AST 105-003       Classical and Modern Astronomy – TR 9:30 am - 10:45 am  MN 101

 

Instructor:  Robert Friedfeld

Office: 322I or 126 Miller Science Bldg.

Email: rfriedfeld@sfasu.edu

Office Hours:   MWF(10-11)AM, (2-3)PM

                                TR(8:30-9:30)AM,  (2-3)PM

Text: The Essential Cosmic Perspective, 4th Edition

Phone: 468-2197

Authors: Bennett, Donahue, Schneider, Voit

Term:  Spring  2008

 

Webpage: http://www.physics.sfasu.edu/friedfeld/ast105/INDEX.HTM

 

Course Description: An introductory study of planetary astronomy, astrophysics, and cosmology. Lecture and laboratory grades are computed into one grade, and the same grade is recorded for both lecture and laboratory.

Co-requisite: AST 105L

 

Course Objectives: To give each student an understanding and appreciation of the scope of our universe through the methods of science.

 

Tentative Schedule (Subject to change at the discretion of the instructor)

Chapter

Topic

Dates

1

Our Place in the Universe

Jan 15-Jan 17

2

Discovering the Universe for Yourself

Jan 22- Jan 24

3

The Science of Astronomy

Jan 24- Jan 29

4

Making Sense of the Universe: Understanding Motion, Energy, and Gravity

Jan 29- Jan  31

5

Light: The Cosmic Messenger

Jan. 31- Feb 05

 

Finish up

Feb 07

 

Exam  #1 (1-5)

Feb 12

 

 

 

10

Our Star

Feb 14 –Feb 19

11

Surveying the Stars

Feb 19 – Feb 21

12

Star Stuff

Feb 21- Feb 26

13

The Bizarre Stellar Graveyard

Feb 26 – Feb 28

 

Finish up

Mar 04

 

Exam #2 (10-13)

Mar 06

 

Spring Break

Mar 08 – Mar16

 

 

 

14

Our Galaxy

Mar 18

 

Easter Holiday – No class

Mar 20

14

Our Galaxy-continued

Mar 25

15

A Universe of Galaxies

Mar 27 – Apr 01

16

Dark Matter and the Fate of the Universe

Apr 01 – Apr 03

17

The Beginning of Time

Apr 03 – Apr 08

 

Exam #3 (14-17)

Apr 10

 

 

 

6

Our Solar System

Apr 15 – Apr 17

7

Earth and the Terrestrial Worlds

Apr 17 – Apr 22

8

Jovian Planet Systems

Apr 22 – Apr 24

9

Remnants of Rock and Ice: Asteroids, Comets and Pluto

Apr 29– May 01

 

 

 

 

Final Exam (Exam #4) (6-9)

http://www.sfasu.edu/registrar/registration/final_exam_sched.asp

 

May 08

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Textbook Link:  http://www.masteringastronomy.com/

Clickers:             

                Determining the Lecture PRS (clicker) grade:

·         1-5 clicker questions may be asked during a lecture class.

·         Some will be ungraded survey questions

·         Half credit will be given for attempting to answer.

·         The other half credit will be given if the answer is correct.

·         Don’t obsess over the clicker questions you answer incorrectly.

·         If you are always present but answer all questions incorrectly (not likely) you will still earn half credit.

 

 Cheating via the clickers:

                Do NOT let anyone else use your clicker! Using more than one clicker (yours and your friends for example) is considered cheating which carries a stiff penalty. See the SFA policies regarding cheating and plagiarism (an excerpt is shown below). Giving someone else your clicker is just like letting someone else take an exam for you. The penalty for the owners of both clickers is a zero for their final clicker grades, which may lower their final course grade by a whole letter grade.                

 

Definition of Academic Dishonesty

Academic dishonesty includes both cheating and plagiarism.  Cheating includes but is not limited to (1) using or attempting to use unauthorized materials to aid in achieving a better grade on a component of a class; (2) the falsification or invention of any information, including citations, on an assigned exercise; and/or (3) helping or attempting to help another in an act of cheating or plagiarism.  Plagiarism is presenting the words or ideas of another person as if they were your own.  Examples of plagiarism are (1) submitting an assignment as if it were one’s own work when, in fact, it is at least partly the work of another; (2) submitting a work that has been purchased or otherwise obtained from an Internet source or another source; and (3) incorporating the words or ideas of an author into one’s paper without giving the author due credit.

 

Grading:                Lecture and Laboratory grades are computed into one grade and the same grade is recorded

 for both lecture and lab.

                               

There will be four examinations including the final. Each exam is worth 20% of the lecture avg. The final exam WILL NOT BE comprehensive but will cover chapters 6-9. On-line work will count as 15% of your LECTURE average and clicker quizzes 5%. The FINAL average is 75% of  your Lecture average plus 25% of your Lab average, as shown in the table below.

                                The grading is summarized in following Table:                              

Lecture Average

Final Average

20% Exam I

20 % Exam II

20% Exam III

20% Final Exam

5% Clicker quiz average

15% On line work average

100% Lecture Average

75% Lecture Average

25%  Lab Average

100% Final Average

 

Grading Scale:    Letter  grades are assigned according to the following scale for the Final Average               

 

A (90-100)              B (80 – 89.9)          C (70-79.9)             D (60-69.9)             F (0-59.9)

 

 

Testing Policy:                    There will be four major exams, each covering a limited amount of lecture and text material. The dates of these exams are listed in the schedule. Each student must provide a SCANTRON form number  882-E(S) in order to take each exam.   (The final exam will NOT  be comprehensive.)  No make-up exams will be given unless there is a valid reason as deemed by the instructor.

 

 

 

 

Important Dates:

 

Jan 14              Classes begin

Jan 21              MLKJr. Day - National holiday – no classes

March 08         Spring Break begins.

March 17         Classes resume after Spring Break

March 19         Last day drop courses

May 08            Final Exam   http://www.sfasu.edu/registrar/registration/final_exam_sched.asp

 

 

Special Accommodation Statement: 

 

Students with documented disabilities or who need course accommodations should make an

appointment to see me as soon as possible.