Quizzes:

There will be recommended problems assigned from each chapter, which will not be collected. The answers are given in the back of the book, and the assignments are just to guide you in understanding the material.

Daily quizzes will be given on the material from the reading and as presented in lecture. These quizzes will be worth 100 points, total. The three lowest quiz scores will be dropped from your grade.   However, anyone who misses more than 1/3 of the quizzes given will receive a failing grade for the class.

Bulletin Board discussion:

On the WebCT page, a bulletin board has been included which will serve as a place for you to engage in a dialogue with me and other students in the course regarding various topics related to astronomy and our place in the universe. This is a good place to discuss such topics as science and religion, astronomy and culture, etc., and also ask questions regarding the problems or important concepts.

When posting your comments, it is possible to include articles or URL's as attachments. I strongly encourage you to scan the web and news media for articles related to astronomy and space exploration, as several exam questions will be built around such articles, and they can also serve as good resources for your research paper.

A participation grade will be assigned based on your participation in this online discussion, and will be out of 50 points.

There will be 4 examinations given during the course of the semester given at two week intervals. The final exam will be cumulative, with an emphasis on the last section of the course. The exams will be a combination of true-false, multiple choice and short answer questions drawn from the problems given in the text plus the quiz questions, and in addition short answer questions related to short readings from the popular press. The three in-class exams will be worth 100 points each, and the final will be worth 150 pts.

Research Paper:

Each student is required to complete a research paper which will be handed in on July 26th. A list of topics is given on a separate sheet of paper.

The research paper must be based on a number of resources in addition to your text. Your goal in the paper is to provide a hypothetical roommate or friend a thorough understanding of the topic chosen, including the methods of observation used, the observed facts, the proposed theories and areas of further research.

The paper should include at least 5 typewritten pages, 1.5" spacing, 12 pt font with 1 inch margins, plus additional figures, graphs, etc. The research must be fully documented, and properly cited.

The following schedule should be followed.

June 14^th: Turn in a sheet of paper indicating the topic chosen for study and a representative bibliography of source materials (At least 5 sources, at least 2 of which are non-internet sources).

June 28^th: Turn in outline of the report. The outlines should include a thesis statement. At this point I will make suggestions concerning the overall focus of your project.

July 12^th: Turn in the rough draft (corrected draft with suggestions promised by March 28^th). The rough draft must properly cite all researched material. At this point I will make additional suggestions regarding content, as well as the form and manner of citation.

July 26^th: Final copy due in class.

The paper will be worth 100 points toward your final grade.

Grading policy:

There will be a total of 700 points possible in the class. The course grade will be given on a strict 90, 80, 70, 60 scale.

Calendar of Physics 101 Readings and Exam Schedule: June 5th edition