Astronomy 103-003 Fall 2012

Survey of Astronomy
Instructor: Lecture: Dan Steiner Phone: x2251 Office: Physics Building, Room 122 Email: steinedj@uwm.edu Room 137

Tuesday / Thursday: 5:30pm - 6:45pm

Office Hours: Monday / Wednesday / Friday: Tuesday / Thursday: Textbook:

9:00am 9:50am 4:30pm 5:20pm

Also by appointment, as needed....

Astronomy: A Beginner's Guide to the Universe Chaisson, McMillan. 2010

Sixth Edition Addison-Wesley Grades and course documents will be available on D2L, accessible with your student ID. Students will be expected to download homework assignments and discussion tasks for themselves: http://d2l.uwm.edu

Web Site:

Prerequisites: Math Placement Level D

Basic Mathematical Operations, including Exponents Decimals, Ratios, and Proportions Units of Measure and Scientific Notation 40% 35% 25%

Grading:

My grading scheme will utilize a curve. Letter grades are Homework: not assigned until after the final grade is calculated; the class Mid-Terms: median is usually the lowest B, and the standard deviation Final Exam: estimates the range between letter grades.

Homework:

Working out problems independently is the best way to internalize the challenging material presented in this course. Feel free to work in groups and to consult external sources, but the papers you hand in should reflect your own effort and understanding. Homework assignments will be offered weekly on D2L, in the form of online "quizzes". You'll have long windows of time and unlimited attempts, so take your time. No late submissions will be accepted, but in exchange I will drop your two lowest scores.

Extra-Credit: Each week I'll offer a set of more challenging problems for extra credit. All papers should
be neat and legible, clearly showing all relevant work as well as your answers. There should be sufficient room on the handout, but additional pages should be stapled in order and free of "notebook fringe", showing appropriate respect for your grader.

Tests:

Two mid-term exams will be given in-class, covering the basic units of material which we will discuss. The use of a non-programmable, non-graphing, "Scientific" calculator is allowed, but under no circumstance will a cell-phone or other web-capable device be considered appropriate. The final exam, scheduled by the University to take place at our usual meeting time and location during Exam week, will be cumulative.

Syllabus:

Our goal is to gradually develop a solid understanding of the Universe, beginning with observations of our own solar system and working our way outwards. Chapters 00 - 01: History of Western Astronomy Chapters 04 - 08: Survey of our Solar System Chapters 02 - 03: Interactions of Light and Matter Chapters 09 - 13: Survey of Stars Chapters 14 - 18: Galaxies and the Universe

EXAM I: Tues, Oct 9th EXAM II: Thurs, Nov 15th CUMULATIVE FINAL: Tues, Dec 18th 5:30pm - 7:30pm Attendance:

I expect attendance at every lecture; it should go without saying that any disruptions (off-topic discussions, cell-phone usage, spontaneous dances, etc) are not appropriate at this academic level. I won't prohibit the use of laptop computers during class, but you should expect having one to make you a target for class participation. Students will be allowed to complete examinations or other requirements that are missed due to personal religious observances, provided that arrangements are made in advance.

Misconduct: The University has a responsibility to promote academic honesty and integrity and to
develop procedures to deal effectively with instances of academic dishonesty. Students are responsible for the honest completion and representation of their work, for the appropriate citation of sources, and for respect of others' academic endeavors. A more detailed description of the Student Academic Disciplinary Procedures may be found in Regents Policy Statements, UWS Chapter 14 and UWM Faculty Document #1686.

Complaint Procedures:

Students may direct complaints to the head of the academic unit or Chair of the department in which the complaint occurs, or to the appropriate university office responsible for enforcing a specific policy.

Undergraduate Advisor: Department Chair:

Robert Wood Valerica Raicu

chunnaic@uwm.edu vraicu@uwm.edu

University Policies: http://www4.uwm.edu/secu/SyllabusLinks.pdf