Instructor: Gary Fouts
Office: DH 314Q
Office Hours: TBA
Phone: (310) 434-4796
Astronomy 6: Archaeoastronomy
Satisfies SMC Global Citizenship requirement and IGETC Area 4 & 4A (Social and Behavioral Sciences)
This course will stress naked-eye astronomy and the historical development of astronomical thought, from the Stone Age to modern times. Students will learn about celestial motions and how these motions have shaped various cultural views, and how cultural beliefs and values shaped interpretations of the phenomena seen. We will see how eclipses of the sun and moon helped mark important epochs of time, and how solar and lunar motions were used to help create calendars. The class will study the development of astronomy in western European cultures, American cultures (North America, Mesoamerica, and South America), and non-western cultures (Asia, Africa).
Please see my web site (http://homepage.smc.edu/fouts_gary) for examination rules, school policies, link to the student services, and other pertinent information.
TEXT:
Exploring Ancient Skies: A Survey of Ancient and Cultural Astronomy by David H. Kelly and Eugene F. Milone, 2nd edition.
EXAMS and ASSIGNMENTS (In Percentages of Class Grade):
There will be two major exams, various homework assignments (movie reviews and assigned readings), and a major Power Point Project. LATE ASSIGNMENTS WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED.
· TWO EXAMS (25% and 30%) which are mostly multiple-choice, but could also include short-answer, fill-in, matching, or essay questions. These exams cannot be taken early, but must be taken at the designated time. Nothing can be used on the exams! Bring a blank green and white #882 Scantron test form (or compatible, with A through E choices) and a #2 pencil (available at the campus book store). WARNING: Do not fold, bend, or mutilate your Scantron test forms - this is your responsibility! I will not be responsible for poor erasures of answers. No extra time will be given to students who arrive late to an exam. In fact, if you arrive after a person has finished the exam and left the classroom, you will not be allowed to take the exam. You now fall in the makeup exam category. Makeup exams will be given only to those with a Doctor's excuse or other official documentation (accident report, court paperwork, etc.). A family note will NOT be sufficient. I must be notified by you or a family member on the day of the exam why you missed. Failing to do this will get you a zero grade on the test, and may lead to a drop fail grade. Please see my web site for exam rules. The time and format of any makeup will be at the discretion of the instructor and may include a 10% late penalty. No makeup exam is allowed for the final exam (exam 2). The final exam must be taken at the time and date designated by the administration (stated on 1st day). It is MANDATORY. See the published class schedule. Therefore,DO NOT make arrangements to leave town early. Exam one will cover lectures and assigned textbook readings. Exam two will cover lectures, textbook readings, movie reviews (maybe), and material from the final project lectures. Attending lectures with an alert, open mind and a busy pencil will be helpful. At the exam time you will be told: “no hats, no sunglasses, no food or drink, no electronic devices, and no “smart” watches can be worn during the exam.”
· HOMEWORK (22%) which will consist of movie reviews, research assignments, and possible out of classroom experiments, etc. They are due at instructor designated times. These homework assignments will be done via the eCollege/eCompanion website. You will be told to print out the questions, and answer the questions while watching the movie. Then you will input the answers into the proper eCollege quiz website. Instructions will be given. A couple movies will be shown in class; in which case, the questions will be handed out before the movie starts and you will need to submit your answers on 882 A-E scantron at the end of the movie. Therefore, buy at least one packet of #882 A-E (or compatible) scantrons (one packet of ten should be sufficient for the exams and movies in the classroom). The movies will be watched via a link to a Google Drive location. These movies can be watched at home, but they can also be watched on school computers. If you have problems watching these movies, you may want to download a free program “VLC”. You may also use Power DVD (in Classic mode), which the school uses.
· MAJOR POWERPOINT PROJECT (23%) which will be done in groups as a group project. Your groups’ Power Point Presentation will mimic classroom lectures, with questions and answer sections. This will be explained by the instructor and due at a designated time. Pick dependable people for your group. If a student drops, the more work for your remaining members. I do NOT want to have to redistribute project groups, but may. As well as my formal grading of this project, you will be grading yourself and other members of the group. Slackers may be penalized. Also, it is mandatory that you are at all group project presentations, not just yours. Points will be deducted from your project for an unexcused/undocumented absence (on an escalating scale) on presentation days for lack of class participation. You may also lose points if you are a disrespectful listener as well.
GRADING:
Course Scale: A = 90% - 100%, B = 80% - 89.99%, C = 70% - 79.99%, etc.
The course grade will be based on your performance on the exams and assignments mentioned previously. Any points missed on the syllabus quiz (handed out on the first day) will be deducted from the first exam results.
POLICIES:
Some assignments require borrowed material. If you do not return them at the designated time, you will lose points.
A student can withdraw himself/herself from class, online, until the 75% point of the term. The student has the ultimate responsibility for knowing this deadline date and dropping the course. It is the student's responsibility to drop a course, to file an incomplete, or to become reinstated in the class if they have been dropped because of poor attendance. It is your responsibility to complete the proper paperwork through Admissions and Records BEFORE the deadline has passed. It is SMC Board Policy that a student be present and on time to class meetings. Absences may hinder your grade. Please do not be late to class; this is a distraction to others. If you are late, you must notify me immediately after class; I will not change marked absences at a later date. Excessive tardiness may also hinder your grade. Please keep the instructor informed why you are tardy. You are responsible for all information given in class whether you are there or not. It is a good idea to exchange phone numbers with one or two people in the class, so you can plan to get a copy of their notes if you miss a lecture.
The College Catalog states: “A student enrolled in any class at SMC who does not attend ALL of the sessions for that class that meet during the FIRST WEEK of the class RISKS BEING DROPPED from the class by the instructor, or may receive an F (0.0) for nonattendance.” If you do not show, I will probably drop you and give your seat to a student trying to add.
The College Catalog states: “A student may also be dropped from a class when, in the instructor’s judgment, the student’s number of absences has become excessive or the student is no longer participating in the course. …Faculty will determine the consequences of absences and late arrivals.” .” Regular attendance in class is absolutely mandatory and is important to your success in class. I will consider two late arrivals to class as an absence, & I will consider 4 absences (excused or not) as excessive. Warning, on the fourth absence, I may withdraw you, give you a W/F grade, or reduce your class grade.
DISRUPTIVE BEHAVIOR:
No electronic devices will be allowed “on” in the classroom. Please be polite to others,TURN OFF all phones, laptops, etc. when entering the classroom. If I see you using a messaging or sound device, I will warn you not to use it and make a note of your usage. If I see you do it a second time, I will expel you from the classroom, take 10% off your exam results, and send you to the campus disciplinarian. If it happens again, more drastic measures will be applied. If a cell phone goes off during an exam, a penalty (up to 10%) may be applied to your exam. Please do not speak while I am lecturing and please raise your hand when you have a question. If you arrive late, please enter quietly,and do not walk between me and the students that I am lecturing to. Instead, walk quietlyto the back of the room and then to your seat. If you have a problem with another student, please do not bring the problem to the classroom. Disruptive students will be sent to the campus disciplinarian with the necessary forms that will be submitted into the students' folder.Please read the SMC Student Conduct Code.
HONOR SYSTEM:
As a student of Santa Monica College, you are on the honor system. ANYONE caught cheating will automatically be given a grade of "F" and turned in to the Dean for further disciplinary action. Again, be informed no “smart” watches can be worn during an exam. Please read the ACADEMIC CODE OF CONDUCT. Tape or video recording will NOT be permitted, since note-taking is an important learning skill. People with known learning disabilities should see me immediately at my first office hour. No auditing is allowed by SMC, formally or informally. Please be warned that my lecture material is protected under copyright law.
COURSE OUTLINE:
The following arrangement of subject material should serve as a preliminary reading guide and test schedule for the course. It will be left largely to you to correlate intelligently your reading efforts and the classroom discussions. Ignore any difficult math in these chapters, unless the professor covers it in lecture. Dates are tentative, except the school mandates the final exam date (please confirm date via your instructor & class schedule).
COURSE OUTLINETOPIC / READINGS
Intro, syllabus quiz, assignments
Scale of the Cosmos, planetarium visit (____date____)
Measuring angles on the sky, Asterisms, Constellations
Star Naming Conventions, Planetary Configurations
Lifeboat Navigation, Diurnal Motion from various locations
Solar Day vs. Sidereal Day, Tilt of Earth and Seasons
Coordinate Systems,
Celestial Motions and Precession,Planetarium visit(___date___)
TEST 1 ---- ______date______ / Preface
Ch.1
Chs. 2.1.1 through 2.2.3
Chs. 2.3.1 through 2.3.4
Chs. 2.4.1 through 2.4.3
+
Lectures
Types of Ancient Observations
Time and the calendars
Archaeoastronomy of:
European Cultures
Mesopotamian Cultures
African (excluding Egypt) Cultures
Egyptian Culture
Indo-Iranian Cultures
China and
Oceanic Cultures
Mesoamerican Cultures
North America Cultures
South American Cultures
FINAL EXAM ---- ___date and time____
/ Chs. 3.2 through 3.4
Chs. 5.2.1 through 5.8.6
Ch. 4
Chs. 6.1 through 6.2.19
Ch. 7
Chs 8.2 through 8.5
Chs. 8.1 through 8.1.6
Ch. 9
Chs. 10.1 through 10.1.9
Ch. 11
Ch.12
Ch. 13 & Chs. 6.3 – 6.3.3
Ch. 14
Ch. 15 (nice finish)
+ movie reviews
+ movie/reading assignments
+ project presentations
+ LECTURES
Because of certain state requirements, Santa Monica College is implementing Student Learning Objectives. The Astronomy Program is under the Earth Science Department of Santa Monica College. Below, you will find a list containing some of the Institutional, Departmental, and Astronomy Program SLO’s.
Through their experiences at SMC, students will:
· acquire the self-confidence and self-discipline to pursue their intellectual curiosities with integrity in both their personal and professional lives; (PERSONAL ATTITUDES & BEHAVIORS)
· obtain the knowledge and academic skills necessary to access, evaluate, and interpret ideas, images, and information critically in order to communicate effectively, reach conclusions, and solve problems; (ANALYTIC & COMMUNICATION SKILLS)
· respect the inter-relatedness of the global human environment, engage with diverse peoples, and acknowledge the significance of their daily actions relative to broader issues and events; (APPLIED SOCIAL KNOWLEDGE & VALUES)
· take responsibility for their own impact on the earth by living a sustainable and ethical life style. (APPLIED KNOWLEDGE & VALUATION OF THE PHYSICAL WORLD)
From Earth Science Department SLOS:
Earth Science students will acquire and develop knowledge and skills that will equip them to be informed, engaged, and productive global citizens, capable of leading humanity toward a more sustainable and adaptable future.
Earth Science students will recognize Earth as (1) the natural and cultural home of human beings, a continually evolving species; and (2) as a four-and-a-half billion-year-old planet within an equally evolving and ever-changing universe.
From Astronomy Program SLOs:
Students will explain key principles of astronomy using applicable vocabulary and by employing the scientific method to organize, prioritize and problem solve.
Students will explain how and where the human species fits into the immense, complex, and evolving, ever-changing universe.
From Astronomy 6 SLOs:
Students will be able to:
1) Compare and contrast the celestial interpretations, knowledge, and astronomical practices of different cultures.
2) Describe how modern scientists have gathered physical evidence (scrolls, ancient tablets, pictographs, petroglyphs) or studied megalithic and ancient architectural structures to study the ancient astronomical belief systems.