Astronomy
104 Syllabus – Spring 2008
TTH
Instructor: Janet McLarty-Schroeder
Office: PS - C
Phone: 562-860-2451 ext 2666
Office Hours: Tu 3:30-4:30 pm, W and Th 8:30 – 9:30 am and by appointment
Email: jmclarty@cerritos.edu
Web Page: http://www.cerritos.edu/jmclarty/
Text: Life in the Universe, Second Edition. Bennett and Shostak. Addison Wesley, 2007.
Academic Requirements: Your final course grade will be determined in the following manner:
Homework Assignments (Averaged) 20%
Quizzes (Averaged) 10%
Presentation/Paper 10%
2 Midterm Exams (20% each) 40%
Final Exam 20%
Letter grades will be determined according to the following approximate scale:
A 88% - 100%
B 76% - 87%
C 64% - 75%
D 52% - 63%
F less than 52%
Student Learning
Outcome: A student completing Astronomy 104 will be able to demonstrate a
non-mathematical understanding of the scientific method, the history of
astronomy, our current understanding of the origin and evolution of the
universe and all of its varied astronomical contents (galaxies, stars, planets,
etc.), the basic tenets of biology and chemistry and how they pertain to life
and its origins, the complex connections between astronomy, biology, geology,
and chemistry as pertains to the origin and evolution of life on Earth, the
possibility of habitable zones off Earth and what they require to exist as possible havens for life, and the possibilities for finding
and/or communicating with life off Earth. This
outcome is measured by the student’s qualitative and quantitative performance
on tests, quizzes, homework assignments, projects, and presentations.
Exams: There will be two midterm exams. They are tentatively scheduled for Feb 19 and Mar 24. These dates may change with notice. Each exam is worth 20% of your final grade.
Final Exam: There will be a comprehensive final exam in PS-5 on May 19 (Tuesday) from 10 am to 12 pm. This date will only change due to any change made by the college administration.
If You Miss an Exam: No make-up exams will be given without prior
notification and a reasonable excuse. Reasonable excuses include illnesses
verified by doctors, death in the family, and other serious conditions accepted
by the instructor.
Exceptions: I may make exceptions to certain of these rules in special cases, such as emergencies and illnesses. In such cases, you must request the exception in writing, and I will require written evidence of the emergency or illness.
Presentation/Paper: There will be a term project type of presentation (with paper) to the class that is tentatively scheduled for May 14. This assignment will be discussed in class.
Homework: Homework will be assigned throughout the course. Homework assignments are due at the beginning of class. Homework assignments will not be accepted late without a reasonable, documented reason in advance. Your average homework grade will count for 20% of your final grade.
There are a number of homework assignments that require group interaction to complete. You will need to bring the following homework assignments to class on the dates indicated (which are NOT their due dates). These assignments can be found on your class web site and printed at your convenience to be brought in.
|
Bring to Class |
Homework Assignment |
|
Mar 12 |
The Nature of Life |
|
Mar 26 |
The Extreme Environments of Earth and the Creatures that Live There |
|
Apr 2 |
The Evolving Earth: Geologic and Biologic Time |
|
Apr 21 |
Designer Genes for a Designer World |
|
May 5 |
Is There Anybody Out There? |
|
Due Dates* |
Homework Assignment |
|
Jan 29 |
Motions |
|
Feb 10 |
Remote Sensing |
|
Feb 17 |
Expansion/Lookback |
|
Mar 3 |
Stellar Formation and Evolution, Stellar Lifetimes |
|
Mar 10 |
Temperature and Formation of the Solar System |
|
Mar 19 |
The Nature of Life |
|
Apr 2 |
The Extreme Environments of Earth and the Creatures that Live There |
|
Apr 21 |
The Evolving Earth: Geologic and Biologic Time |
|
Apr 28 |
Designer Genes for a Designer World |
|
May 5 |
SETI Star Pick |
|
May 12 |
Is There Anybody Out There? |
*Subject
to Change with notice
Quizzes: There will be a quiz during every single lecture period. These quizzes may be given at any time during the normal lecture period. Some quizzes will be individual efforts, while others will be group endeavors. Some will be open book, others will not. Quizzes may cover any lecture material and/or any material from a given reading assignment. There is no make-up for a quiz. I will drop your three lowest quiz scores before averaging them at the end of the semester. Quizzes also allow me to keep track of your attendance throughout the semester.
Lectures: The lectures will include discussion of the course material and may include discussions of some material not in the text. The lectures will also include announcements, changes to the tentative class schedule (if necessary), audio-visual media presentations, reviews before the exams, and discussions of the exams after they are returned. You are responsible for all of the lecture content, whether you are present or not.
Be Prepared: Bring all pertinent materials to class. This includes texts, writing materials, homework assignments, etc.
Assignments: All written assignments should be word processed. This ensures I can read them. Unreadable text will not be graded. All assignments should have proper grammar and spelling and should be stapled. (Your homework assignments may be neatly hand written.)
Attendance: Students are expected to attend all classes. Attendance will be taken formally in some classes. Anyone missing more than four classes, without prior approval from the instructor, will be automatically flunked. Attendance will be based on whether or not you completed your quiz. If you miss a quiz, it is counted as an absence. Note: Only students of this class should be in attendance. Leave children, family, and friends at home.
Cell Phones/Pagers: Please turn them off! They are disruptive and it is discourteous to the class to leave them on. If you musts (for whatever reason) leave your cell phone or pager on, please switch it to silent or vibrate mode out of courtesy to those around you. Cell phones will not be allowed in exams.
Scholastic Ethics: Science is a subject that thrives with shared information, however everyone must do their own work. Cheating, plagiarism, and other failures of scholastic ethics will not be tolerated. There are no second chances. The Cerritos College Academic Honesty policy is clearly stated in the college catalog (p. 30) and schedule of classes (pp. 147-148 spring 2009). Below are definitions and consequences of failures of scholastic ethics.
§ Plagiarism: Plagiarism is taking credit for someone else's words or ideas. This includes, but is not limited to, copying out of a book or off a web page without giving proper credit, minimally rewording or rearranging sentences from a book or web page, passing off another's idea or solution as your own, and copied assignments. All quotes should be placed in quotation marks and should immediately reference the source. All things that are minimally reworded need to immediately reference the source. The minimum penalty for plagiarism is a zero on the work in question.
§ Cheating: Anyone caught cheating on a test will receive an F for the test. No amount of pleading or apologizing will change this action, even if it is the first offense. Helping a cheater is also cheating and will receive the same penalty. Do not consider anything that may resemble cheating, such as loading your calculator/cell phone with useful information before a test, as this will also cause you to receive a failing grade for the test.
Dictionaries: Students for whom English in not their first language may use a printed (not pocket computer) general (not scientific) translating dictionary during the exams, but they must allow me to inspect it beforehand.
Latecomers and Early Leavers: Coming late and leaving early is discourteous and disruptive to the concentration of the instructor and those who come on time and stay to the end. Anyone coming more than just a few minutes late of leaving more than just a few minutes early will be considered absent. If you miss the distribution of a quiz, you will receive a quiz grade of zero for that quiz. In the case of coming late or leaving early for legitimate reasons, you will be considered present providing you explain the reason to me beforehand or very soon after.
Religious Observances and Practices: If you must miss a class activity because of religious observances and practices, accommodation will be made providing you inform me two weeks in advance in writing. The date(s) on which you will be absent and the reason why class participation is impossible must be given in the written note. You will still be responsible for all lecture material that you miss.
Students With Disabilities:
Withdrawal: Withdrawal from the course is the responsibility of the students. The official withdrawal deadline (with a grade of “W”) is April 24.
Incomplete (I) Grades: Incomplete grades are only for students who have completed most of the work and have a legitimate reason for not completing all of the work. They will only be given to students who have taken three of the exams and who have discussed with me the work done and the reason for the incomplete grade.
Student Code of Conduct: Behavior which is disruptive is not appropriate to the classroom. I will follow the Student Code of Conduct published by CC and listed in the schedule of courses.
Topics: This course will cover fourteen (14) chapters of the textbook required for this course. They will not necessarily be covered in order.
Problem Solving: The essence of science is problem solving, therefore, it should be no surprise that this is a problem solving course. Problem solving is a skill that every person should have, and it is one that most employers look for. Problem solving does not just mean word problems from math courses, although that is one form of problem solving. It is also how you deal with a flat tire on the highway during rush hour or what you do when you are given a task at work that you are unsure how to accomplish. These are problems that you must solve or face dire consequences.
You will be faced with problems in this class. There may be problems that challenge your conception of the world around you and force you to think about things in ways you may not have previously. You may also be faced with the problem of finding time to read the book, complete the homework, and study for the tests. (For some this might be more problematic than for others.) Your problem might be staying awake in class or taking coherent notes. Whatever problems you face, how you solve them will have a direct affect on your success in this course.
Study Groups: Studying is essential for getting a good grade in the course. There is a lot of material and it is a difficult subject for most people. Do not wait until the last minute to study. Make life easier! Form a study group with a person or people whom you feel comfortable with or who will help you study. I know that this stuff can be really hard, and studying together can make it easier (and more pleasant). Sometimes bouncing ideas off one another will help you find a solution more quickly. Your study partners can also take notes for you when you are absent (or falling asleep), remind you of important deadlines, help you study for tests, become you lab partners, and maybe even become good friends.
SYLLABUS ACKNOWLEDGEMENT/RECEIPT (REQUIRED)
NAME:
Last First M.I.
CLASS: Astronomy 104 20882 Life in the Universe
Course Number Section Code Course Title
SEMESTER Spring 2009 TODAY’S DATE:
I have received a copy of the course syllabus, and was present when the instructor discussed the contents. If I was not present, I have received a copy of the syllabus, and have had an opportunity to read it and ask questions about it.
Student Signature
Student
Personal Data
Name:
Student ID Number:
Email Address (optional):
Why are you taking this class?
What are your educational goals/expectations for this course?
What are your long range career or personal goals?
What are your special interests?
What one question do you hope this course will answer?
Other information that you would like to share:
Two best days/times for you to study for this course: