ISP 205, Section 3, Visions of the Universe, Spring 04

 

Course Home Page - http://www.pa.msu.edu/courses/isp205/sec-3/

AstronomyPlace - http://www.aw-bc.com/astronomyplace/>

  Class ID is: cm596550

ANGEL - http://angel.msu.edu

 

Instructor:Robert Stein
Office:3266 Biomedical Physical Sciences
E-Mail:steinr@msu.edu
Phone:355 9200 X2413
Office Hours:Monday & Wednesday, 5:30 - 6:30 PM
or by appointment (send email to arrange)
Teaching Assistant:Turgay Birand
Class Location:BPS 1410
Class Time:Monday & Wednesday, 7:10 - 8:30 PM

 

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Final Exam, Thursday, May 6, 3-5 pm, room Natural Science 326
Problems with Angel or Astronomy Place -- try clearing cookies, cache and history. Instructions

 

Required Text

"The Cosmic Perspective", 3rd edition, Bennett, Donahue, Schneider & Voit, Addison-Wesley 2003
You are also required to Register at Astronomy Place (using your Addison-Wesley key):
      http://wps.aw.com/aw_bennett_cosmic_3
      The class ID on Astronomy Place is cm596550
      (Access key is bundled with all new textbooks, but must be purchased separately on line at astronomy place if you buy a used book. Cost $14.40) 




Course Goals




ISP 205 is an astronomy course designed for non-science majors.
Its goals are to open your eyes to the Universe beyond your immediate
surroundings, to exhibit how scientists work, and to develop your
scientific literacy.  The universe is comprehensible through science
that can be understood by anyone.  You will learn the key concepts of
astronomy needed to explain how and why the universe acts as it does.
While learning about the universe, its origins, its evolution, its 
contents and its fate, you will also develop scientific reasoning skills.



Science is Not a body of Facts, but rather a process by which we
try to understand the world around us.  Scientific reasoning has
been used to both benefit, and sometimes harm, us all.  Just look
at the headlines in areas such as technology invovations, global
warming, anti-missile defense, the Mars rover or new medical
treatments.  Humans observe and experiment and attempt to make
logical connections.  You will learn about how some scientists
developed these connections.  You will get practice with scientific
reasoning.  Our goal is for you to be able to evaluate scientific
claims and to make judgments about those making the claims.



To get the most out of this course you should ask questions:









SYLLABI and OBJECTIVES







POWER POINT PRESENTATIONS




  
Introduction
  
Motions
  
Solar System Models
  
Newton
  
Light1
  
Light2
  
Planet Tour
  
Solar System Formation
  
Geology
  
Atmospheres
  
Sun1
  
Sun2
  
Stellar Properties
  
Stellar Properties 2
  
Stellar Evolution 1
  
Stellar Evolution 2
  
Stellar Evolution 3
  
Milky Way
  
Hubble's Law
  
Galaxies
  
Big Bang
  
Review III







OUTLINES
 (from previous semesters)







EXAMS with ANSWERS








HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENTS, PROJECTS and IN-CLASS ACTIVITIES









BASIS of GRADE




You are responsible for knowing the material presented in class and
the relevant material in the text.  Grades will be based on performance
on a final exam, three midterm exams, in-class activities, and
homework (including ANGEL pre-class assignments and Astronomy Place
tutorials).  Exams will test both memorization and the ability to
deduce results by applying basic physical principles to astronomical
phenomena.  The exams will consist of a mixture of multiple choice,
short answer and essay length questions.  The lowest exam score (of
the three mid-term and final exams) will be dropped.  If you are
satisfied with your grade at the end of classes you do not need to
take the final exam, which will be comprehensive.  The three highest
exams each count for 25% of the grade, and the quizzes, in-class
activities and homework together count for 25% of the grade.  No
opportunities for individual extra credit will be offered. 





Summary:



Exams: Best three of 3 mid-terms + Final 75% 



Quizzes 25% 


Homework


Astronomy Place Tutorials


ANGEL Assignments (Quizzes)


In-Class Activities













Grading Scale





   AVERAGE (%)   
   GRADE    


  85-100  4.0  


  75-84   3.5  


  70-74   3.0  


  65-69   2.5  


  60-64   2.0  


  55-59   1.5  


  50-54   1.0  


  < 50    0.0  








EASY POINTS: In-class activities, Astronomy Place tutorials, pre-class ANGEL
questions.  These are points you get for being in class and doing the 
assignments.  The Astronomy Place tutorials can be repeated until you
get them correct and then you can submit your answers.



Exam Schedule:

      First Midterm Exam     Wednesday,   February 11,    in class
      Second Midterm Exam    Wednesday,   March 24,       in class
      Third Midterm Exam     Wednesday,   April 28,       in class

      FINAL EXAM             Thursday,    May 6, 3-5 pm,  Room to be announced










LINKS to ASTRONOMY RESOURCES








 * 
   Astronomy Place

 * 
   
   Astronomy Picture of the Day

 * 
   
   Mars Rover Home Page 

 * 
   
   Hubble Space Telescope 

 * 
   
   NASA

 * 
   
   Astronomy Links from SEDS at University of Arizona

 * 

   The Nine Planets, A Multimedia Tour of the Solar System

 * 
   Scientific Arithmetic

 *  









Academic Integrity


The MSU academic integrity policy for students is
at 
http://www.vps.msu.edu/SpLife/rule32.htm. If a student cheats
on an exam, he or she will get an automatic zero on the test and
may be given a failing grade for the course.  You are encouraged
to collaborate on pre-class questions, homework and in-class
activities.  Science is a cooperative activity.  Collaboration does
NOT include copying.  If you merely copy someone else's work, you 
will do very poorly on the exams, which generate most of your
grade.  You are required to specify who you work with in the
appropriate space.



Exam policy: DO NOT bring any cell-phones or pagers to an exam.  DO
bring a photo-ID.  You may be required to show it when turning in your
exam.




This page will be continually updated as the course progresses.

Updated: 




This page has been accessed

times.






Bob Stein's home page, 
email:  steinr@msu.edu