Professor: Jon D. Satko
Office: SM 211-K Phone: 791-2345 E-mail: jsatko@pc.cc.ca.us
Website: www.portervillecollege.edu/satko
Class meetings:
MW 8:00 am – 9:25 am Room SM 210
R 5:30 pm – 8:40 pm
Occasionally we will meet in the Library computer lab, available to us on Thursday evenings.
Materials required:
Text: The Cosmic Perspective, 6th Bennett, Donahue, Schneider & Voit
A calculator
Each student will need to have an account that allows access to the College’s computers.
Contacting the professor:
The best way to reach me, especially if you want a response, is by email (jsatko@pc.cc.ca.us).
Course Prerequisites (recommended):
Math 55 (Elementary algebra); eligible for level 2 English placement
Description:
This course is an introduction to the origin, characteristics, and evolution of our solar system, the stars, the galaxies, and the universe. Beginning with our place in the universe and how to find objects in the sky, we will discuss the history of astronomy, and the physical and chemical principles necessary for understanding astrophysics. We then will explore our solar system, the stars, the galaxies, the large-scale structure of the universe, the beginning of time, and finally, the search for life beyond the planet Earth. The laboratory portion of the class will include practical applications / exercises involving concepts learned in lecture, as well as observation of planets, stars, nebulae, galaxies, and constellations.
I will give a lecture during almost every class meeting. During most Thursday night meetings, we will either spend the last hour of class in the Library computer lab, or on the roof for sky observations. We will cover roughly one or two chapters from the text during each week.
Learning Objectives:
By the completion of this course the student should be able to:
a. Demonstrate knowledge of constellations and prominent stars in the sky
b. Demonstrate knowledge of the history of astronomy
c. Demonstrate knowledge of properties of matter, laws of motion, and properties of electromagnetic radiation
d. Describe the basic characteristics of the sun, planets, moon, comets and asteroids of the solar system
e. Demonstrate knowledge of the dominant theories of the origin of the universe and solar system, and describe observational tests of these theories
f. Demonstrate knowledge of stars and nebulae, including determination of distance, mass and size, theories of stellar evolution and processes, and characteristics of nebulae and clusters.
g. Describe the characteristics of our galaxy, and compare these with characteristics of other galaxies
h. Describe present scientific thoughts concerning extraterrestrial life.
Attendance:
Attendance at all scheduled sessions, including lectures, labs and exam, is necessary. Generally, if you miss a session, you will not be allowed to make up the work (this includes tests!). A student may be dropped from the course if I determine that the absences are excessive.
Course reading:
Lectures will be the most important source of information in the course, but the lectures may not cover everything. The textbook may add depth and clarity to the material covered in lecture; therefore, you are responsible for reading the relevant sections of the textbook. If there is a concept in the reading or lectures that you do not understand, please ask in class or during my office hours.
Class cancellation:
If I need to cancel a class meeting, I will do my best to notify each of you, using your email address that the college has on file.
Policy on cheating / plagiarism:
Consult the course catalog for the College’s definitions of cheating and plagiarism. If at any time I suspect that a student has cheated / plagiarized on an assignment, he/she will receive a zero grade for that assignment, and will be referred to the Dean’s office for probationary action.
You can access your grade report at any time on www.mygradebook.com. Under Email, Classword, or Primary Login ID, enter the Classword astrofall2011. You will receive your individual password from me.
Disability resources at Porterville College:
Students with verified disabilities may qualify for alternate media, extended time testing, and other various accommodations provided by the Disability Resource Center. Contact the DRC in AC 115 (791-2215) for further information. Alternate test arrangements should be made with me at least one week prior to the test date.
Expectations for personal conduct in class:
In this classroom is a group of adults who are devoting valuable time and money in pursuit of their education. Specifically, they are in this classroom to learn the principles of astronomy.
I will teach you about astronomy, including pertinent history, philosophy, and current events and issues related to science and astronomy.
I expect that you will respect the time and money of your classmates by contributing to a healthy learning environment.
(1) Please be on-time to class, both at the beginning of class, and when returning from scheduled breaks. If you do come to class while it is already in session, please enter through the rear door (if possible), and do your best not to disturb your classmates.
(2) Please do not disrupt class with conversations/noise.
(3) If you have a cell-phone, please silence it before coming to class.
Class Schedule
The day-to-day schedule for Astronomy 101 can be found on my webpage, at www.portervillecollege.edu/satko. Clink on the Astronomy 101 link, and then go to Fall 2011 schedule for Astronomy 101. The schedule is subject to frequent changes, so check it often.
ASSIGNMENTS
There will be approximately five tests. The tests will cover material presented in my lecture. (Any material that is in the textbook but not presented in lecture may appear as extra credit questions on the tests.)
Laboratory assignments deepen your understanding of the concepts learned in the astronomy lecture. They are typically done either in the classroom or in the computer lab. Each student is to turn in his/her own lab reports. Lab reports are due at the beginning of class on the following Thursday. You are responsible for turning in assignments on time, whether or not you were present in class at the time of the lab activity. Consult my Astronomy 101 website’s section Astronomy assignments for current lab assignments.
There may be periodic quizzes in class; this will encourage you to stay up to date with the course material.
You will be required to pick one news article that deals with a recent event or discovery (this semester) in astronomy, and write a summary / opinion of the article. When you submit your paper, please attach to it the article (either the original or a photocopy), or the web address for the article.
Your summary must:
Some suggested sources are the newspaper, Sky & Telescope, Scientific American, the internet (e.g., www.space.com), and newspapers.
The article will be turned in at the beginning of class on Wednesday, November 9.
Please ensure that your paper is written to the standards of a college-level assignment. If a paper is poorly written (e.g., poor grammar and spelling), it will be returned with a zero grade. You will then be given seven days to resubmit your corrected work, for a maximum of 60% credit. (Do it right the first time!)
The final exam (Monday, December 5, 7:30 am – 9:30 am) will be cumulative. It may cover any topics discussed in class.
No credit will be earned for late work, and make-up tests will only be given in cases of emergency. In the rare case of a makeup assignment, it must be completed within 4 days of returning to school).
OPPORTUNITIES FOR EXTRA CREDIT
I encourage astronomy learning outside of the classroom by awarding extra credit for three categories of activities:
(1) trips to observatories / planetaria / Star Parties
(2) news article reports
(3) book reports
You may earn a maximum of 100 points for all extra credit assignments.
(1) Trip to Observatory / Planetarium up to 20 points per assignment
The Tule River Amateur Astronomers occasionally host a Star Party at one of three observatories in Springville. One of these observatories, Starhome (operated by John Sanford), is the site that this class has routinely visited in the past. (Please see www.astrospringville.org for more information.) You may also choose to visit some other observatory or planetarium (where you can usually see a grade-level-appropriate show).
To receive credit for this assignment, you must turn in a brief paper (around two typed pages) that includes the following:
· a description of what you did / learned
· the date and location of the event
· sketches of your observations
This paper must be submitted no later than three weeks after your visit.
(2) News Article Report (limit of 1) up to 10 points per assignment
Submit an additional report on an astronomy-related news article. (Follow the same standards and guidelines for the Articles assignment in this syllabus.) Please write in the heading of your report: “EXTRA CREDIT.”
(3) Book Report up to 40 points per assignment
Read a book from my approved-book-list below, and write a report on it. The report should be typewritten, and it should include the following parts:
a) introduction – title, author, etc.
b) a chapter-by-chapter journal which includes key information, as well as your opinions / ponderings (if applicable) from every chapter
c) conclusion – your overall impression of the book
A Brief History of Time, Stephen Hawking – gravity, black holes, time, the search for a grand unifying theory of everything
The Universe in a Nutshell, Stephen Hawking – relativity & time, multiple universes, black holes & dark matter, possibility of time travel
Black Holes and Time Warps, Kip S. Thorne & Stephen Hawking
Hyperspace, Michio Kaku – an exploration of the theory and evidence for our 10-dimensional universe
Flatland: A Romance of Many Dimensions, Edwin A. Abbott – a work of fiction published in 1880; imagines a two-dimensional world inhabited by sentient geometric shapes who think their planar world is all there is.
The Creator and the Cosmos, Hugh Ross – a biblical look at cosmology and the creation of the universe
The Genesis Question, Hugh Ross – explores the scientific accuracy of Genesis
Beyond the Cosmos: What Recent Discoveries in Astrophysics Reveal about the Glory and Love of God, Hugh Ross
Relativity: The Special and the General Theory, Albert Einstein – Relativity from its author
Cosmos, Carl Sagan – cosmology and science in general
Cosmic Catastrophes, J. Craig Wheeler – all about stars, supernovae, gamma ray bursts
Turn Right at Orion: Travels Through the Cosmos, Mitchell Begelman – A fictitious account of one astronaut’s 60-million-year voyage through the cosmos; gives a great understanding of stars, nebulae, black holes, etc.
Not a Chance – The Myth of Chance in Modern Science and Cosmology, R.C. Sproul – Philosophy of science.