Syllabus and Course Schedule - GSU Astronomy

ASTR 1000 - Introduction to the Universe
Fall 2011, MWF 10:00-10:50am, General Classroom Building 300
This course provides an overview of the major astronomical phenomena to be found in the universe.
We will mostly follow the order set by the textbook, which begins with history and astronomical
techniques, then the Solar System, stars, galaxies, and finally cosmology.
Professor:! Dr. Misty C. Bentz
! ! Assistant Professor of Physics and Astronomy! ! Office: 709 One Park Place South
! ! Email: bentz@chara.gsu.edu! ! ! ! Phone: 404-413-6082
! !
Textbook:! Discovering the Essential Universe (Fourth Edition), by Neil F. Comins
! ! Make sure you do not buy the textbook for ASTR 1010/1020!!!
Attendance:!I will not take attendance in this course. You will do best in this class if you attend lecture
! ! regularly. It is your choice to attend lecture or not, but if you attend you must be respectful
! ! of everyone else in the classroom. Anyone who becomes a distraction during lecture will
! ! be asked to leave. If you choose not to attend, you need to be prepared for how your
! ! absence may affect your learning and your grade. I will sometimes cover material in
! ! lecture that is not in the textbook but will be on a test.
Grading:! Grades will be determined from homework (20%), pop quizzes (15%), three tests (15%
! ! each), and a final exam (20%). The dates for the tests are as follows (but are subject to
! ! change):
! !
! ! ! Test 1 - Friday September 16 (Chapters 1-3)
! ! ! Test 2 - Friday October 14 (Chapters 4-7)
! ! ! Test 3 - Friday November 11 (Chapters 8-10 and 13)
! ! ! Final! - Monday December 12, 8:00am (Cumulative; Chapters 1-13)!
! !
! ! Make-up and early tests will not be given, no matter what! No exceptions! You must
! ! be sure to arrive on time for all tests. To ensure that tests are fair for all students, no one
! ! will be allowed to start a test after the first person has finished and left the room. Be
! ! on time for tests!
! ! Everyone occasionally has a bad day, so your final exam score will automatically replace
! ! your lowest test grade (this is equivalent to dropping one test score). You cannot drop
! ! your final exam score, your homework score, or your quizzes score.
! ! All class work should be the result of your own effort. Cheating will earn you an F.
! ! Final grades are determined on the following scale:
! ! ! A: 90.0% or better! (A+ > 98.0%, A- < 92.0%)
! ! ! B: 80.0-89.9%! (B+ > 88.0%, B- < 82.0%)
! ! ! C: 68.5-79.9%! (C+ > 78.0%, C- < 71.0%)
! ! ! D: 55.0-68.4%! !
! ! ! F: less than 55.0%

! ! Final grades will not be posted or given out via phone or email. Your final grades will be
! ! available on GoSolar only.
Pop Quizzes: Pop quizzes will occasionally be given during lecture. They will not be announced ahead
! ! of time and they cannot be made up if they are missed. They may come at any point
! ! during the lecture.
Homework:! Homework will be given in the form of multiple-choice assignments on ULearn. You should
! ! use your textbook and lecture notes to help you complete your homework.
! ! Homework due dates will always fall on a Friday at 11:59:59pm. The system will
! ! automatically post your homework grade when the deadline has passed. Answers
! ! will be posted immediately after the homework deadline. LATE HOMEWORK WILL NOT
! ! BE ACCEPTED IN THIS CLASS. Give yourself plenty of time to submit your homework
! ! assignments before the deadline passes. If you miss the deadline, it is because you
! ! waited too long.
Laptops:! Laptop computers are allowed in the classroom during lectures for the express purpose of
! ! taking notes. Laptop computers are NOT allowed in the last 4 rows of the class.
! ! Students are expected to abide by this policy. Checking Facebook, playing games, surfing
! ! the internet, and otherwise causing distractions for those sitting behind you will not be
! ! tolerated.
Cell phones: Cell phones must be silenced before class begins and put away during lecture. If I see
! ! any cell phones out during tests (pop quizzes included), I will assume you are cheating
! ! and you will earn an F.
Assistance:! Questions during lecture are encouraged and appreciated. Please donʼt hesitate to ask
! ! for clarification.
! ! My office hours are Wed and Fri 11:00am-12:00pm. I am also available by appointment.
! ! Please email me to set up a time if you canʼt make it to office hours.
! ! Grades will be posted on ULearn as they are earned. Please let me know of any errors
! ! right away.
! ! Additional study materials can be found at the textbook publisherʼs website:
! ! ! http://bcs.whfreeman.com/deu4e
! ! !
Problems:! If you have any problems during this course, please come talk to me and Iʼll do my best to
! ! help resolve the problem. Alternatively, you may contact Dr. Richard Miller, the chairman
! ! of the Physics & Astronomy Department (miller@chara.gsu.edu; 404-413-6036), or the
! ! GSU Office of Student Support Services (404-413-1680).

Course Schedule
Dates are subject to change
Week Mon Wed Fri Homework
1 8/22: Ch 1 8/24: Ch 1, Ch 2 8/26: Ch 2 Ch 1
2 8/29: Ch 2 8/3: Ch 2 9/2: Ch 3 Ch 2
3 9/5: No Class 9/7: Ch 3 9/9: Ch 3 Ch 3
4 9/12: Ch 3 9/14: Review 9/16: Test No homework
5 9/19: Ch 4 9/21: Ch 4 9/23: Ch 4, Ch 5 Ch 4
6 9/26: Ch 5 9/28: Ch 5 9/30: Ch 5 Ch 5
7 10/3: Ch 6 10/5: Ch 6 10/7: Ch 6, Ch 7 Ch 6
8 10/10: Ch 7 10/12: Review 10/14: Test Ch 7
9 10/17: Ch 8 10/19: Ch 8 10/21: Ch 9 Ch 8
10 10/24: Ch 9 10/26: Ch 9 10/28: Ch 10 Ch 9
11 10:31: Ch 10 11/2: Ch 10 11/4: Ch 10 Ch 10
12 11/7: Ch 13 11/9: Review 11/11: Test Ch 13
13 11/14: Ch 11 11/16: Ch 11 11/18: Ch11 Ch 11
14 11/21: No Class 11/23: No Class 11/25: No Class No homework
15 11/28: Ch 11 11/30: Ch 12 12/2: Ch 12 Ch 12
16 12/5: Review
17 12/12: Final Exam 8am
The final exam time is set by the University and will be held in our usual classroom.
Homework is always due on Friday at 11:59:59 PM. NO LATE HOMEWORK IS ACCEPTED!

How to Succeed in this Course
• Attend lecture. I will highlight the important information in my lectures, and the tests will be weighted
more heavily towards material that was emphasized in lecture.
• Ask questions! If you donʼt understand something, it is likely that 20 other people in the class do not
understand either. Some concepts will come up again and again, and you should learn them early to
make your life easier.
• If you miss lecture, get notes from a friend. I cannot hand out my lecture slides because of copyright
issues.
• Read ahead of the lectures in the textbook. This will allow you to spend more time listening during
lecture and less time writing, so that you can process the information as I present it. You will also have
more time to recognize that you need to ask a question.
• Do not copy down the definition of vocabulary words during lecture. Simply note the word and then
look up the definition in the glossary at the back of the book later during your study time. This will also
help you to listen more and write less during lectures.
• Do not cram. We will cover the whole textbook in 14 weeks. There is too much information to
remember by cramming. Spread out your studying and spend time on it every day.
• Pay careful attention to the figures in the book. Figures are meant to highlight important information.
This is a big hint!
• Print out your homework and work through it on paper before you sit down to submit your answers
online. This will also help you to get credit for your homework in case of computer problems or server
issues because you will have a paper copy to turn in.
• Read through your homework questions and answers before lecture. I will often present the correct
answers to the homework questions in my lectures, and they will be fresh in your memory if you have
just read them over.
• If you cannot find the answer to a homework question in the text, you should check the figures, figure
captions, and the chapter summary.
• I will give an extra credit opportunity during the semester. Be sure to take advantage of it. It could
make all the difference with your final grade.
• Come to office hours or email me if you are having trouble with a concept. Some concepts from the
beginning of the class will continue to be important throughout the entire semester. Ask for help early!
• Carefully read and follow all directions! Be on time or early! Plan ahead! Donʼt wait until the last
minute! These will go a long way towards helping you succeed in this course and the rest of your life.