Natural Science 225

Natural Science 225 - Introductory Astronomy

Generic "Online" Summer Course Syllabus

Instructor: Jim Mihal
E-Mail: natsci225@gmail.com
Contact Hours: Email me anytime, I will try to respond within 24 hours. See Blackboard for times you can call, text, Google Video Hangout, or Skype.
Phone: (262) 751-6465 (my cell)
Prerequisites: None
Credits: 3
Due Dates: Please see the "Daily Schedule" link in the announcement page of Blackboard for exact dates

Daily Schedule - Click here

Required Materials: All of the reading material is online and free. You can reach this material by clicking the Study Guide links below.

You must have a working computer with internet access. You will be installing (free) software on your computer related to this class.
In addition, there is an optional text you can purchase to supplement your reading: ESSENTIAL COSMIC PERSPECTIVE by BENNETT 8th edition ISBN: 9780134516332 ($207.75). Please do not feel obligated to purchase this text unless the materials I present (for free) are not adequate.

Format: Online reading, discussion board, homework assignments and evaluations. All class related material is offered through Blackboard.

Important: Please read the "Welcome Message" for class procedures. This message can be found in the announcements page in blackboard. There you will find a short survey (worth 5 points) which requests information I need to get you set up in this class. This message also gives details about tests, assignments and discussion topics and information on due dates. There are some things you will need to do immediately. They are:

Log into blackboard and access this class

Access your MATC email account (there is even a procedure which lets you forward your MATC mail to another email account ... procedures given by system administrator)

Send me answers to an initial survey (details are given in the "welcome message" and also worth 5 bonus points)

Introduce yourself in the discussion board (and also worth 5 bonus points)

Any student who has not done any work in the class by June 12th will be dropped from the course. Please send in the initial survey and introduce yourself in the discussion board prior to this date and you will be OK.

Any student who has shown no progress (taken no tests and submitted no work) within a 10 day period is subject to being dropped from the class.

I hope you enjoy this course in astronomy. You will not be required to do any complex mathematics in this course. However, we will present many ideas and concepts in this class and this is the material I will stress on the evaluations. The course can be broken down into these main topics:

The History of Astronomy
Models of the Universe
Coordinate Systems and Calendars
Orbital Motion and Eclipses
Tools used by Astronomers and Laws of Physics
Our Solar System
Stellar Astronomy
Galactic Astronomy
Evolution of the Universe

Blackboard

This class is administered through a program called Blackboard. You will find links to all class related materials (including this syllabus) by visiting the MATC web site and logging on to Blackboard. You will want to verify your access to blackboard soon after this introduction.

Evaluations

There will be 5 tests worth 100 points each. All 100 point tests are taken online through blackboard. I will drop your lowest test score .... meaning only the highest 4 test scores will count. I'm offering you a chance to prepare for each test with a practice quiz (worth no points). The final exam is comprehensive and is worth 300 points. Your instructor will proctor (oversee) your final exam. Details given about 2 weeks before it is offered. Students missing the final test (or not following the proctor procedures) will receive a zero. All practice quizzes, unit tests, and the final exam must be taken using the Respondus LockDown Browser. The details are here as well as posted in Blackboard.

Homework Assignments

You are required to watch four videos from the NOVA mini-series ORIGINS. Each video assignment is worth 25 points for a total of 100 points for the entire series. Details regarding this assignment can be found in the icon labeled Assignments in blackboard. In addition, all students are required to earn 100 points which may be earned by learning the basic functions of a planetarium program (virtual sky program). I cover the workings of a free program called Stellarium but if you already use another program that is fine. Details regarding this assignment can be found in the icon labeled Assignments in blackboard. All students are required to earn 100 points by researching topics found in the discussion board. Please see the "daily schedule" found in the welcome message in Blackboard for completion times.

Grades are determined as follows:

Point Value Location in Blackboard
Due Dates

5 Unit Tests (each worth 100 points) 400 total (lowest dropped)
Quizzes & Tests

Look in the "daily schedule" (each test is only open for a limited time)

Comprehensive Proctored Final Exam 300

Required Video Assignments (NOVA - Origins) 100 Assignments Due before the last day of class (please don't wait that long)

Virtual Sky program (Stellarium software) 100 Assignments Very helpful if learned in Unit 1. Due before the last day of class (please don't wait that long)

Discussion Board 100 Discussion Board You are required to answer one question in each of the 5 topics listed. There are strict due dates for each topic. See the discussion board and daily schedule.

Extra Credit 40 Assignments Due before the last day of class (please don't wait that long)

There are 1000 possible points you can earn in this class. Your grade is based on a percentage basis of that total.

Percent	Points	Grade
92.5 -100%	925 - 1000	A
90 - 92.4%	900 - 924	A-
87.5 - 89.9%	875 - 899	B+
82.5 - 87.4%	825 - 874	B
80 - 82.4%	800 - 824	B-
77.5 - 79.9%	775 - 799	C+
72.5 - 77.4%	725 - 774	C
70 - 72.4%	700 - 724	C-
67.5 - 69.9%	675 - 699	D+
62.5 - 67.4%	625 - 674	D
60 - 62.4%	600 - 624	D-
0 - 59.9%	0 - 599	U

Due Dates

Any summer class requires extraordinary time management! The entire course is condensed into 7 frantic weeks, so you have no time, whatsoever, to put things off. This translates to about 9 days to cover each of the five units in the class. You should plan on being prepared to take each unit test on the following dates:

Unit 1   June 16, 2020
Unit 2   June 25
Unit 3   July 5
Unit 4   July 14
Unit 5   July 24

Final Exam: July 24 - 26

The exact dates each activity is open can be found in the "daily schedule" in Blackboard.

You may complete the required NOVA - Origins assignments anytime before the last day of the class as well as the required Stellarium planetarium software (but please do not wait that long to get them in). However, discussion questions closely follow the lecture material ... therefore, each discussion question has a range of dates that you should submit your answer in. Please pay close attention to the discussion due dates because once I post the answers, I can not accept any late work. It is a good idea to submit your work to the discussion board well ahead of the due date. If your response in incorrect, needs alterations, and/or corrections, you can resubmit work as long as the answers have not been posted.

Important Additional Information

Please look over the syllabus addendum and course outcomes folder listed in Blackboard. There you will find much more information related to such things as: the skills you will obtain by taking this course (course outcomes and competencies) , ADA statements, student code of conduct, grade appeal processes, procedures for dropping the class, how and where to get help, and much more.

I hope you enjoy this class...Good Luck!

Links

Some GREAT general links:

Astronomy Picture of the Day

Worldwide Telescope (free download here)

The Nine Planets (a great overview of the solar system)

Sky and Telescope web page (news, sky maps, etc.)

Get the latest space news at

http://www.nbcnews.com/science/space http://www.space.com/news/ http://www.spacedaily.com/ http://news.discovery.com/space http://www.universetoday.com/ https://www.technology.org/category/space/

Study Guides / Lecture Notes

Test 1 The sky and coordinate systems, Ancient History of Astronomy
Test 2 Modern History of Astronomy, planetary motion and models, gravity
Test 3 Orbital properties of the moon, Laws of Physics, Tools of Astronomers, Probes
Test 4 The Solar System
Test 5 Stars, Galaxies and the Evolution of the Universe

	Point Value	Location in Blackboard	Due Dates
5 Unit Tests (each worth 100 points)	400 total (lowest dropped)	Quizzes & Tests	Look in the "daily schedule" (each test is only open for a limited time)
Comprehensive Proctored Final Exam	300	Quizzes & Tests
Required Video Assignments (NOVA - Origins)	100	Assignments	Due before the last day of class (please don't wait that long)
Virtual Sky program (Stellarium software)	100	Assignments	Very helpful if learned in Unit 1. Due before the last day of class (please don't wait that long)
Discussion Board	100	Discussion Board	You are required to answer one question in each of the 5 topics listed. There are strict due dates for each topic. See the discussion board and daily schedule.
Extra Credit	40	Assignments	Due before the last day of class (please don't wait that long)