Course Syllabus

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Indiana University Northwest

College of Arts and Sciences

Department of Chemistry, Physics, and Astronomy

 

COURSE SYLLABUS

 

                                     Course:      AST-A 100

                       COURSE TITLE:      The Solar System

                          INSTRUCTOR:      Gregg L. Williams (g.williams@mcpstars.org)

                      CREDIT HOURS:      3

                                 Semester:      Fall 2016

 

CLASS SCHEDULE:

The class meets on Saturdays from 8:45 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. from September 10 to November 19.  Saturday, December 3 is an emergency make-up day.

 

CLASS LOCATION:

The class is meeting at the Merrillville Community Planetarium, which is located inside of Clifford Pierce Middle School (CPMS).  The planetarium and CPMS are part of the Merrillville Community Schools and are located at 199 East 70th Avenue in Merrillville.  CPMS is one block east of Broadway, two blocks south of 68th Place, and two blocks north of 73rd Avenue.

Please park on the west side of Pierce – the side closest to Broadway.  There are no fees or parking passes required.  Enter on the west side of Pierce at entrance marked “Main Office/ Planetarium”.

 

COURSE DESCRIPTION:

Celestial sphere and constellations, measurement of time, astronomical instruments, Earth as a planet, moon, eclipses, planets and their satellites, comets, meteors, theories of origin of solar system.

 

PREREQUISITES:  None

 

TEXTBOOK (recommended, not required):  Universe (Revised Updated Edition, 2012) by Robert Dinwiddie, published by Dorling Kindersley (DK)


CANVAS:

Students are expected to check Canvas frequently.  Test objectives and class notes will be posted to Canvas prior to each class session.  Grades for class activities, student participation, assignments, and tests will be posted to Canvas.  Important announcements, including changes to the class meeting schedule and opportunities for extra-credit, maybe posted only to Canvas.

 

RATIONALE:

The Solar System is our home in the universe.  This course provides students with the opportunity to learn about our solar system:  the sun, planets, moons, rings, asteroids, comets, and dwarf planets.

 

INTENDED AUDIENCE:

This course is intended for students who want to know more about the solar system and educators desiring to include more astronomy in their teaching.

 

INSTRUCTIONAL ACTIVITIES:

The course will make use of the planetarium for demonstrations, planetarium programs, and student activities.  Class notes will be available through Canvas.

 

COURSE CONTENT:

  1. Our Solar System
  2. General Observations About Our Solar System
  3. The Formation of the Solar System – The Nebula Theory
  4. Evaluating the Nebula Theory
  5. The Sun
  6. The Inner Planets – Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars
  7. The Outer Planets – Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune
  8. The Dwarf Planets
  9. The Smaller Bodies – Asteroids, Comets, and Kuiper Belt Objects

 

STUDENT EVALUATION:  Students will be evaluated using the following:

  • Tests (approximately 50% of the grade) – There will be four tests, each covering approximately one-quarter of the course material.
  • Research Project (approximately 10% of the grade) – Each student will pick from a provided list of topics (or discuss other potential topics with the instructor), then research his or her topic. The student will then present a list of resources used and evidence of learning.
  • Class Activities (approximately 20% of the grade) – There will be planetarium programs, demonstrations, and/or lab activities that students are expected to participate and/or complete. If you miss a class activity, you will not be able to make-up the class activity for that class meeting.
  • Student Participation (approximately 20% of the grade) – Each student is expected to be present for all lectures at each class meeting and to participate by asking questions and contributing to discussions. Student participation is earned per class meeting; if you miss a lecture or class meeting, you will not be able to make-up the participation for that class meeting.

Course Grade Assignment

100 - 90%                  A

89 - 80%                    B

79 - 70%                    C

69 - 60%                    D

59% and below          F

 

 

CLASS ATTENDANCE:

This course has been approved to enforce the IU Northwest Attendance and Course Commitment Policy and the full text of this policy is available at:

http://www.iun.edu/registrar/policies/couse-commitment-attendance-policies.htm

As a student in this course, you are expected to attend scheduled class meetings and actively participate in all class activities.  Students who miss the first week of the course or who do not attend 50% of the scheduled class meetings before the end of the fourth week of the course may be subject to administrative withdrawal.  Regardless of attendance, students who do not actively participate in this class by receiving less than 50% of their Class activities and Student participation scores during the first four weeks are subject to administrative withdrawal.  Students who are administratively withdrawn from this class after the fourth week will not be eligible for a tuition refund.  Administrative withdrawals may have an impact on the student’s financial aid awards and visa status.

Course Summary:

Course Summary
Date Details Due