Astronomy 1140
Planets and the Solar System
Autumn Semester 2018
M, W, F 1:50pm - 2:55 pm
- Instructor:
Prof. Krzysztof Stanek
- Office: 4023 McPherson Lab (fourth floor), 140 W. 18th Ave.
- Office Hours: By appointment (e-mail)
- E-Mail:
stanek.32@osu.edu
- TA: James Johnson
- Office: 4000 McPherson Lab (fourth floor), 140 W. 18th Ave
- Office Hours: By appointment (e-mail)
- E-Mail:
johnson.7419@osu.edu
- Suggested Text:
Starting in 2017, we have adopted a new, online-only, free textbook as a
recommended (not required) text for our class:
- this is OpenStax initiative
(please download the high resolution PDF once and keep it on your computer).
Exams & Grading
Examinations
There will be three in-class midterms and a final
exam. In-class midterms will cover the material in the lectures
and readings since the previous midterm; the final examination will be
comprehensive. The in-class midterms have been scheduled for the
three days listed below. Please mark your calendars with these dates.
All exams will be multiple-choice tests.
The midterm exams will each contribute 19% of your
course grade (for a total of 57%); the final exam will contribute
38%; class participation will count for 5%.
There will be no homeworks, extra credit assignments, etc. etc.
Makeup Policy
Makeup midterms will be given only under extraordinary circumstances.
If you know in advance that you will be missing a midterm, please
contact the professor to arrange an alternate time for you to take the
midterm.
The final must be taken by all students. If you miss the final, you will
automatically receive a grade of fail (F).
The final examination is scheduled for Wednesday, December
12th, 2:00 pm - 3:45 pm in McPherson Chemical Laboratory 1015
(the same room as lectures). The final will be comprehensive, covering
all lectures and assigned readings, and of the same format as the
in-class midterms (only longer). It is worth 38% of the final grade.
No makeup final will be offered.
Exam Schedule
- Midterm 1: Friday, 2018 September 21, in class
- Midterm 2: Friday, 2018 October 19, in class
- Midterm 3: Friday, 2018 November 16, in class
- Final Exam: Wednesday, December 12th, 2:00 pm-3:45 pm
Any student who feels that he or she may need an accommodation based on
the impact of a disability should contact the Professor to discuss their
specific needs. We will work with the Office of Disability Services
to develop the appropriate strategies. Students with disabilities who
have not previously contacted ODS are encouraged to do so in advance by
visiting the ODS website and
requesting an appointment.
All OSU instructors are required to report suspected cases of academic
misconduct to the Committee on Academic Misconduct. See the
University's Code of Student
Conduct for details. The most common forms of misconduct in
classes like this are copying from another student's exam. All cases
will be investigated following University guidelines.
To help establish and maintain a courteous, distraction-free learning
environment in our classroom, I ask that all students please observe the
following rules of behavior during lectures and exams:
- Use of cell phones and pagers is prohibited.
-
- Please do not start packing up until class is completely
over.
-
- If you come late or have to leave early, please sit near the back
of the room.
-
- No conversing during lectures.
-
A little courtesy and common sense can go a long way. Thank you for
your cooperation.
Astronomy 1140 is a General Education Curriculum (GEC) Physical Science
course in the Natural Science category. The goals for this course
include:
- Understanding the basic principles and central facts of astrophysics,
and their relation to other ideas in the physical and biological
sciences.
- Understanding how we discovered the important principles and facts
of astrophysics, thus understanding key events in the history of science
both as events in human history and as case studies in the methods of
science.
- Investigating the relationship between science and technology,
- Understanding the social and philosophical implications of
major scientific discoveries.
Learning Objectives:
In Astronomy 1140, the specific learning objectives to achieve these
course goals are:
- To investigate the basic facts, principles, theories, and methods of
modern science as practiced in astrophysics.
- To learn the basic observable phenomena of astronomy, and how
these have had both practical applications (time keeping and
calendars), and played a key role in advancing our understanding of
the Universe.
- To learn important events in the history of astrophysics,
particularly the development of our understanding of the nature of the
Solar System and the discovery of the physical laws that govern its
motions, formation history, and evolution.
- To explain the role of modern technology in the investigation of
astrophysical phenomena, and the crucial role played by technological
advances in extending our knowledge of the Universe.
- To explore how discoveries in astrophysics have implications for how
we have come to view our place in the Universe, and by comparing the
Earth to other planets in our Solar System provide a physical framework
for understanding the possible impacts of our activities on the Earth.
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Prof. Kris Stanek (stanek.32@osu.edu)
Fri Aug 17 15:20:30 EDT 2018