SOUTHEAST MISSOURI STATE UNIVERSITY
SYLLABUS for PH109, Spring 2013
Course: PH109: Exploring the Universe / Instructor: Dr. Michael L. CobbCredit: 3 Hrs. / Office: RH302
Schedule: T, R 1000-1050 / Tel: 651-2172
Location: Lecture DH 105, Lab MG 228 / Office Hours: M,W 10:00-11:00, R11:0012:00
Web: cstl-csm.semo.edu/cobb/Exploring the Universe / Email:
Text: Astronomy: A Beginner’s Guide to the Universe, by Chaisson and McMillan
Student Learning Outcomes:
I. Students will be able to locate objects in the sky using star charts and/or planetarium software.
II. Students will be able to understand and explain commonly observed astronomical phenomena.
III. Students will be able to perform exercises and experiments and effectively communicate the process and results in written form.
Teaching-learning Strategies:
Lecture will parallel the textbook and will help students focus on the most important topics. Students should read the material assigned before attending the lecture. Mathematics will be kept to a minimum but some simple algebra will be required. All equations and formulas needed for the tests will be provided. There will be four chapter tests with the lowest score dropped. Lecture notes, schedules and other materials are provided on the course web page at http://cstl-csm.semo.edu/cobb/Exploring the Universe.
Grading: Four scheduled exams; the lowest exam score will be dropped. An unexcused, missed exam will automatically be counted as the lowest score. There are 10 laboratory experiments; the lowest lab score will be dropped. The final is comprehensive but based on the four exams. Homework problems will be due at midnight the day of class. Grades are determined from the following percentages 90-100% A, 80-89% B, 70-79% C, 60-69% D, <60% F.
Lab: Laboratory sessions will meet in room 228 Magill.
Weights:
3 Highest Chapter Tests / 40%9 Highest Labs / 30%
Homework / 20%
Final Exam / 10%
Policies:
Plagiarism: It is assumed that ALL work turned in by the student is the result of the student’s own effort. To turn in someone else’s work without giving due credit is plagiarism and is punishable up to and including expulsion from the University. The full policy can be found here Academic Policies and Procedures.
Late Work: The due date for on-line homework can be adjusted when needed and reasonable but, late laboratory work will be accepted under appropriate circumstances and will be assessed a late penalty of 10% per week for laboratory write-ups.
Attendance: While there is no official attendance policy for the lecture portion of the course, the laboratory component does require attendance to receive any credit for a particular session. The lowest laboratory score will be dropped to help allow for unavoidable absences. Under certain circumstances, students may attend another laboratory session with permission of the instructor on a case by case basis.
Conduct: A level of professional conduct is expected of all students. Freedom of speech does not include verbal abuse or other derogatory statements directed at individuals. While students are free to express themselves on any topic appropriate for the course, the instructor remains the authority over what is construed as fact by the scientific community and appropriate for the course materials.
Email Protocol: Email has become a vital tool for professionals to make direct contact with each other in a written form. Emails allow a rapid, personal interaction with the instructor and misunderstandings to be corrected and other information to be exchanged in a timely manner. Professional emails will address the instructor with appropriate salutation (as in “Dr. Cobb”), will clearly identify the sender by registered name, will include the course and section number for which the email concerns, will have correct punctuation regarding proper nouns and pronouns, and will finish the correspondence with their name. Any emails not abiding by these standards will not be answered.
GradeA: Grades will be posted and updated throughout the semester using GradeA. Because various people are responsible for grading in the course, not all sections will have grades updated at the same time. If a “0” is reported for your grade, then I believe this is correct. If an entry is simply left “blank”, then those grades have not been fully posted. While I always welcome emails reporting errors, please refrain from sending emails asking when grades will be posted, especially at the end of the semester, as this greatly increases my workload without any real benefit.
Cell Phones: Please place cell phones on silent ring while in lecture or lab sessions.
Mastering Astronomy: Students are required to purchase access keys for MasteringAstronomy for on-line homework and testing. Cost is about $55 and can be bought on-line.
Questions?: Questions, comments or requests regarding this course or program should be taken to your instructor. Unanswered questions or unresolved issues involving this class may be taken to the department chair, Dr. David Probst <>.
Tentative ScheduleLecture Schedule / Lab Schedule
Tuesday / Thursday
Week 1 / 01/15/13 / Chpt 0 / 01/17/13 / Chpt 0 / Working with Numbers
Week 2 / 01/22/13 / Chpt 1 / 01/24/13 / Chpt 1 / No Lab
Week 3 / 01/29/13 / Chpt 2 / 01/31/13 / Chpt 3 / Celestial Geography I
Week 4 / 02/05/13 / Chpt 4 / 02/07/13 / Chpt 4 / Test#1 in lab
Week 5 / 02/12/13 / Chpt 5 / 02/14/13 / Chpt 5 / Celestial Geography II
Week 6 / 02/19/13 / Chpt 6 / 02/21/13 / Chpt 6 / Planetarium Software
Week 7 / 02/26/13 / Chpt 7 / 02/28/13 / Chpt 8 / Navigating in Space
Week 8 / 03/05/13 / Chpt 9 / 03/07/13 / Chpt 10 / Test#2 in lab
Week 9 / 03/12/13 / Chpt 11 / 03/14/13 / Chpt 11 / Properties of Lenses
Week 10 / 03/19/13 / Break / 03/21/13 / Break / Break
Week 11 / 03/26/13 / Chpt 12 / 03/28/13 / Holiday / Light and Color
Week 12 / 04/02/13 / Chpt 13 / 04/04/13 / Chpt 13 / Color Magnitude
Week 13 / 04/09/13 / Chpt 14 / 04/11/13 / Chpt 14 / Test#3 in lab
Week 14 / 04/16/13 / Chpt 15 / 04/18/13 / Chpt 15 / Sizing up the Moon
Week 15 / 04/23/13 / Chpt 16 / 04/25/13 / Chpt 16 / Chariots of the Gods
Week 16 / 04/30/13 / Chpt 17 / 05/02/13 / Chpt 18 / Test#4 in lab
Week 17 / Final according to lab schedule