A comprehensive Final Exam on Sections I through IV:

PHYS 253 002 Syllabus Fall 2013

Ancient Greek Constellation Mythology that you can view for fun and curuisity: Orion + Scorpio+ the big and Little bear+ Cassiopeia and family.

Carolina Sky Gazers : Hubble Site

Text: Explorations 7 ed by Thomas T. Arny. The book has accompanying student web sites that with valuable resources such as simulations, practice quizzes, a variety of essays, and an online learning center (OLC), web tutorials, animation's, etc.

Professor: Dr. M. Sebhatu; Office: Sims 203: Office Hrs: MWF 10:00-10:50 and by appointment. at other times

Class meets at 9:00-9:50 MWF in Sims 113C

E-Mail< sebhatum@winthrop.edu > Voice (803) 323-4935

Brief Course Description: PHYS 253 is a descriptive astronomy course primarily intended for non science majors. It deals with the development of astronomy from prehistoric to present times. The solar system, stellar evolution, and cosmology are the major topics covered. Audio visual materials such as slides, movies, videotapes, DVDs, CD ROMS etc. will be used to illustrate key concepts, events, and some phenomena.

Objectives:

1. Explore the development of Astronomy from pre-historic times to the present mostly conceptually and at times using simple calculation

2. Develop of sense of scale and appreciation for our vast universe in the following order the

Earth and the moon, the solar system, the Milky way Galaxy, the local group of galaxies, local super cluster of galaxies and then finally the whole visible universe.

3. Learn how scientific knowledge develops from one era to the other with Astronomy as an example

4. Learn Kepler's laws of planetary motion and then explain them using Newton's laws of motion and the Universal Law of Gravity.

5. Learn about model building and the scientific method

6. To compare the Geocentric Model (Ptolemaic system with the Heliocentric Model (Copernican System ) and clearly understand why the latter more acceptable.

7. To learn about well known philosophers, astronomers scientist that helped develop our knowledge of astronomy.

8. To be able tom explain clearly phenomena such as day and night, the seasons, phases of the moon. solar and lunar eclipses, planetary and stellar motion (including retrograde motion,.

9. Study the planets structure, geology, atmospheres and even climate as two groups- terrestrial- Earth like and Jovian-Jupiter like.

10. Learn to appreciate the Earth as the only life supporting planet and see the devastating effects of global warming in Venus dust and rust in Mars and see how hot and sometimes how cold some plates are.

11. Lear about the properties of light and how it is used to study the properties of stars and planets

12. To learn how stars (with our sun as a prime example) generate energy.

13. To learn stellar evolution: The birth, evolution and final fate of stars

14. To learn and explain phenomena such as supernova, the formation of white dwarfs, pulsars, and black holes

15. To have a clear idea of cosmology- the creation, evolution and fate of the universe.

A successful completion of the course should equip the student with the basic terminology and understanding needed to follow developments and issues related to astronomy and other sciences via popular media such as TV and popular magazines. The main objective, however, is to help students develop a sense of how science develops and works with astronomy as an example.

Tentative Coverage Outline and Test Schedule:

Detailed Study Guides for each of the sections I to IV will be provided prior to each test. The study guides will be posted on the PHYS 253 website and will have valuable links

General Advice Advice:

1. Be able to define key terms at the end of each chapter.

2. Be able to state the major contribution of astronomers, scientists, etc in every chapter.

3. Be able to answer all the end of the chapter multiple choice self-test questions.

4. Be able to repeat sample problems done in class and similar end of chapter numerical problems and thought questions.

5. Visit the textbook website and go to the online learning center student edition and play the animations relevant to teach chapter..

6. Visit the textbook website and go to the online learning center student edition and take the Practice Quizzes for the chapters covered in each section.

I. An Overview of the Universe (Ch. 0); Historical Background - The cycles of the sky (Ch.1), .Prehistoric Ancient Greek, and the Renaissance (Ch.2);

Laws of motion and Gravity (Ch. 3); and the Moon( Ch. 7)

Test #1:Monday , Sept. 230 Study Guide I

II. The Earth (Ch.6); An Overview of the Solar System (Ch.8); The Terrestrial Planets (Ch. 9);

The Jovian Planets (Ch. 10); Meteors, Asteroids, and Comets (Ch. 11).

Test #2: Wednesday , Oct. 23 Study Guide II

III. Light and Atoms (Ch. 4); The Sun (Ch.12); Stellar properties, structure, classification (Ch. 13) and Stellar Evolution. (Ch. 14, & 15)

Test #3: Wednesday Nov. 208 Study Guide III

IV. The Milky Way Galaxy (Ch. 16); Galaxies (Ch. 17); and Cosmology (Ch. 18).

A link to Steven Hawking's Univrese:

A variety of astrophysics topics from antiquity to the present are discussed in this website.

Test #4: Monday, Dec. 2 Study Guide IV

A comprehensive Final on Parts I, II, III and IV: 8:00-10:00 a.m. Monday 12/9/2013

Computation of Final Grades: The average of the best three test grades will contribute 60% , homework and video activities will count 10%. The final counts as 30%. Assignment of the letter grades depends on the numerical grade distribution. Usually, above 90% is an "A" ,85-89 "B+", 80-84 " B", 75-79 "C+", 70-74 "C", 65-69 a "D+," 60-64 "D" and below 60 an "F."

Make-up Tests: The instructor is not obliged to give a makeup test. A student who misses a test obtains a zero for it. However, consideration will be given for extenuating circumstances at the instructor's discretion.

As soon as a student contemplates missing more than one test due to an extenuating circumstance , it is preferred that the student make this clear to the instructor so arrangements for taking the test, preferably early, can be made.

Class Attendance Policy: The attendance policy followed in this course is the same as that which appears in the current Winthrop University Catalog. Briefly, "If a student's absences in a course total 25% or more of the class meetings for the course, the student will receive a grade of N, F, or U, whichever is appropriate." Please read the current Winthrop catalog for details. The means for establishing your attendance of a class period will be your signature. Whenever all the class members are not present, a copy of the class roll will be passed around for students to sign on. Those who come excessively late or depart early will also be marked absent. During the summer sessions C & D, one week is roughly equivalent to one month of the regular semester. If a student misses four or more days during the summer C or D session , that will be excessive.

Student code of Conduct in this course:

· Come to class on time. Being late not only affects you but it also disrupts the class.

· Consuming food and drinks in class is prohibited.

· You come to class to pay attention to lectures and other supplementary activities . You are not allowed to read material that is extraneous to the course or engage in a lengthy conversation with you classmates. Such activities are disruptive to the class.

· If you have questions, raise your hand and ask when you have gotten the permission. If your question is only of interest to you and requires a lengthy discussion (> 5 min), coming during an office hour or at another appointed time will be more appropriate than taking class time.

· If you have to use a laptop during class, use it sparingly. If you insist on ignoring all activities and totally concentrate on you laptop, you will be prohibited from bringing your laptop to class. Taking physics notes with a laptop is not practical.

· Use of cell phones for any purpose in class is not allowed. It is disruptive. to the class. If there an anticipated emergency that forces you to receive a call, let the professor know and you will be allowed to put your cell phone in a vibrate or silent mode and step out to receive the call. This can be done only with prior permission from the professor.

· Integrity and honesty are virtues expected form all college students. An ethical behavior such as plagiarizing and cheating in tests will result in getting a zero for the work. If this behavior is repeated, you may be withdrawn from the course.

All students are expected to exhibit good conduct and to show respect to follow classmates and their professors. The policy on student academic misconduct is outlined in the “Student Conduct Code Academic Misconduct Policy” in the online Student Handbook (http://www2.winthrop.edu/student affairs/handbook/Student Handbook. PDF).

Students with Disabilities: Winthrop University is dedicated to providing access to education. If you have a disability and need classroom accommodations, please contact Gena Smith, Coordinator, Services for Students with Disabilities, at 323-3290, as soon as possible. Once you have your professor notification, please let the instructor know so that he/she is aware of your accommodation needs well before the first test or other class activity.

General Education Requirements: Phys 253 fulfill three hours of general education requirement for a natural science course. Listed below are the seven fundamental student learning outcomes for natural science courses as well as examples of how they will be fulfilled in this course.

Students should be:

1. Conversant with a few fundamental concepts from among the three main areas of natural science, including earth, life, and physical sciences. (e.g., The application of Newton's Laws to study planetary motion, application of optics to build telescopes, use know ledge of light to determine properties of stars, Study while life thrives on Earth and not on other plants, study )

2. Able to apply the scientific methodologies of inquiry. (From historic as well as current observations using AV materials .)

3. Able to discuss the strengths and limitations of science. (e.g., discussion of how science is cumulative, ongoing and tentative—always subject to refinement. e.g Geocentric vs Heliocentric model,, the fact we do not know who started the Big Bang, the fact that more that 90 of the universe is made up of mysterious dark matter and/or energy)

4. Able to demonstrate an understanding of the history of scientific discovery. (e.g. the development of the Geocentric and Heliocentric models, Kepler's laws of planetary motion, Discovery of galaxies and the expansion of the universe, stellar evolution, the "Big Bang Model" )

5. Able to discuss the social and ethical contexts within which science operates. ( e.g. is Space exploration important, realize that science is a search for knowledge that may or may not be beneficial to society. It solves problems and sometimes it creates problems. Ultimately society decides how scientific knowledge should be used.)

6. Able to communicate about scientific subjects including the defense of conclusions based on one’s own observations. (e.g., every day phenomena such as day and night, the seasons, eclipses, etc.)

7. Able to discuss the application of scientific knowledge to the social sciences and to non-scientific disciplines. (The entire course does this by letting students develop critical thinking skills in solving problems both analytically and conceptually using basic principles.)

How

How General Education Requirements and other course objectives are assessed:

Results of every test are closely examined and reviewed in class as part of the learning experience. The questions missed by most students are especially focused on and clearly explained. The multiple choice tests incorporate basic vocabulary and principles they have learned. Monthly tests indicates students do learn. As they describe planetary motion most students can distinguish between the geocentric and heliocentric model in e.g, explaining retrograde motion, they can explain causes of the seasons and eclipses. At the end of the semester, student evaluations of the course are seriously read by the instructor and then the valid comments and other relevant data are used to improve the course.

However, no formal questionnaire was given to assess student learning as perceived by the students. The test results and end of a semester evaluation indicates that most goals are met by the Astronomy course. In the future I plan to add to the usual student course evaluation a questionnaire that surveys student perceptions as to how they feel the met the objectives.

The global learning component(s) of this course is/are the following:(GLI)

The global learning component(s) of this course are the following:(GLI)

1. The course starts with the historic development of astronomy in various eras, regions and civilizations such as Babylonian, Chinese, Egyptian, Greek, European etc

2. To give a specific example, the Babylonians developed astrology, the ancient Greeks developed the geocentric model . The geocentric model was modified by Arab astronomers and then the Europeans developed the Heliocentric model. Now we learn almost every day explorations by space vehicles and sattelites done by NASA and by sophisticated large telescopes at many international observatories.

3. In all areas of the course astronomers and other scientists from all over the globe are mentioned to stress that astronomy historically and currently is developed by a plethora of nationalities.

4. In astronomy, we are not restricted to one globe. We are dealing with the whole universe. Students not only become globally aware but they expand their horizon to the edge of the univers.

Able to communicate about scientific subjects including (lab courses only) the defense of conclusions based on one’s own observations. (e.g., Phys 202l laboratory reports)