355-1, 355-8 Basic
Astronomy
3 or 4 Hours Natural Sciences
Instructor: Dr. Guy B. Purcell
4221 Skymont Dr.
Belmont, CA 94002
(650) 508-0752
guy@extragalactic.net
*Prerequisite: An understanding of at least high school level algebra.
Important Contract Policies
Purpose
The purpose of this course is to learn the basic principles and
terminology used in the science of astronomy and to gain a sense of how
science, in general, is done. While no math is required, students must
have understanding of algebra (high school or above).
Learning Objectives
Students will be able to:- Define astronomical terms used in the readings.
- Explain key facts, theories and scientific concepts about the various objects in the Universe (size, composition, environment, formation, and destruction).
- Summarize theories and facts about the age and structure of the Universe.
- Give examples of the various tools used by astronomers.
- Describe how astronomers interpret new data (i.e., the scientific method).
Methodology
Student will:
- Readings (see Resources for titles)
- There will be 3 sets of problems (combinations of
short answer and essay questions) to complete. Students
should turn in the 1st problem set and wait for Contract
Director's response before submitting further work.
*
- A research paper or an observational project on a
subject to be approved Contract Director. The paper
or project write-up should be approximately 5 pgs.,
typed. Specific directions for the paper or project
will be discussed individually with the student.
- An optional journal, chronicling all astronomical
thoughts and observations. Proper journal entries should
contain the date, the time, the observer's location,
the approximate direction of the observation, a brief
description of the device used in the observation, a
description or sketch of the view. A minimum of 1 observation
of the sunset roughly every 2 weeks over the duration
of the contract (or a maximum of 3 months), and 2 nighttime
observations are required.*
* The journal is an optional part of the contract:
without it, the contract is 3 credits; with it, the
contract is 4 credits.
**Problem Sets and sample journal entry are available
as online course reserves. Go to http://www.lib.ua.edu,
click on “course reserves” and select “Guy
Purcell.” Note: the manual is in pdf format.
You will need to download Adobe’s free reader
at http://www.adobe.com. If you need help, please call
us at (205)348-6000.
Resources
Many public libraries will have good collections of detective fiction.
Some titles may also be found in academic libraries. All the works listed
here have been available in paperback, and most should still be in print.
The listing of (preferred) merely indicates a personal favorite of the
instructor. The other book by the same author is also very good.
- Required Reading: Discovering the Universe, 5th ed., by William J.
Kaufmann III and Neil F. Comins, W. H. Freeman & Co., NY, ISBN
0-7167-3637-3. This is an excellent introductory text, and the included
CD-ROM is a valuable reference tool and study aid. However, the book
achieves brevity and readability by sacrificing detail (normally recovered
in class lectures) and so should be supplemented with more lengthy
works (commonly available in public libraries), such as those listed
below.
- Supplemental Readings:
a) Foundations of Astronomy, Michael Seeds, Wadsworth Publishing Co., Belmont, CA.
b) Astronomy: The Evolving Universe, Michael Zeilik, John Wiley, New York, NY.
- Online Resources:
The official Basic Astronomy website is at http://www.extragalactic.net/education/ba/
It contains all of the contract materials (except the book), and several
links to astronomy websites.
- Additional video resources identified by the student or the Contract
Director.
Evaluation
All material will be graded by the Contract Director. Assignment grades will be communicated individually to students, as each assignment is submitted and graded.
- Grades for problem sets will be based strictly on content (with partial
credit for partially correct answers), ans will be on a scale of 0-100% for
each set.
- Term paper/project grades will be based content and writing style
(including grammar and spelling), and will be on a scale of 0-100%.
Graded papers/projects will be returned for revision (if necessary)
and the revised version will regraded. The final paper/project grade
will be an average of the grades on the original and revised versions.
- For the 4-credit contract, the journal grades will be based on thoroughness
of both individual entries and on the quality of the observations made, and
will be on the following scale: Excellent (100%), Good (87%), Satisfactory
(70%), Deficient (50%), and Not Done (0%). Journals containing the minimum
information outlined in #4 of the Methodology section will be considered Satisfactory;
additional observations and/or exceptionally good entries will merit higher
grades.
- The final contract will be weighted as follows:
| |
3 hr. contract |
4 hr. contract: |
| Total Problem Set Grade: |
55% |
45% |
| Research Paper Grade: |
45% |
40% |
| Journal Grade: |
|
15% |
|
