Introduction to Astronomy (GEO 154)

Dr. Scott C. Smith

W 6:15 P.M. – Holroyd 190

Office: None

Work Phone: (609) 792-0874 (for emergency use only)

e-mail: smithsc@lasalle.edu or scott.c.smith@mailaps.org

Blackboard web site can be accessed from: http://my.lasalle.edu/

Publisher web site: http://www.masteringastronomy.com – Join course GEO154ASTRONOMYF2010

Additional web site: http://www.lasalle.edu/~smithsc/Astronomy/astro.html

"Office" hours: will be available before and after class (or by appointment)

Textbooks:

Required Text: Astronomy Today (7th Edition), by Eric Chaisson and Steve McMillan (Prentice Hall, 2010, ISBN# 9780321696236). Note that the publisher maintains a web site with updated and supplemental material. Earlier editions may differ significantly in content and organization of material, and certainly differ in the questions at the end of the chapter, which are used for homework assignments.

Recommended Text: Astronomy: A Self-Teaching Guide (7^th Edition), by Dinah L. Moche (John Wiley and Sons, 2009, ISBN# 9780470230831). (Note: For the recommended text, earlier editions are acceptable.)

Grading:

Grades in this course will be based on performance on exams (300 pts), quizzes (110 pts), homework (see below), attendance and class participation (30 pts).

There will be 2 in-class exams and a final. Exams are worth 100 points each, with the final counting as two exams. At the end of the semester, the lowest single exam grade will be dropped. If the final is the lowest grade, it will be counted once instead of twice.

Every week (except exam and holiday weeks) there will be an online quiz worth 10 points.

Grades will be calculated by converting total points to a percentage out of 440 possible points.  Final grades will be assigned using a +/- grading system as follows:
 
 

 
 

Attendance and participation:

Attendance is required. Since this class meets only once per week, a single absence will result in a large amount of missed material. In addition to being physically present, you are expected to take an active part in the class (as difficult as that may be on a Monday evening). Full participation in the class will enable you to get the most out of the experience. If that is not sufficient to motivate you, note that your participation (or lack thereof) may be worth as much as a full letter grade in the course.

 

Exams:

There will be 2 in-class exams and a final, which counts as two exams. Make-up exams will not be given, so it is extremely important that you do not miss an exam! You are allowed to drop one exam grade. If you miss an exam, you will receive a 0 for that exam, and that will automatically become your drop exam. You will receive a 0 for any other exams that are missed.

Each in-class exam will be approximately one hour. Material on the exams may be taken from the assigned reading, from the lecture material, or from supplemental materials. The format will be predominantly multiple choice and true/false, with some problems and/or short answer. The final will be cumulative, and will include all material covered throughout the semester, but will be based predominantly on the material covered since the second exam.

  

Quizzes:

There will be 11 online quizzes administered through the BlackBoard course site, with a new quiz posted each week.  Quizzes will be available from the day after class until the day before the next class, and may be taken at any time during the intervening week.  Once you start the quiz, however, you must finish it in a single session within the allotted time.

 

Homework and Reading Assignments:

Reading assignments should be completed before the lecture in which they will be discussed. Due to limited class time, it is not practical to cover all material thoroughly in lecture, so it is important that students keep up with all reading assignments. Material in the readings may show up on exams even if it has not been discussed in lecture. It is strongly recommended that you check the publisher's web site for additional information relevant to the readings in the textbook.

Homework will be assigned and collected weekly. Homework assignments may be completed through the MasteringAstronomy website, or may be handed in on paper.  Homework is due at the start of the class for which it is assigned, and must be turned in on time (if doing homework on the website, the assignment must be submitted by 6:00 PM on the due date). Late homework will not receive credit.

Homework assignments will be given a cursory check and assigned a grade of - (0.5 pt),  (1 pt), or + (1.5 pts) [or 0, in extreme cases].  Points earned on homework assignments will be applied as extra credit to the next exam following that assignment.

Homework should be neat, legible, and complete. If I cannot understand what you have written, I cannot give credit for it! Each question should be answered in complete sentences. In the case of calculations, any equations used should be written down and all work should be shown (credit will not be given if a number is written down with no indication of how it was obtained). In the case of short answer questions, all answers should be fully explained ("yes", "no", or other one word answers are not sufficient). As a simple guideline, I (or any other person) should be able to read your answer and understand what you are saying, even without reading the question.

There may be additional, "special" homework assignments given out during the semester. These may require greater effort than a normal assignment, for example they may require some astronomical observations, research, and/or writing. These will be assigned appropriate point values and will figure into your grade as separate items.

Last modified: Sun Aug 30 14:56:29 Eastern Daylight Time 2009