8
Week
"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 Meet, Skype, or
Zoom.
Phone: (262) 751-6465 (my cell) You
can text me as well but please identify yourself in the text
Prerequisites: None
Credits: 3
Due Dates:
Please see the "Daily Schedule" link in the welcome folder of Blackboard for
exact dates. Please do NOT follow calendar tab in Blackboard since the
daily schedule provides much more details.
Required Materials: All of the reading material is online and free. You can reach this material by clicking the Study Guide links below.
. Please do not feel obligated to purchase this text unless the materials I present (for free) are not adequate.
Format: Online reading, research topics, homework assignments and evaluations. All class related material is offered through Blackboard.
Attendance: I will be taking attendance each week of the summer session. MATC has a new attendance policy. It states:
"Enrollment Services will administratively withdraw for non-attendance students
who fail to attend (participate in)
class during the first two weeks of (this) course". Since this is an online class and assignment
due dates follow a “floating schedule”, here is how I will interpret and
implement this policy:
Important: Please read the welcome message in Blackboard for class procedures. This message can be found in blackboard at the very top of the content area and is titled "Welcome to Astronomy - Phys 225". There you will find a short video about this class, a short survey (worth 5 points) which requests information I need to get you set up in this class, and a link to the "daily schedule". The video gives details about tests, assignments, research topics and information on due dates. There are some things you will need to do immediately. They are:
Any student who has not done any work in the class within the first two weeks of the class will be dropped from the course. Simply introduce yourself in the discussion board and send in the initial survey (in the "Welcome" folder) and you will be OK (see the daily schedule also found in the "Welcome" folder).
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
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.
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. If you miss a test during the time it is open, that test automatically becomes the lowest test score and will, therefore, be dropped. You will receive a zero for any additional missed tests. I'm offering you a chance to prepare for each test with a practice quiz (worth no points). The final exam is comprehensive, is worth 300 points, and is taken with your instructor in a "virtual classroom" on a smart phone OR through a third-party proctoring service (SmarterProctoring). 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 ID check procedures) will receive a zero. No make-up is given for missing the final exam except in extreme and documented circumstances (and at the instructor’s discretion). Make every possible effort to contact your instructor PRIOR to the end of the exam period if an emergency prevents you from taking the final exam.
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 maximum 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 learn the basic functions of a planetarium program (any virtual sky program but one called Stellarium is free) for a maximum of 100 points. Details regarding this assignment can be found in the icon labeled Assignments in blackboard. Finally, all students are required to submit answers to research topics for a maximum of 100 points. Please see the Daily Schedule 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) | 4 @ 25 pts each = 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 exam period opens (but see the Early Bird Special for additional privileges) |
| Research Topics | 5 @ 20 pts each = 100 | Research Topics | You are required to answer one question in each of the 5 topics listed. There are strict due dates for each topic. See the Daily Schedule for due dates. |
| Extra Credit | 40 pts | 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 |
Any summer class requires extraordinary time management! The entire course is condensed into 8 frantic weeks, so you have no time, whatsoever, to put things off. This translates to about 9-10 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
18, 2024
Unit 2 June 28
Unit 3 July 8
Unit 4 July 18
Unit 5 July 28
Final Exam: August 1 - 3
Unit tests are available over a generous range of dates. See the Daily Schedule for the exact dates the tests will be available. If (for any reason) you miss a test during the times it is open, that test automatically becomes your lowest score and will be dropped. There are no make-up dates for missed tests unless you provide your instructor a valid and documented excuse PRIOR to the date the test closes (or you cash in your "early bird" bonus). You may complete the required NOVA - Origins assignments anytime before the last day of the class. The required Stellarium planetarium software assignment must be done prior to the exam period but please do not wait that long to get this done. I offer an Early Bird Special for any student who completes the Stellarium assignment early. This offer grants you bonus privileges (see the announcement in Blackboard for details). Research topic questions closely follow the lecture material ... therefore, each topic question has a range of dates that you should submit your answer in. Please pay close attention to the research topics due dates because once I post the answers, I cannot accept any late work. It is a good idea to submit your work to the research topics well ahead of the due date. If your response is 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!
Some GREAT general links:
Worldwide Telescope (free download here)
Get the latest space news at
http://www.nbcnews.com/science/space http://www.space.com/news/ http://www.spacedaily.com/ https://www.discovery.com/space http://www.universetoday.com/ https://www.technology.org/category/space/
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