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GS107 Physical Science (Astronomy) Winter 2011 CRN #11536 & 11822 Portland Community College Rock Creek Campus Time & Place:
#11536/12327 Tu & Th 8:30 am
-11:20 am in room 7-225 Catalog Description 4.0 Cr. Surveys astronomy to include historical development of the universe, earth as a planet, earth’s moon, planets of the solar system, the sun, stars and galaxies. Fee: 12$.Course Outline1. Eyeballing the Sky What you can see with out a telescope (sun, moon, stars, planets and comets) and how it moves across the sky.2. Organizing the Sky How the motions of the sun, moon, stars and planets can be explained by both earth centered and sun centered geometric models. 3. A Better Look at the Sky How telescopes work, the properties of light and what telescopes reveal about the sky. 4. Our Active Sun The source of solar energy, the structure of the sun and how solar activity affects the Earth. 5. The Variety of Stars Not all stars are the same; an introduction to the different types of stars. How starlight can be used to infer the temperature and composition of stars. 6. The (not so) Secret Lives of Stars How stars are born, live and die. 7. Objects in Our Solar System; Their Motions and Collisions An introduction to the planets, asteroids and comets of our solar system and what happens when they collide. 8. The Milky Way and Galaxies Far, Far Away Locating the Earth inside the Milky Way, finding galaxies outside of the Milky Way, different types of galaxies. 9. The Story of the Universe: Possible Beginnings and Endings How it all started, the possibility of life elsewhere and how it all might end. Grading Policies COURSE GRADE 5% Activities + 25% Labs + 20 % Projects + 50% Tests TO CALCULATE COURSE GRADE _____________ + ________ +
_______ + _______ = _______ GRADING SCALE 100-90% =A 90-80% =B 80-70%
=C 70-60% =D below 60% =F
LATE WORK In class work (labs, most activities, some projects) is due at the end of class and can not be made up. Take home work (some activities, some projects) will be marked down 10% each class period it is late. MAKE UPS No make ups! However, I will drop your lowest activity grade, your lowest lab grade, and your lowest test grade. If you know ahead of time that you will be absent for a lab or test please talk to me as soon as possible, it may be possible to schedule an alternative time which is prior to the scheduled time. EXTRA CREDIT No extra credit. INCOMPLETES I do not encourage incompletes. Please contact me outside of class if you feel you need to pursue this option. PLEASE COMMUNICATE If something comes up which impacts your ability to participate in this class please get in touch with me as soon as possible; the better you communicate, the better I can help you deal with the unexpected. ADD/DROP POLICY 1. Students who miss 50% or more of the first week of classes without contacting the instructor may be dropped to add wait list students. 2. It is the student’s responsibility to drop the class if they stop attending.
IMPORTANT DATES 1/14 End of Second Week Last day to
drop with a refund. Course Components Reading Keeping up with assigned readings is the first step to doing well in this class. Reading a science textbook is not like reading a novel, newspaper or humanities text. I will work on helping you develop this skill by stressing the importance of figures, diagrams, and maps. See the class calendar for the assigned readings, reading should be completed before coming to class. Lectures Lectures will expand upon the readings and will cover some material not covered in the text. I will spend a lot of time discussing figures and diagrams from your text during lecture, take note of the figure number and expect questions about figures to show up on tests. At the beginning of each lecture I will review the previous lecture which is a good time to check your notes from the previous lecture and to ask questions. Please feel free to ask questions and discuss the material during lectures! Activities There will be frequent activities to help you develop your understanding of the class material. Activities will typically include in class questions, demonstrations and video reviews. Some activities will be completed in groups, some individually. There will be two ‘you choose’ activities for which you will write a review of an astronomy article, talk or star party of your choice. For more information see the class web site under handouts. Each activity is worth 5 points. I will drop your lowest activity grade. Laboratories Labs will give you experience working out the ideas of astronomy using both with paper and pencil and hands on activities. Lab exercises are designed to be completed during class and will be due at the end of class. Please bring a pencil for lab, also a ruler and calculator if you have them. Each lab is worth 25 points. I will drop your lowest lab grade. Projects There will be two projects for this class: a star count project and a research project. For the research project you will investigate a solar system object of your choice and then prepare a poster to present to the class. Each project is worth 20 points. More details to follow on each of these projects! Tests Tests will cover material from the reading, lectures, activities and labs. A variety of question types will be used for the tests including; multiple choice, fill in the blank, labeling, sketching, brief response questions, and essay questions. There will be four 50 minute tests. Each test is worth 50 points. The final test will not be cumulative, however the course material will naturally build upon itself and concepts developed early in the class will be used later in the class. I will drop your lowest test grade only if you complete the final test with a grade of C or better. Course Policies We are here to learn and to enjoy the processes of learning; the following policies are designed to create a positive and safe learning environment for all of us where we can succeed in learning together. Class Room Environment I expect you to respect the right of your fellow classmates to a positive learning environment. Any behavior which diminishes your classmates’ learning experience is inappropriate; this includes acting disrespectfully towards your classmates, as well as disrupting class by arriving late or leaving early, talking out of turn and allowing your electronics to emit sounds.
Attendance
Regular attendance
is expected and is important to your success in this class.
Academic Integrity Learning is your responsibility; nobody can do it for you. I expect you to approach learning with self honesty and integrity so that you gain the greatest benefit from your hard work. The PCC academic integrity policy states it this way, “To falsify or fabricate the results of one’s research; to present words, ideas, data or work of another as one’s own; or to cheat on an examination corrupts the essential process of higher education” Academic dishonesty may result in a grade of an F on the assignment and will be reported to the division dean. For further information consult the Student Rights and Responsibilities policies at: http://www.pcc.edu/about/policy/student-rights/ . Special Concerns I encourage students with special concerns or needs to meet with me outside of class so that we can work together to create a positive learning experience. PCC is committed to supporting all students. If you plan to use academic accommodations for this course, please contact your instructor as soon as possible to discuss your needs. Accommodations are not retroactive; they begin when the instructor receives the “Approved Academic Accommodations” letter from you (submitted in person for courses on campus). To request academic accommodations for a disability, please contact a disability services counselor on any PCC campus. Office locations, phone numbers, and additional information may be located at http://www.pcc.edu/resources/disability/ . Flexibility Statement Please keep in mind that the course calendar along with test and lab dates may change in response to changing conditions and class needs.
Course Goals To successfully complete GS107 you will need to learn to: □ Describe and explain the motions of the sun, moon, planets, comets and stars in the sky. □ Describe how the distances to planets, stars and galaxies are determined and consider the implications of these astronomical distances to your place in the universe. □ Describe how starlight can be used to infer the temperature and chemical composition of stars. □ Distinguish between different types of stars based on their color and luminosity. Describe how stars form, age, die and what is produced when stars die. □ Describe how energy is created in the sun and how solar activity affects the Earth. □ Describe the differences between the various solar system objects (rocky planets, gassy planets, moons, rings, asteroids, comets, Kupier belt objects) and how the current theory for the origin of the solar system accounts for these differences. □ Describe the evidence for past extraterrestrial impacts on the earth and evaluate the possibility of future impacts. □ Distinguish between the different types of galaxies, describe how galaxies are grouped in space, and describe how the Earth can be located within our own galaxy. □ Describe possible beginnings and endings of the universe; describe how the mass of the universe is related to the fate of the universe. □ Evaluate the possibility of life existing elsewhere in the universe besides Earth.
Intended Outcomes for This Course After completion of this course, students will: □ be able to demonstrate an understanding of the nature and origin of astronomical phenomena □ have an understanding of the contents of our solar system □ become familiar with the motions of stars and the moon in the nighttime sky, by performing lab and field activities □ develop an ability for self-paced work □ be prepared for future study in astronomy or related fields |
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Portland Community College Home Page Eriks Puris eriks.puris@pcc.edu copyright Eriks M. Puris