ASTRONOMY 1 – SYLLABUS – SPRING 2008
Ticket Nos. 0108 &
0177
INSTRUCTOR: Richard
Rains
VOICE
MAIL(24 hours): (818) 364-7702
EMAIL: rgrains@yahoo.com
OFFICE HOURS: Tu - Thu 12:10 p.m. to 2:00
p.m.
TEXTBOOK Required: "Horizons" by Michael Seeds, 10th ed
COURSE DESCRIPTION: Addresses such questions as:
What
is our place in the universe?
What
kinds of things are in the universe?
What
am I actually seeing when I look up at the sky (moon, planets, etc)?
What
is it like on other planets?
Where
did the universe come from? Where is it
going?
Is
there life on other planets?
How
do we know what we know?
(For
more details, see table of contents of text.)
COURSE OUTLINE: The chapters in the text will be covered in the same order as they occur in the table of contents of “Horizons”.
STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES
2. Have a working knowledge of the historical development of key astronomical concepts such as the ever-unfolding discovery of our place in the universe, including the latest developments in planetology and cosmology.This knowledge will be demonstrated by quizzes and tests and in-class discussions.
3. Acquire
a sense of social responsibility in areas of environmental concern such as
global warming, resource conservation and pollution, as evidenced by in-class
discussions.
GRADES: The final grade will be
determined by:
Reading Quiz average: 20%
(Two of these will be dropped)
Lecture
Quiz average: 20% (Two of these will be dropped)
Test
1, Mar. 4 20%
Test
2, Apr. 8 20% (The lowest test
will be dropped)
Test
3, May 6 20%
Final
Exam (Dates below) 20%
(Ch.
1-20)
Grades,
syllabus and assignments are posted on the Internet at http://rerains.freeservers.com/
A
brief Reading Quiz may be given during the first 15 minutes
of each class meeting only. This
closed-book quiz will cover the reading assignment according to the schedule
below. Missed quizzes may not be made-up and will be recorded as zero. The two
lowest Reading Quiz grades, however, will be dropped at the end of the
semester.
A
brief Lecture Quiz may be given during the last 10 minutes
of each class meeting only. The
quiz (or discussion question) will cover the lecture and will be open notes.
Missed quizzes may not be made-up and will be recorded as zero. The two lowest
Lecture Quiz grades, however, will be dropped at the end of the semester.
The
three tests will take about one hour each. No make-up tests will be
given. However, the single lowest test grade will be dropped at the end of the
semester. (Not including the final examination.)
No
early or late examinations or quizzes will be given under any circumstances.
Please arrange your life accordingly.
READING
SCHEDULE:
Feb.
5: First class meeting; no quiz
Feb.
7: Quiz covers Chapter 1
Feb.
12: Quiz covers Chapter 2
Feb.
14: Quiz covers Chapter 3
Feb.
19: Quiz covers text Chapter 4
Feb.
21: Quiz covers Chapter 5.1-5.2
Feb.
26: Quiz covers Chapter 5.3-5.5
Feb.
28: Quiz covers Chapter 6
March
4: Test 1 covers Chapters 1-6
March
6: Quiz covers Chapter 7
March
11: Quiz covers Chapter 8
March
13: Quiz covers Chapter 9
March
18: Quiz covers Chapter 10&11
March
20: Quiz covers Chapter 12
March
25: Spring Break
March
27: Spring Break
April
1 Quiz covers Chapter 13
April
3 Quiz covers Chapter 14
April
8: Test 2 covers Chapters 7 - 13
April
10: Quiz covers Chapter 15
April
15: Quiz covers Chapter 16
April
17: Quiz covers Chapter 17.1 – 17.2
April
22: Quiz covers Chapter 17.3 – 17.4
April
24: Quiz covers Chapter 17.5
April
29: Quiz covers Chapter 17.6
May
1: Quiz covers Chapter 18.1 – 18.2
May
6: Test 3 – Ch 14 – 17.6
May
8: Quiz covers Chapter 18.3 - 18.6
May
13: Quiz covers Chapter 18.4 - 18.6
May
15: Quiz covers Chapter 19
May
20: Quiz covers Chapter 20
May
22: Review Exercises
May
27: Section 0177 Final Exam
May
29: Section 0108 Final Exam
CELL
PHONE POLICY: No cell phone activity of
any kind is allowed in the classroom at any time, including text messaging.
IPOD
POLICY: Please remove all ear buds and headphones upon entering the classroom.
ETHICS
POLICY: Any student found to be cheating on any quiz or test will receive an
immediate zero on that activity.
DATES
listed on this syllabus may change. Each student is responsible for current
class announcements, whether he/she is present in class or not.
Last Day to drop the class without a "W": March 3
Last Day to drop the class with a "W": May 5
NOTE: It is the student’s responsibility to drop the class. After the final census date, the instructor is not responsible to exclude students who have become inactive.