PHYS 1060 Astronomy: Stars and Galaxies

MWF 9:30–10:20 a.m. in GRSC 324 (Planetarium), Tu 8:00–10:00 p.m. at observing site

 Instructor Information

 

 Course Description

 I invite you to come along on an exciting journey with me through the night sky and the universe.  We will witness some of the greatest beauties of nature and we will begin to understand how they work physically.  I also invite you to make the learning experience absolutely great by following the suggestions here.

Topics include origins of astronomy, astronomical tools, atoms and starlight, formation, structure, and death of stars, galaxies, cosmology.  Our guiding question will be “How do we know?”

 Course Objectives

Become acquainted with the night sky and appreciate the beauty of nature.  Understand the laws of science that govern heavenly bodies.  Learn how scientists think and work; learn how astronomers know things. Of course the real goal is to help you become a lifelong learner.

You are responsible to acheive the Snow College Physical Science General Education Learning Outcomes and I'm responsible to help you. You are also responsible to achieve these natural science learning outcomes as well.  Introductory video.

Pre-reqs and GenEd

Prerequisites:  Math 850 or 1010 (Intermediate Algebra) or equivalent.  

This class fulfills physical science GE, but not the science laboratory requirement.

 Required Materials

Required Textbook:  Astronomy 2e from OpenStax. Free in web view and PDF at  https://openstax.org/details/books/astronomy-2e.  Can also be purchased in print format at textbooktech.com.  Hardcover ISBN 978-1-711470-57-3, Paperback ISBN 978-1-711470-56-6, Digital ISBN 978-1-951693-50-3. 

Required Textbook:  Universe: The Definitive Visual Guide  published by Dorling Kindersly. ISBN 9781465499950

Optional: Buying a Planisphere is optional but a great idea. Smartphone apps, such as SkySafari, can also help you find your way around the sky.

Tools: You need a good calculator.  If you have access to binoculars that would be helpful as well. You will receive a Plickers card in class for use on the readiness assessment quizzes.

Assignments

Schedule:  The pace will average just more than one chapter per week. 

Homework:  Homework will be assigned from the questions at the end of each chapter (doing more than assigned can really aid understanding). You are encouraged to work together in groups, but please make sure you understand everything you turn in.  Handwrite (pencil and paper) your answers and show your work.  Homework is due at the end of the class period on announced due dates. Turn it in as a scanned file or picture in Canvas. Homework that is late for any reason other than a pre-approved legitimate excuse will lose 20% per day late. No late homework after Dec. 2 will be accepted.                                Watch for possible other assignments posted in Canvas.

Group Work: Much of our in-class time will be spent doing group work.  It is important that you come prepared each day or your group suffers with you.  Please read each chapter before it is discussed in class.

Night Observations:  To fulfill the objectives of the course you will need to spend some time looking at the night sky, both with the naked eye and the aided eye.  You should attend as many night observations with the class as possible, so leave your late Tuesday evenings open.

Quizzes: A short quiz at the beginning of each chapter will assess your prior reading diligence.  We will use free Plickers for this.

Tests: There will be a test after three chapters (total of six midterm tests). Preparation suggestions here.

The final exam is scheduled for Wednesday, December 11, 12:00-2:00 pm in our classroom.  It will be comprehensive.

 

Expectations and Resources

Expectations and How to Get Help: Please read A Better Learning Experience a couple of times throughout the semester.

Both asking and answering questions should prove you’ve delved deeply into the chapter material.   

If you are serious about this class a large portion of your learning will take place outside of class time.  You should plan on spending at least 2 hours in outside study for every hour in class.  You are encouraged to see me during my posted office hours (a.k.a. student contact hours) and at other times by appointment; you may also get help by messaging me in Canvas.  You should do your homework with friends in the math/science lab. Tutor.com is also available in Canvas 24/7. Here is a guide for students using AI (not published by Snow).

Participation: Please participate actively in class; this means asking lots of questions (including the class question "How do we know?" often) and not using electronic devices during class time unless needed for a specific class activity. Earbuds are not allowed in class.

 Grades

Grading:  Please select the grade you wish to receive and conduct yourself accordingly.   See letter grade task details here.

 

For a D do the following:

* Actively participate (this includes regular attendance).

* Subscribe to two astronomy podcasts.  Also subscribe to the EarthSky.org daily e-mail update.

* Watch one episode of astronomy videos from the library and turn in a one-page summary.

* Attend at least seven night observations.

* Demonstrate that you can identify at least three constellations in the night sky.

* Have a 60% or better overall on all homework, quizzes, tests and participation.

 

For a C do the following in addition to the above:

* Keep a regular sky journal.

* Write a short (one paragraph) report on each of two podcast episodes and an EarthSky update.

* Watch another episode of astronomy videos from the library and turn in a one-page summary.

* Attend at least eight night observations.

* Demonstrate that you can identify at least six constellations in the night sky.

* Have a 65% or better overall on all homework, quizzes, tests and participation.

 

For a B do the following in addition to all of the above:

* Read two articles from astronomy magazines and summarize them in Canvas.

* Write a letter about preserving dark skies to a politician or newspaper.

* Write a script for an astronomy podcast, like those on 365 Days of Astronomy.

* Watch another episode of astronomy videos from the library and turn in a one-page summary.

* Attend at least nine night observations.

* Demonstrate that you can identify at least nine constellations in the night sky.

* Have a 70% or better overall on all homework, quizzes, tests and participation.

 

For an A do the following in addition to all of the above:

* Write a 5-7 page term paper about some astronomical topic.  Include a poster for public display.

* Make an audio podcast of your astronomy podcast script.

* Watch another episode of astronomy videos from the library and turn in a one-page summary.

* Attend at least ten night observations.

* Demonstrate that you can identify at least twelve constellations in the night sky.

* Have a 75% or better overall on all homework, quizzes, tests and participation.

 

Details on the letter-grade tasks can be found here.

No grade can be earned without satisfactory completion of all the tasks for all lower grades.

 

Pluses and minuses from the straight letter grades may be awarded at the discretion of the instructor, pluses for stellar work, minuses for mediocre work.

 

 

The weightings for the categories for homework, quizzes, and tests are:

Homework                      25%

Quizzes                           25%

Tests                               25%

Participation/Attitude       5%

Final Exam                     20%

 

Policies

General policies on ADA, Title IX, FERPA, Triggers, and Academic Honesty are linked below.  Further elaboration on Academic Honesty is here.  And here is a statement about AI. If you have any questions, please ask, because you are responsible for the information in these policies.  

It is considered academic dishonesty to copy problem solutions from sources on the web or solutions manuals.  It is considered academic dishonesty to turn in identical wording as your classmates. When learning is the goal there is no incentive to cheat.

 Canvas Information

Canvas is the where course content, grades, and communication will reside for this course. For helps with Canvas, view the Canvas Helps course or the Canvas Student Guides. 

To access Canvas, go to snow.edu and click on the three line overflow menu in the top right corner. Then scroll down to "Canvas Login". You will use your Badger Web username and password to access Canvas. 

To reset your password for Badger Web and Canvas, contact Advising (435-283-7313) or visit the Snow College IT website.

For other Canvas questions, contact the Teaching and Learning Center (tlc@snow.edu or 435-283-7341).