Syllabus - Astronomy - University of Florida
Transcription
Syllabus - Astronomy - University of Florida
Discover the Universe AST 1002 Section 0427 – Spring 2015 Instructor: Office: Telephone: E-Mail: Class Website: Lecture Time: Location: Office Hours: Fred Hamann Bryant Space Science Center, Room 211-A 352-294-1867 [email protected] http://www.astro.ufl.edu/~hamann/AST1002.html MWF Period 5 (10:40am – 11:30am) Turlington, Room L007 After class, or by appointment Required Text & Online Registration: • Astronomy: A Beginner’s Guide to the Universe, 7th Edition (6th is okay), Chaisson & McMillan, Addison-Wesley, San Francisco • Mastering Astronomy (www.masteringastronomy.com) Pre-requisites and Co-requisites: None Credits: 3 Course Content: This course offers a broad overview of modern astronomy. We will examine how observation, experimentation and exploration have led to our present day understanding of the Earth environment and the Universe we live in. Although this is essentially a nonmathematical science course, a very basic knowledge of mathematics is required. Our goal is to help you gain a physical understanding and an appreciation of the cosmos and more generally of the scientific method and how scientific discoveries impact society. Along the way, we will use and practice critical thinking skills and learn how to formulate empirically testable hypotheses. (P) The topics we will cover include: • Motions of the sky • A historical development of our understanding of the solar system: An example of the scientific method • Light and telescopes • The properties of the planets within our solar system • The nature and lives of stars • The search for extraterrestrial life • The nature of our Milky Way Galaxy • Properties of other galaxies • The origin and fate of the Universe General Education: AST 1002, Discover the Universe, is a GenEd physical science (P) course. As the list of topics above demonstrates, the course covers not only the Universe and the bodies in it -planets, moons, stars, galaxies, etc. -- but also how we know about those things, making use of our understanding of the underlying physics of orbits and radiation. The course will focus on major scientific developments in astronomy & astrophysics and their impacts on society and the environment. A minimum grade of ‘C’ is required general education credit. Course and Gen Ed Student Learning Objectives & Outcomes: • To provide students with a broad overview of modern astronomy. This will be accomplished through lectures and weekly reading assignments. Students will be able to define common astronomical terms and explain basic concepts and theories for a range of astrophysical phenomena. • To teach students the scientific process and how we can understand the Universe using basic physical laws derived on Earth. This will be accomplished through lectures and in-class discussions as well as homework assignments. Students will gain an understanding of how the scientific method is applied to the field of astronomy. • To review the major scientific developments in astronomy and summarize their impacts on society and our environment such as recognizing our place in the Universe, comparing energy sources, and how atmospheric effects of planets influence climate change. Students will be able to critically evaluate the difference between good science and bad science. Evaluations will be based on in-class discussions, exams and observing project. • To teach scientific reasoning. Scientific reasoning is the use of logic, observations, and critical thinking to interpret the world around you. This will be accomplished through in-class discussions, homework assignments and the observing project. Students will formulate empirically-testable hypotheses derived from the study of physical processes and phenomena and apply logical reasoning skills through scientific criticism and argument. These skills will serve you well in your daily lives regardless of what career you pursue. • To improve scientific literacy. Literacy in the basic concepts and terminology of science is necessary if you wish to follow science stories in the news or make informed decisions (such as voting) on issues that pertain to science. This will be accomplished through in-class discussions about current news topics in astronomy and as part of the observing project. • To help students learn to communicate scientific ideas clearly and effectively using oral, written or graphic forms. This will be done through in-class discussions (oral) and as the written component of the observing project. Course & Grading Information: The lectures will follow the textbook fairly closely. Each lecture will begin with a reminder of where we are in the text and what chapters/sections we will cover next. However, you are responsible only for material covered in lecture. Attend lectures and use the lecture notes to understand what topics are important and what you will be expected to know for the exams. See also https://catalog.ufl.edu/ugrad/current/regulations/info/grades.aspx for general UF grading policies. Your grade for the course will be based on the following: In class exams – (2 exams – 20% each) Cumulative Final Exam Observing Project Homework Extra Credit (Optional) Grading Scale: Letter % Points Grade A > 90 A87 – 89 B+ 84 – 86 B 80 – 83 GPA 4.0 3.67 3.33 3.0 Letter Grade BC+ C C- 40 % 20 % 20 % 20 % 4% % Points GPA 77 – 79 74 – 76 70 – 73 67 – 69 2.67 2.33 2.0 1.67 Letter Grade D+ D DE % Points GPA 64 – 66 60 – 63 56 – 59 < 55 1.33 1.0 0.67 0 Examinations (60% of grade): Two in-class exams will be given during the semester (20% each). The dates of these exams are Friday, 13 February 2015 and, Friday, 20 March 2015. The final exam (also 20% of grade) will be given during final exam week, Wednesday, 29 April 2015 (3:00–5:00 pm). These exams will test the student’s content knowledge, but will emphasize concepts instead of facts and applying critical thinking skills. The final exam is cumulative, covering material from the entire semester. The second exam will cover only material since the first exam (from 13 February to 20 March). Observing Project (20%): One of the most enjoyable aspects of astronomy is actually observing the sky either with the eyes, binoculars or a telescope. Students are expected to attend one observing session at the campus observatory. Detailed instructions and a form for completing the project are provided on the course web page. Each student will have 4 opportunities to go to the Campus Teaching Observatory (3 Fridays and 1 Tuesday) if the weather is good (directions to the observatory and times will be provided in lecture and on the class web site). The specific dates to attend the observatory and the deadline to turn in the project depend on the beginning letter of your last name. You must complete the observing form (downloaded from the class web site) describing in detail the objects that you observe through the telescopes and explaining their astronomical significance. Part of this assignment involves online research to find information about the objects you observed, plus critical thinking to describe ways you might design an experiment or use other telescopes to learn more about the objects. It is important that you obtain a special token for each visit from the staff at the observatory and attach it to your form. Remember to put your name on your form. The observatory will be closed if there is bad weather, so do not wait until the due date! Homeworks (20%): Homework assignments will be used during the semester to facilitate and reinforce your understanding of the course material, and encourage critical thinking. There will be 6 graded homeworks given throughout the semester. You will have at least one week to complete each assignment. I will announce the start dates and due dates in lecture and on our course home page. The assignments will be available only through the Mastering Astronomy webpage. See below. Mastering Astronomy: You must obtain an access code to use the online tools called Mastering Astronomy (www.masteringastronomy.com) provided by the textbook publisher. This is essential to do the homeworks. Access codes can be obtained in one of the following ways: (1) purchase the textbook with Mastering Astronomy, (2) purchase of an e-book version of the text with Mastering Astronomy, (3) purchase a stand alone Mastering Astronomy code without the book. To obtain an access code online, go to the link above, click on “Students” in the Register box, and follow the instructions to purchase a code. (Note: check if financial aid will cover these methods.) Once you have an access code, use it to register on the Mastering Astronomy web site. Once registered, enroll in our class page using the ID: HAMANN38581. You will find the “active” homeworks there, with due dates given on the calendar. The Mastering Astronomy pages also contain other resources that can help you in this class, e.g., in the Study Area. Extra Credit (optional): Extra Credit will be available to earn up to 4% added to your final class grade. There are two possibilities: 1) Complete an additional Mastering Astronomy homework with a grade or B or better (>80%) to receive the full 4% extra credit. Lower scores will earn no credit at all. This homework will be available after the second exam, with a 3-week completion period. It will be more “cumulative” than the other homeworks, covering topics from most of the course. Or 2) attend an astronomy-oriented planetarium show (not a music or laser show!) at the Kika Silva Pla Planetarium at Santa Fe College (www.sfcollege.edu/planetarium). To get credit you must turn in your ticket stub from the show and a brief but substantive written paragraph (150-200 words) describing what you learned and found most interesting from the show. You can do this any time. There are shows throughout the week; please see the link to the planetarium’s website on our course webpage. Attendance, Class Participation and Conduct Policy: • Attendance at lectures is expected. • Students should arrive on time and not get ready to leave until the lecture is finished. • Reading assignments will be given approximately once each week. These will consist of reading pages/chapters from the textbook. Students should read material that will be covered by the lecture the following week. • In order to stimulate critical thinking and gauge how well you understand the material, questions based on the lectures, reading assignments and projects/homework will be posed in class. Students should participate in the lecture by answering these questions and also by asking your own questions. • Use of mobile phones and computers (for purposes other than note-taking) are prohibited during lectures Make-up Policy: Students are expected to complete all requirements by the specified due dates. If a student misses an exam or an assignment due to an excused absence as specified in the undergraduate catalog and provides the instructor with timely notification, they will be allowed a reasonable time to make up the missed work. The format of a make-up test/exam will be at the discretion of the instructor; these exams may not be exclusively multiplechoice questions. Birthdays, weddings, family vacations, trips out of town, etc., are not excuses for taking a make up exam. Academic Honesty Policy: • This is an excerpt from the Academic Honesty Guidelines and Student Conduct Code in the University of Florida Undergraduate Catalog: o Academic Honesty: The University requires all members of its community to be honest in all endeavors. A fundamental principle is that the whole process of learning and pursuit of knowledge are diminished by cheating, plagiarism, and other acts of academic dishonesty. In addition, every dishonest act in the academic environment affects other students adversely, from the skewing of the grading curve to giving unfair advantage for honors or for professional or graduate school admission. Therefore, the university will take severe action against dishonest students. Similarly, measures will be taken against faculty, staff, and administrators who practice dishonest or demeaning behavior. • Cheating is not tolerated in this class. Everyone in this class is expected to follow the University of Florida Honor Code: We, the members of the University of Florida community, pledge to hold ourselves and our peers to the highest standards of honesty and integrity. Any student caught cheating will be referred to the Honor Code Chancellor. • On all work submitted for credit by students at the university, the following pledge is either required or implied: "On my honor, I have neither given nor received unauthorized aid in doing this assignment." Accommodations for Students with Disabilities: • Students who require a classroom accommodation for a disability are required to arrange accommodations with the Disability Resource Center (352-392-8565, www.dso.ufl.edu/drc/) by providing appropriate documentation. Once registered, students will receive an accommodation letter that must be presented to the instructor when requesting accommodation. Students with disabilities should follow this procedure as early as possible in the semester. UF Counseling Services: • On-campus resources are available at the UF Counseling & Wellness Center (3921575) for students experiencing personal or stress related problems. Course Evaluations: • Students are expected to provide feedback on the quality of this course by completing online evaluations at https://evaluations.ufl.edu. Evaluations are typically open during the last few weeks of the semester, and an announcement will be made when they are open. A summary of the results of the assessment can be found at https://evaluations.ufl.edu/results/. Important Dates & Deadlines: In-Class Exam #1 In-Class Exam #2 Observing Project Due Cumulative Final Exam Friday, 13 February 2015 Friday, 20 March 2015 See Project Description Wednesday, 29 April, 3-5pm Approximate Lecture Schedule: Lecture Date Lecture Content Week 1 Charting the Heavens – An introduction to basic concepts in astronomy such as distances, constellations, Sun-Moon-Earth configurations that result in Moon phases, Solar and Lunar eclipses Modern Astronomy & the Solar System – Learn how the scientific method has been used over hundreds of years to interpret the motions of planets and understand the nature of our Solar System Properties of Light – Learn about the nature of light and how astronomers use different wavelengths of light to study astrophysical phenomena Tools of Astronomy – Learn how telescopes work, and how astronomers use different techniques to measure the properties of celestial objects at different wavelengths. Solar System: Inventory and Formation – Using the scientific method and observations discussed in this class, we discuss the consituents of the Solar System and likely scenarios for its formation Moons, Rings, Asteroids, Meteors & Comets – Learn about the nature of these other constituents of the Solar System which reveal clues about the origin and evolution of our planetary system Earth & Moon – Learn about the Earth and Moon as well as their relationship to each other and Moon exploration Terrestrial Planets – Properties of the inner planets are discussed and compared to Earth Jovian Planets – Properties of the outer gas giants are discussed and compared to Earth Week 2&3 Week 4 Week 4 Week 5 Week 5 Week 5 Week 6 Week 6 Weekly Reading Assignment Chapter 0 Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 8 (selected parts) Chapter 5 (selected) Chapter 6 (selected) Chapter 7 (selected) Week 7 The Sun – Properties of the Sun and the mechanics of nuclear fusion are discussed Chapter 9 Week 8 Properties of Stars – Learn the properties of stars and how they are measured, including some distance determination techniques. Discover how color-magnitude diagrams are used to determine ages and binary stars are used to measure stellar masses The Interstellar Medium (ISM) – Learn about the material between stars in our Galaxy, from which stars and planets form Star Formation and Stellar Evolution – Discover how stars form out of the ISM. Follow the timeline for a typical Sun-like star from infancy to death Stellar Remnants & Black Holes – Learn about the dense remnants of high mass stars and discuss the unusual gravitational effects observed near Black Holes The Milky Way – Learn the properties of our Milky Way galaxy and how the scientific method has been used to learn the nature of this large system of stars, gas and dust Normal and Active Galaxies – Discover the different types of galaxies in the Universe and how they compare to the Milky Way Galaxies & Dark Matter – Discover the importance of dark matter and how it has been identified in galaxies and larger scale structures. Learn about galaxy interactions and mergers and galaxy evolution Cosmology – Learn how we observe the effects of the Big Bang around us today including the cosmic microwave background, universal expansion and acceleration, the curvature of space and the formation of structure Life in the Universe – Consider the overview of cosmic evolution. Learn about the conditions that allow life to exist on Earth. Where else do these conditions occur and how common are they? Final Exam Chapter 10 Week 9 Week 10 Week 11 Week 12 Week 13 Week 14 Week 14&15 Week 15 Exam Week Chapter 11 Chapter 12 Chapter 13 Chapter 14 Chapter 15 Chapter 16 Chapter 17 Chapter 18 Cumulative – all chapters