Fall 2019 Syllabus

 
I. Course Description

This class presents selected topics, including laboratory experiences, in areas of astronomy relevant to elementary, middle grades, and secondary teaching. Instruction will be differentiated according to the student needs.

In this course, everything you learn will be built up from direct observations that you will make in class.  You will help design and carry out experiments, participate in online discussions, and also carry out your own personal observations, predictions, and reflections. This process will provide you with more than just knowledge about the particular concept under study. The goal is for you to understand why a particular scientific definition is made and be able to better comprehend the meaning of the physical laws that unfold.

Pre-requisites: ASTR 104 or ASTR 106 or ASTR 214
Please be aware this is a demanding and rigorous course. To succeed in this course it is necessary that you possess solid college-level reading, writing and critical thinking skills. Math at the high school algebra level will be used, so the student should be familiar with basic algebra, geometry and trigonometry. Most importantly, you must demonstrate good time management skills and be highly self-motivated and self-disciplined.

II. Required Course Materials

Each student is required to have her/his own account with MasteringAstronomy. This can be purchased on-line through the MasteringAstronomy website.

J. Bennett, M. Donahue, S. Schneider & M. Voit (2019), The Cosmic Perspective, 9e with MasteringAstronomy, Pearson, ISBN 9780-1348-74364-4

III. Professor

Richard Gelderman
2012 Kelly Thompson Hall
Western Kentucky University
1906 College Heights Blvd
Bowling Green, Kentucky 42101-1077

office phone: (270) 745-6203
fax: (270) 745-2014
webpage: http://astro.wku.edu/gelderman/
e-mail: richard.gelderman@wku.edu

Upon successful completion of this course, students should be able to:

A. Demonstrate an understanding of the modern view of our place in the universe, the scales of size and separations of celestial objects, and the relative motions of objects in the universe.

B. Explain how celestial objects, such as the Sun, Moon, planets, and stars, appear to move in the sky as viewed from Earth; the reasons for the observed seasonal changes, the phases of the Moon, and for eclipses.

C. Use gravity, the laws of motion, conservation of energy and momentum, and the properties of the electromagnetic spectrum to understand the workings of our universe. Explain the key physical concepts that allow us to determine the ages of the Earth, the solar system, the stars, and the entire universe.

D. Describe the strategies for teaching astronomy that result in the most student learning. Demonstrate familiarity with the neurological and pedagogical research supporting these strategies and with methods to implement the strategies in the classroom.

E. Understand how a scientific theory can be developed from systematic observations and experiments. Perform observations and experiments and build a conceptual framework to explain phenomena.

V. Grading

There are four required quizzes to assess the degree to which material from each section is learned. The collaborative final project is the capstone experience of the course, using the skills developed by the previous experiments.

Your grade will be based on your performance of the course requirements. Points are earned based on the values for each course requirement stated below.

No work will be accepted for a grade beyond the due date. All work turned in for a grade must be your own. No credit will be given for work that is not demonstrably your own.

REQUIRED GRADED ASSIGNMENTS		MAXIMUM POINTS
Required In-Class Activities & MasteringAstronomy Assignments The assignments are time-sensitive and have firm participation deadlines.	450 pts total	450
Class participation and Leadership Students should come to each class meeting prepared for that day's topic and should be proactive about volunteering to contibute to class discussions and group activities.	4 pts per class meeting	50
Exams The content exams will have firm due dates and must be taken during the scheduled class periods. A make-up exam will not be available without a documented and unavoidable conflict that is brought to the attention of the instructior prior to the start of the test.	3 @ 50 pts	150
Capstone Project Every student must complete the telescopic observing research project as part of the Our Solar Siblings program. A rough schedule of activities is listed with the weekly course schedule. Important milestones include the requirement to submit a proposal for objects to study, submit a successful observing request, download, reduce, and analyze the resulting data for your chosen object, establish the results achieved for your approved project, and submit the results of the project prior to the final class meeting of the semester.	350 pts	350
MAXIMUM TOTAL POINTS FOR THIS COURSE		1000.

VI. Time Magnagement, Assignments & Due Dates

Plan to start the course promptly and complete each assignment well before its deadline. Visit the Blackboard and MasteringAstronomy online sites at least every other day to read announcements, check the assignment schedule, complete homework, and take quizzes. Students are responsible for keeping up with and adhering to the due dates and other instructions posted there in the course calendar and announcements areas of the Blackboard online classroom.

This course requires completion of a collaborative experimental investigation. Each student is required to submit an individual project proposal that is meant to demonstrate the preliminary planning that has occurred and to offer your instructor an opportunity to assess the level of difficulty and to help you plan a project that can be completed in the appropriate time frame. Your group will decide what project to undertake and what you hope to learn. In addition to carrying out the necessary experimental measurements and data analysis, you will be expected to complete a concise written report of your investigation. Your project report is a group effort, with all group members expected to contribute in a substantial way.

Beware of Murphy's Law. Working on your projects is your responsibility. Due to the independent nature of the work, there is a tendency for students to put off the project until the deadline for completion nears. Because there are usually unforeseen problems when attempting any scientific experiment, you are urged to begin your projects early. One of the skills we hope you learn is how to deal effectively with unforeseen (and sometimes difficult) problems.

IX. Course Calendar

X. Students with Disabilities

Students with disabilities who require accomodations (academic adjustments and/or auxiliary aids or services) for this course must contact the Office for Student Disability Service, (270) 745-5004 V/TDD. Please do not request accomodations directly from the professor without a letter from the office of Student Disability Services.

Updated August 2019