Prof. Todd B. Krause's Astr 110 Home Page: Spring 2009

Lecture Room:	CWSC 161
Lecture Time:	MWF 9:00–9:50a
Lecturer:	Todd B. Krause
Office:	CWSC 129
Phone:	(740) 368-3771
Email:
Office Hours:	MW 10–12, TTH 1–2, or by appointment.

NB: All email contact will come through your owu.edu address. Make sure you continually check that account, and make sure your inbox is functioning properly.

The syllabus in pdf format.

Prerequisites

This class only requires you to bring

• a desire to understand the universe as it swirls about you;
• the willingness to surprise yourself.

No prior knowledge of astronomy or physics is required. You will need to know

• basic high-school algebra,

or at least remember that you once knew it, so that a quick review of certain concepts will go easier on the palate.

Course Outline

The following table lists the homework assignments for the semester. Make no bones about it: it's a lot of work! But I'm not trying to be a slave-driver; rather I want you to make a sincere effort to learn the material for two basic reasons:

• I think the material is beautiful, and I'm certain you will too;
• You need to practice, practice, practice to make the material stick — we all need to!

The simple truth is that any topic worth learning is worth learning well. Don't be content with just being a tourist — dive in and experience the culture!

The principal method of keeping your head above water is being consistent — don't put the homework off until later. Get started on the homework as soon as possible. In fact, I've provided a list of the entire semester's homework precisely so that you can get ahead. Surely he's joking, you say. No, not really. If you can start reading a little ahead, and start working ahead in the problems, you'll find that the distribution of work is more even. In that sense, you'll conserve effort. Moreover, by reading ahead, you will get more out of the class lectures, since hearing things for a second time in class will provide you with a better opportunity to ask pertinent and helpful questions.

The simple fact is I want you to do well, and I will do everything in my power to make that possible. Please let me know if you need extra help, and see below for ways to gain extra credit. Keep at it, and stay positive!

The homework is due the following Sunday night. For example, the homework listed for Week 1 (Jan. 12–16) is due Sunday, Jan. 18. To see policies concerning the collection of homework, refer to the section Homework & Quizzes below.

Homework & Quizzes

The assignments for the course will generally appear on the Mastering Astronomy website. You must register on the website as a student; your textbook will come with a student packet providing an individual access code. Once registered on the Mastering Astronomy website, you must then enroll in this specific course. The Course ID is ASTR110TBK2009S.

Upon enrolling for the course online, you should complete the first Introduction to Mastering Astronomy tutorial to familiarize yourself with how the website works.

New assignments will appear periodically on the Mastering Astronomy website. You are responsible for completing the assignments on time. Your maximum grade will decrease hourly for work submitted late; after a certain point, you will receive no credit for the assignment.

I will also give periodic in-class quizzes. Quizzes may consist of multiple-choice questions, short-answer essay questions, or calculations. The latter will generally derive directly from homework assignments or class lectures. You should use class notes, homework assignments, and other study materials on the Mastering Astronomy website to help you prepare.

Exams & Final Project

Exams

The midterm exams will be given during the regular 50 minute lecture period. There will be a cumulative final exam at the end of the semester.

If you miss an exam for a legitimate reason, you may make it up. The new exam will have an oral format. Only family or medical emergencies will receive such treatment; otherwise you will receive a zero for a missed exam.

Final Project

The final project is an open-ended project of your own design, with the intent that you do something that makes astronomy relevant to you. That is, do any project that relates astronomy to your own interests. The format is completely up to you; some ideas are

• a historical survey paper,
• directed calculations on a specific topic,
• a presentation for the class (please arrange this with me well in advance, so that we can fit you into the lecture schedule),
• a video,
• an interpretive dance; or
• whatever else you can think of!

The only limits are the boundaries of your own imagination. Please follow, however, a few guidelines:

• Don't give me a Wiki-rehash; that is, don't use "da Web" as a primary resource. Be creative!
• Please provide me with an electronic copy. For example, in the case of a
  • presentation: please provide me with a copy of slides;
  • performance: record the performance on video, etc.
• Have fun!

In the end, all I am asking is that you show me that you put serious effort into the project. I reward effort — big time! The final project is only meant to help your overall grade.

Observing Sessions

I will hold regular observing sessions at both the Student Observatory and Perkins Observatory. Please attend as many sessions as you would like — I'd love the company! In all seriousness, astronomy is at heart an experimental science, and observation forms the core of the science. You will miss out on both the art and the charm of this science if you forego the observation sessions. To entice you to take this invitation seriously, you must attend at least two observing sessions over the course of the semester. Failure to do so will result in one half letter grade deducted from your final class grade.

Consult the observing schedule for more details.

NB: You can only observe the stars if you can see them! You never know which sessions will be clouded over, so make sure to go to sessions early in the semester so that the weather does not prevent you from getting credit later in the semester.

Extra Credit

One should always strive to read the oldest books in literature and the newest books in science. My concurrent work in both linguistics and physics happens to be my personal path to achieving that goal; but I think everyone should find some way to do the same, to view science in light of its history, and history in light of science. Astronomy provides one of the richest avenues for such studies. To promote this sort of investigation in Astr 110, I will award extra credit for students who read selections from Theories of the Universe: from Babylonian Myth to Modern Science, ed. Milton K. Munitz, The Free Press, Glencoe, Illinois 1957. (You may be able to find the book in the library, but the link above will also take you to a digital copy available through the Internet Archive.)

To obtain the extra credit, you should submit a (roughly) 3-page written report concerning the chosen selection. The report should include a summary of the selection, its pertinence to specific topics discussed in class, and its (ir?)relevance to modern science and society.

Course Policy & Grading

The factors contributing to your grade break down as follows.

I will drop the two lowest quiz grades. Missed quizzes result in an automatic zero; you cannot make up missed quizzes, regardless of the reason.

I will assign letter grades for the final cumulative score according to the following system.

Attendance

I will occasionally take attendance in class. The simple fact is that, if you don't come to class, you decrease your chances of doing well in the class; to put it another way, if you can do well without coming to class, perhaps you should consider enrolling in a more advanced class. Moreover, I love to help students; but I want to give priority to helping those who attend regularly and who still find the material difficult. Taking attendence will help me meet their needs first.

Textbook

The textbook for the class is The Cosmic Perspective, by Bennett, Donahue, Schneider & Voit, 5th edition. This is a kitchen-sink-of-a-tome, and we will not cover the material on stars and galaxies. Astr 111 will however cover this material, using the same book. So if you have already purchased this book for Astr 111, you should not need to purchase another copy (and similarly if you plan to take Astr 111 after this course).

NB: There is also a split edition of the textbook, one volume dealing with the solar system, the other dealing with stars and galaxies. We will not use the volume on stars and galaxies in this course; if you decide to buy the split edition, make sure it deals comprehensively with the solar system.

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How to do Well in this Course

Please do not let math be a stumbling point. Ask fellow students for guidance, and see me if this does not solve the issue. Moreover, the following guidelines, together with a measure of common sense, provide a recipe for success:

During lectures

• Show up! Attend every class, if at all possible. How can you learn if you aren't there?
• Take detailed notes (students who are talking, reading newspapers or magazines, or playing with cellphones, laptops, iPods, etc. will be asked to leave the classroom);
• Ask questions, especially if something I say or write is unclear.

Outside lectures

• Read! Read! READ! Read the textbook and any other suggested materials;
• Work out homework problems as well as additional problems;
• Work in groups (but make sure to do your own work independently before checking with others);
• Come to office hours whenever necessary.