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

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

• You will be needing two sky maps (SC001 and SC002 by Sky Publishing) for this class.  Both maps may be  purchased at the South Campus bookstore for about $8
  Note:  If you learn the Stellarium software early (free), you can actually get by with that since the program contains all the information found on these charts.
   
• 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 (7th edition) by BENNETT ISBN: 9780321927842 ($182)

  .  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 10 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 the 16th day that the semester starts (when general classes start) will be dropped from the course.*

• Any student who has not earned at least 100 points by the time I post progress grades (typically 6 weeks into the class), will be dropped from the course.*

• Any student who has shown no progress (taken no tests and submitted no work) within a 30 day period is subject to being dropped from the class.
  * the exact date is listed in the "daily schedule"

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 200 points.  The final exam must be taken under the supervision of your instructor (either online or in person) .  There will be several times available for you to take the exam (based on your schedule), but you must verify your ID and the materials allowed as aids.  Details will be provided about a month before the class ends.  Students missing the final exam (or not following the proctoring 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 50 points for a total of 200 points for the entire series.  Details regarding this assignment can be founds in the icon labeled Assignments in blackboard.  In addition, all students are required to earn 200 points which may be earned by learning the basic functions of a planetarium program (virtual sky program).  Details regarding this assignment can be founds 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 Due Dates folder 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 Due Dates folder (each test is only open for a limited time)
Comprehensive Proctored Final Exam	200
Required Video Assignments (NOVA - Origins)	200	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 exam period starts (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 Due Dates folder
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.

Due Dates

Unit tests are available over a generous range of dates.  See the folder labeled Due Dates for the exact dates the tests will be available.  If (for any reason) you miss a test, ... don't panic.  All tests will reopen at the very end of the class (last 5 days).   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.

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/
 

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