Introduction
to Astronomy (GEO 154)
Dr.
Scott C. Smith
M 6:15 P.M. – Olney 225
Office: None
Phone: (609) 792-0874 (for emergency use only)
e-mail: smithsc@lasalle.edu or scott.c.smith@mailaps.org
Blackboard web site: https://ecourses.lasalle.edu/webct/logon/45647044001
Additional web site: http://www.lasalle.edu/~smithsc/Astronomy/astro.html
"Office" hours: will be available before and after class
(or by appointment)
Textbooks:
Required Text: Astronomy Today
(6th Edition), by Eric Chaisson and Steve
McMillan (Prentice Hall, 2007, ISBN#
9780132400855). Note that text comes with a CD-ROM and that the
publisher maintains a web site with updated and supplemental
material. Earlier editions may differ significantly in content and
organization of material, and certainly differ in the questions at the end of
the chapter, which are used for homework assignments.
Recommended Text: Astronomy: A
Self-Teaching Guide (6th Edition), by Dinah L. Moche
(John Wiley and Sons, 2004, ISBN# 0471265187). (Note: For the recommended text,
earlier editions are acceptable.)
Grading:
Grades in this course will be based on performance on exams (300 pts),
homework (see below), attendance and class participation (30 pts).
There will be 2 in-class exams and a final. Exams are worth 100 points
each, with the final counting as two exams. At the end of the semester, the
lowest single exam grade will be dropped. If the final is the lowest
grade, it will be counted once instead of twice.
Final grades will be assigned using a +/- grading system as follows:
|
% Score |
Grade |
|
93-100+ |
A |
|
90-92 |
A- |
|
87-89 |
B+ |
|
83-86 |
B |
|
80-82 |
B- |
|
77-79 |
C+ |
|
73-76 |
C |
|
70-72 |
C- |
|
67-69 |
D+ |
|
60-66 |
D |
|
0-59 |
F |
Attendance and participation:
Attendance is required. Since this class meets only once per week, a
single absence will result in a large amount of missed material. In addition to
being physically present, you are expected to take an active part in the class
(as difficult as that may be on a Monday evening). Full participation in the
class will enable you to get the most out of the experience. If that is not
sufficient to motivate you, note that your participation (or lack thereof) may
be worth as much as a full letter grade in the course.
Exams:
There will be 2 in-class exams and a final, which counts as two exams. Make-up
exams will not be given, so it is extremely important that you do not miss
an exam! You are allowed to drop one exam grade. If you miss an exam, you will
receive a 0 for that exam, and that will automatically become your drop exam.
You will receive a 0 for any other exams that are missed.
Each in-class exam will be approximately one hour. Material on the exams
may be taken from the assigned reading, from the lecture material, or from
supplemental materials. The format will be predominantly multiple choice and
true/false, with some problems and/or short answer. The final will be cumulative,
and will include all material covered throughout the semester, but will be based
predominantly on the material covered since the second exam.
Homework and Reading Assignments:
Reading assignments should be completed before the lecture in which they
will be discussed. Due to limited class time, it is not practical to cover all
material thoroughly in lecture, so it is important that students keep up with
all reading assignments. Material in the readings may show up on exams even if
it has not been discussed in lecture. It is strongly recommended that you check
the publisher's web site for additional information relevant to the readings in
the textbook.
Homework will be assigned and collected weekly. Homework is due at the start
of the class for which it is assigned, and must be turned in on time. Late
homeworks will not be accepted. If you must miss a class, you may have a
friend turn it in for you during class, or e-mail it to me as a text file (note:
if typed in using a word processor program, be sure to save it as plain text if
you plan to e-mail it to me to guarantee that my mail tool will be able to read
it, otherwise you may not receive credit for the assignment).
Homework assignments will be given a cursory check and assigned a grade
of 
- (0.5 pt), (1 pt), or + (1.5 pts) [or 0, in extreme
cases]. Occasionally, individual answers will be checked, and may be graded
separately. Points earned on homework assignments will be applied as extra
credit to the next exam following that assignment.
Homework should be neat, legible, and complete. If I cannot understand
what you have written, I cannot give credit for it! Each question should be
answered in complete sentences. In the case of calculations, any equations used
should be written down and all work should be shown (credit will not be given
if a number is written down with no indication of how it was obtained). In the
case of short answer questions, all answers should be fully explained
("yes", "no", or other one word answers are not
sufficient). As a simple guideline, I (or any other person) should be able to
read your answer and understand what you are saying, even without reading
the question.
There may be additional, "special" homework assignments given
out during the semester. These may require greater effort than a normal
assignment, for example they may require some astronomical observations,
research, and/or writing. These will be assigned appropriate point values and
will figure into your grade as separate items.
Last modified: Fri Aug 29 23:34:58 Eastern Daylight Time 2008