First Assignment – Astronomy 105
(Adopted and modified with permission from Mr. Michaels)
Complete
the following five activities before
I. Purchase the following items: a textbook, a clicker and a lab manual. They should all be available at the UC book store. The text is the new fourth edition of “The Essential Cosmic Perspective” which comes bundled with an access kit for the “Mastering Astronomy” web site and a rebate coupon for the clicker (covers a significant portion of the clicker cost). If you purchased a used copy of the textbook, you can buy an access kit online during the registration process but you will not have a clicker rebate coupon.
II. In this course you will be using MasteringAstronomy, an online tutorial and homework companion to your textbook. In order to access this site you must first register. Locate the “access kit” that came with your new textbook. Open it up and carefully follow the registration instructions given below and be sure to enter the information EXACTLY as indicated.
What You Need:
P Your SFA email address
P A student access code (from your “access kit”).
P The zip code for SFA: 75962
P Course ID for Dr. Friedfeld’s Ast105.003 class: AST105003SPRING2008
P Your SFA CID number
Student Registration:
· Go to http://www.masteringastronomy.com/
·
Click on the textbook for Ast 105 (The Essential Cosmic Perspective, 4e).
· If you have your access code, simply click Register (you may also “Buy Now” using a credit card if you do not have a new student access code).
· Select “No, I am a New User” and type in your Access Code in the fields provided (enter one “word” per box).
· Enter your School Zip Code, select your Country and click Next.
· Enter your Name and SFA Email address and select Your School. Enter your first and last name exactly the way it appears on University records. Do not shorten your first name or use nicknames otherwise your online work and grades may not be recorded!
· Create a personal Login Name and Password, answer the Security Question and click Next.
If successful, you will receive a Confirmation Screen with your registration information (this information will also be emailed to you).
Enrolling in Your Course
To be included in your instructor’s grade book you now need to “enroll” in your MasteringAstronomy Ast105 course.
· Go to MasteringAstronomy and select the textbook icon for Ast105.
· Under "Returning User," enter the login name and password you created and click Log In.
· When prompted, enter the appropriate Course ID (AST105003SPRING2008) and your SFA Student CID number. Enter your 8 digit CID with no spaces or dashes. Be sure to enter this information ACCURATELY!
Congratulations! You have completed registration and have enrolled in your course.
System Requirements & Technical Support:
To effectively use the resources on this website, you will need to check your browser settings and plug-ins:
· Log in to your www.masteringastronomy.com homepage and click the “Help” tab on the top menu.
· Visit http://www.masteringhelp.com and click the logo for Mastering Astronomy. Frequently asked questions, minimum requirements, and extensive online help resources are available to students.
· Log in to your www.masteringastronomy.com homepage and click on the Assignment List then click on the first assignment “Introduction to MasteringAstronomy”. This exercise will familiarize you with the different types of assignments. This assignment is for practice so don’t worry if you miss a question!
III. Interwrite PRS Clicker: We will use clicker technology in both lecture and laboratory. Your responses to clicker questions will count as part of your course grade. Read the “Users Guide” carefully so you will be familiar with its operation. Before using in class make sure you have entered and saved your student CID number into your clicker (8 digits). It is important that you enter your CID accurately! Instructions for completing this process are given below.
To Enter Your Student ID…
1. Power on your Clicker.
2. When “Scanning Classes” begins, press * to stop the scan.
3. Press * again to display the Setup Menu.
4. Scroll ▼ or ▲ to display the ID: menu option and then press ® to select it.
5. Enter your Student ID (this is your 8 digit CID). Press ◄ to backspace if you make an entry error. Important: Verify you’ve entered the CID accurately!
6. Press ® to save your Student ID.
7. Press * to return to the top of the Setup Menu.
Your CID number will remain stored in the clicker’s flash memory when turned off and even if the batteries are removed. If you ever need to reenter you CID just repeat the steps above.
· Bring your clicker to every lecture and lab class!!
· Determining the Lecture PRS (clicker) Grade
· Generally 2-5 clicker questions will be asked during each lecture class
· Some will be ungraded survey questions to get data
· Half credit for trying any answer
· Other half for being correct
Cheating: Do not let anyone else use your clicker. If you are observed using two clickers; that is considered cheating which carries a stiff penalty (see SFA policies on Cheating and Plagiarism). Think about it, giving someone else your clicker is just like letting someone else take a quiz or exam for you. The penalty for the owners of both clickers is a 0 for their final clicker grades (this will lower their final course grade by a letter grade).
IV. Read the online Lab Syllabus
V. Complete your first reading assignment – pages xxii-xxiii and chapter 1 in your text.
Important: Be sure to complete the “MasteringAstronomy” registration and have your CID number entered into your clicker before coming to class on Tuesday (January 22).