PSci 21 Elementary Astronomy - 2006 Fall

TuTh 12:30-1:45 section

Course syllabus: please read carefully.

Instructor: Dr. Ringwald
E-mail: ringwald[at]csufresno.edu and replace [at] with @

Phone: 278-8426

Also: 278-2371

Office hours (between August 28 and December 15):
MWF 1-2, TuTh 2-3, and at other times too, but please make an appointment first.

Office: McLane Hall, Room 11, in the new Building J (or "J-wing").
This is across the outdoor "hall" from McLane 149, 151, and 161 (near the Women's Room).

You don't need an appointment to come to office hours. This is time set aside for you, when I'll be in.

Please feel free to contact me, if you have any problems whatsoever in this course, or if you're doing well and just want to talk about the wonders of the Universe. It's in my interest, and I care, that you do well!

Course Description

2005-2006 General Catalog):

Class objectives:
(1) To serve that most essential purpose of a good education: to show you what lies beyond the horizon, in space and in time.

"The purpose of education is to free the student from the tyranny of the present." - Cicero

Lecture meeting times and location: Schedule 73776 (Section 02), TuTh 12:30-1:45 p.m., McLane 162. All students must also register separately for labs: see below. Astronomy labs start on the fourth week of class, on September 18 or 19.

Holiday: November 23 (Thanksgiving break).

Required Course Notes and Lab Manual (these are the most important, get them as soon as possible):
(1) PSci 21 Class Notes, by F. A. Ringwald.
(2) The PSci 21 Lab Manual, by F. A. Ringwald and S. White.

These notes and lab manual are available in McLane 173, the Department of Physics office.

Required Course Equipment:
(1) A clear plastic ruler;
(2) A flashlight (preferably with a red filter for night vision, although the lab instructors should have red plastic for this).

Required Course Texts:
(1) The Science Class You Wish You Had, by David E. Brody and Arnold R. Brody, which I'll refer to as Brody.
(2) The Stars, A New Way to See Them, by H. A. Rey.
(3) The Elements of Style, by W. Strunk Jr. and E. B. White.

These texts should be available at the campus Bookstore, in the University Student Union building.

Recommended Course Texts and Equipment (which should be regarded as required, if you want an A):
(4) Discovering the Essential Universe (3rd edition), by Neil F. Comins (2006), which I'll refer to as Comins;
(5) A scientific calculator (that can display scientific notation, and can calculate logarithms and exponents).

These texts should be available at the campus Bookstore, in the University Student Union building.

If you can't afford books: You may borrow copies of any of the texts from the Circulation Desk at Madden Library (278-4024), for two hours at a time. Making copies, especially from the Lab Manual or the Class Notes, can be useful for homework assignments.

Course web page: http://zimmer.csufresno.edu/~fringwal/psci21.html. Better bookmark this one!

Course grades will be awarded for the following final percentages:
85.0-100% = A; 70.0-84.9% = B; 55.0-69.9% = C; 40.0-54.9% = D; 0-39.9% = F.
These percentages will be computed with the following weights:

3% 2% 2% 4% 2% 2% 5%	Homework, including: [1] The Math Exercise, due Thursday, September 14. [2] The Timekeeping, Angles, and Classical Astronomy Exercise, due Thursday, September 21. [3] The Constellation Study Sheet, due Thursday, October 12. [4] The Moon Phases and Eclipses exercise, due Thursday, November 2. [5] The Exercise on Why the Sky is Blue, due Thursday, November 16. [6] The Paper Titles and 150-to-250-word Summaries (see the Writing Guide), due Tuesday, November 21. [7] The Cosmic Calendar on Three Number Lines, due Thursday, December 7.
10%	Two Mid-term Exams (50 multiple choice questions in 45 minutes), the lower of which will be dropped, tentatively scheduled for Thursday, September 28 and Thursday, November 9.
10%	Laboratory, for which every student must register for a section, separately from this lecture section.
20%	Paper, over 1000 words long and with a reference list (see the Writing Guide), due Tuesday, December 12, the last day of instruction.
40%	Final Exam (100 multiple choice questions in 115 minutes), which will be comprehensive (covering all material in the entire course), on Tuesday, December 19, from 1:15 to 3:15 p.m. in the regular classroom (McLane 162).

TENTATIVE Course Schedule (updated 2006 July 24). Always do the readings before class:

Week	Tu	Th	Read by Thursday of next week
1	8/29: Introduction and Course Syllabus	8/31: Powers of Ten, Scientific Notation, Metric System, Units Conversions, The Light-Year, Look-Back Time (Comins 1-1 and Appendix B)	Comins 1-1 (pages 1-4) and Appendix B (page A-10); Class Notes pages 1-46; and this entire syllabus.
2	9/05: Proportions; A Brief Tour of Space and Time (Comins 1-1)	9/07: The Cosmic Calendar (Comins 1-1)	Rey, pages 9-35, 66-72, 108-121, and 127-135; Comins 1-2 to 1-7 and 2-1 (pages 4-15 and 24-26); Class Notes pages 47-77.
3	9/12: Classical Astronomy and Seasons (Comins 1-2 to 1-7, Rey)	9/14: Scientific Method (Comins 1, Brody Introduction); Homework 1 due (The Math Exercise: see Class Notes, pages A3-A4)	Comins 2-2 to 2-8 (pages 26-38); Brody Introduction and Chapters 1, 2, and 3; Class Notes pages 78-89.
4	9/19: Motion, from Copernicus to Galileo (Comins 2-2 to 2-5; Brody 1 and 2)	9/21: Motion, from Galileo to Newton (Comins 2-6 to 2-8; Brody 3); Homework 2 due (Timekeeping, Angles, and Classical Astronomy: see Class Notes, pages A5-A8)	Re-read the Class Notes pages 1-89; Lab 1; Rey's book; Brody Introduction and Chapters 1-3; and Comins Chapters 1-1 to 1-7 and Chapters 2-1 to 2-8 and Appendix B.
5	9/26: Newton's laws of motion (Comins 2-7 and 2-8; Brody 3)	9/28: Mid-Term Exam 1, covering the Class Notes pages 1-89; Lab 1; Rey's book; Brody Chapters 1-3; Comins Chapters 1-1 to 1-7 and 2-1 to 2-8.	Comins 3, Appendix C (pages A-10 to A-11), and Appendix F-3 (page A-31); Brody 4 and 5; Class Notes pages 90-100.
6	10/03: Atoms, Light, and Spectra (Comins 3; Brody 4 and 5)	10/05: Thermal radiation and the Doppler Effect (Comins 3)	Comins 2-9 to 2-15 (pages 38-53); Comins 3; Brody 4 and 5; the assigned pages of the Orion catalog (to be announced in class); Class Notes pages 101-112.
7	10/10: Telescopes (Comins 3 and the Orion catalog)	10/12: The Solar System and Extrasolar Planets (Comins 2-9 to 2-15); Homework 3 due (The Constellation Study Sheet: see Class Notes, page A9); Drawing Exercise due (see Class Notes, pages A9-A10)	Comins 1-8 to 1-11 (pages 15-22); Comins 4; Brody 15; Class Notes, pages 113-119.
8	10/17: Planet Earth (Comins 4 and Brody 15)	10/19: Moon Phases and Eclipses (Comins 1-8 to 1-11, and Rey, pages 136-138)	Comins 5 and Appendix E-2; Class Notes, pages 120-133.
9	10/24: The Earth's Moon (Comins 4 and Appendix E-2)	10/26: Mars (Comins 5)	Comins 5 and 6; Class Notes pages 134-144.
10	10/31: Small Bodies (Comins 6); Mercury, Venus, Atmospheres (Comins 5)	11/02: The Outer Solar System (Comins 5); Homework 4 due (The Moon Phases and Eclipses exercise: see Class Notes, pages A13-A14)	Comins 7 and Appendix F-4 (page A-14); Brody 6; Class Notes pages 145-148; also re-read Comins Chapters 3 to 6, 1-8 to 1-11, and 2-9 to 2-15, and Appendices C, E-2, F-3, and F-4, Brody Chapters 4-5 and 15, Rey pages 136-138, the assigned pages of the Orion catalog, and pages 90 to 148 of the Class Notes.
11	11/07: The Sun and Nuclear Physics (Comins 7 and Appendix F-4; Brody 6)	11/09: Mid-term Exam 2, covering Comins Chapters 3 to 7, 1-8 to 1-11, and 2-9 to 2-15, and Appendices C, E-2, and F-3, Brody Chapters 4-6 and 15, Rey pages 136-138, the assigned pages of the Orion catalog, and pages 90-148 of the Class Notes.	Comins 8 and 9; Class Notes pages 149-161.
12	11/14: Stars (Comins 8)	11/16: Interstellar Matter and Star Formation (Comins 9); Homework 5 due (Why the sky is blue: see Class Notes, page A15)	Comins 10; Brody 7 and 8; Class Notes pages 162-171.
13	11/21: White Dwarfs and Neutron Stars (Comins 10); Paper titles and summaries due (see the Writing Guide, on pages 8-14 of the Class Notes)	11/23: Holiday	Comins 11; Class Notes pages 172-173.
14	11/28: Black Holes and Relativity (Brody 7 and 8)	11/30: The Milky Way; Galaxies and Hubble's Law (Comins 11)	Comins 12 and Appendix A (pages A-1 to A-9); Brody 9 and 10; Class Notes pages 174-188.
15	12/05: Cosmology (Comins 12; Brody 9 and 10)	12/07: Life Beyond Earth (Comins Appendix A); Homework 7 due (The Number Line of the Cosmic Calendar: see Class Notes, pages A17-A18)	Comins Appendix A (pages A-1 to A-9); Brody Epilogue; Class Notes pages 189-190; start re-reading the Class Notes, Comins, Rey, and Brody.
16	12/12: The Most Influential Scientific Findings of All Time (Brody Epilogue); Paper due (see the Writing Guide, on pages 8-14 of the Class Notes)	-	Re-read the Class Notes (pages 1-190), Comins (Chapters 1 to 12 and Appendices A, B, C, E-2, F-1, F-3, and F-4), Brody (Chapters 1-10 and 15), all assigned parts of Rey's book and the Orion catalog, and all labs, especially the lab on The Hertzsprung-Russell Diagram.

Lab Section: All PSci 21 students must register for one of the following lab sections, separately from this lecture section:

Schedule # Day Time Lab Classroom
73778 Monday 5:30-7:20 p.m. McLane 258
73779 Monday 5:30-7:20 p.m. McLane 264
73782 Tuesday 5:30-7:20 p.m. McLane 258
73783 Tuesday 5:30-7:20 p.m. McLane 264
73780 Monday 7:30-9:20 p.m. McLane 258
73781 Monday 7:30-9:20 p.m. McLane 264
73784 Tuesday 7:30-9:20 p.m. McLane 258
73785 Tuesday 7:30-9:20 p.m. McLane 264

Schedule #	Day	Time	Lab Classroom
73778	Monday	5:30-7:20 p.m.	McLane 258
73779	Monday	5:30-7:20 p.m.	McLane 264
73782	Tuesday	5:30-7:20 p.m.	McLane 258
73783	Tuesday	5:30-7:20 p.m.	McLane 264
73780	Monday	7:30-9:20 p.m.	McLane 258
73781	Monday	7:30-9:20 p.m.	McLane 264
73784	Tuesday	7:30-9:20 p.m.	McLane 258
73785	Tuesday	7:30-9:20 p.m.	McLane 264

Lab Safety: PSci 21 lab sessions necessarily take place after dark, because the object of study is the night sky. If safety becomes a concern, the Campus Police provide an escort program. Radio-equipped, uniformed, trained escort officers will accompany persons to their destinations on campus during hours of darkness. Call 278-2132, or pick up an emergency phone to request an escort officer. Be sure to check their badges before going anywhere with them. The Campus Police also provide car battery assistance and other services. They can be reached in an emergency by calling 911.

Lab requirements: A flashlight is required for map reading at observing sessions. Flashlights with red filters are recommended, for night vision. A scientific calculator and a clear plastic ruler are required as well. Always being your blue lab manuals, and read the lab beforehand, of course.

Field trips: Three times this semester, we will be observing the sky at a dark site a half-hour drive from campus called the CSUFresno San Joaquin Experimental Range. There are directions to the Range on the last page of the blue PSci 21 Lab Manual, and in the Class Notes for Dr. Ringwald's lecture section. It is therefore essential for all students to plan their schedules accordingly, at the beginning of the semester. Evenings this semester to set aside for Range labs are: October 2 or 3 (or October 9 or 10, in case of bad weather), starting at 5:30 p.m.; October 16 or 17 (or October 23 or 24, in case of bad weather), starting at 7:30 p.m.; and November 13 or 14 (or November 20 or 21, in case of bad weather), starting at 7:30 p.m.

For all Range labs, plan to stay for two hours. All students are responsible for their own transportation to these field trips: the university cannot guarantee it can provide transportation to Range Labs.

These dates are subject to change due to poor weather. After noon on the days of the labs, before going out to the Range, check the weather report on Dr. Ringwald's voicemail (278-8426) or the PSci 21 web page (http://zimmer.csufresno.edu/~fringwal/psci21.html) in case there have been any such last-minute changes.

We do not cancel labs for bad weather. If the weather is bad, we will meet in the lab classrooms (McLane 258 or 264) at the regular lab times (5:30 p.m. or 7:30 p.m.).

Lab Attendance: Attendance at all labs is mandatory. You must attend the labs in the lab section in which you are registered: exceptions will be made only by written consent in advance of the instructor of the lab section in which you are registered, and even then, only for a compelling reason (e.g. a job interview or an illness documented by a physician's note). If you must miss a lab for a compelling reason, the part of the lab grade that lab would have counted will be voided, and the rest of the lab grade will be counted as 100%. If you miss a lab without a compelling reason, or without written consent in advance from the instructor, or if you attend a lab other than the one in which you were registered without prior written consent of the instructor of the lab section in which you are registered, you will receive a zero for the lab. Any student with three or more unexcused absences from lab will receive an F for the entire PSci 21 course, which includes the lecture section. Astronomy labs start on the fourth week of class, on September 18 or 19.

TENTATIVE Lab Schedule (updated 2006 July 19). Always read the lab description (in the blue Lab Manual) before lab and be ready for a quiz.

Week Dates Moon Lab
1 August 28-29 New
(Aug 23) No Lab
2 September 4-5 First Quarter
(Aug 31) No Lab
3 September 11-12 Full
(Sep 7) No Lab
4 September 18-19 Last Quarter
(Sep 14) Lab 1, Star Names, Maps, and Constellations.
Meet in the lab classrooms (McLane 258 and 264). Bring flashlights!
5 September 25-26 New
(Sep 22) Lab 2, The Mystery Constellations: Meet in the lab classrooms.
6 October 2-3 First Quarter
(Sep 30) Meet at the Range at 5:30 p.m.
and do: Lab 3, Introduction to Telescopes.
In case of poor weather:
Meet in the lab classrooms, and do:
Lab 4, Spectra, Fingerprinting the Elements.
7 October 9-10 Full
(Oct 6) Lab 4, Spectra, Fingerprinting the Elements: Meet in the lab classrooms
(or Range, if cancelled last week: do Lab 3, Introduction to Telescopes.).
8 October 16-17 Last Quarter
(Oct 13) Meet at the Range at 7:30 p.m.
and do: Lab 5, Dark-Sky Observing Lab A.
In case of poor weather:
Meet in the lab classrooms, and do:
Lab 6, The Basics of Optics and Telescopes.
9 October 23-24 New
(Oct 21) Lab 6, The Basics of Optics and Telescopes: Meet in the lab classrooms
(or Range, if cancelled last week: do Lab 5, Dark-Sky Observing Lab A).
10 October 30-31 First Quarter
(Oct 29) Lab 7, The Revolutions of the Moons of Jupiter: Meet in the lab classrooms.
11 November 6-7 Full
(Nov 5) Lab 8, The Hunt for Micrometeorites: Meet in the lab classrooms.
12 November 13-14 Last Quarter
(Nov 12) Meet at the Range at 7:30 p.m.
and do: Lab 9, Dark-Sky Observing Lab B.
In case of poor weather:
Meet in the lab classrooms, and do:
Lab 10, The Hertzsprung-Russell Diagram.
13 November 20-21 New
(Nov 20) Lab 10, The Hertzsprung-Russell Diagram: Meet in the lab classrooms
(or Range, if cancelled last week: do Lab 9, Dark-Sky Observing Lab B).

[NOTE TO LAB INSTRUCTORS: Please grade all labs, record the grades, and return the labs to all students during the November 27 and 28 labs.]
14 November 27-28 First Quarter
(Nov 27) Lab 11, Life in the Universe: Meet in the lab classrooms.
After briefing in the lab classrooms, we will see
Search for New Worlds at the Downing Planetarium.

[NOTE TO LAB INSTRUCTORS: brief your classes first,
then bring them to the planetarium
at 6:15 p.m. (for the 5:30 labs)
and at 8:15 p.m. (for the 7:30 labs).]
15 December 4-5 Full
(Dec 4) Lab Final Quiz (covering all labs, except for Lab 12) and
Lab 12, Classification of Galaxies assigned: Meet in the lab classrooms.
16 December 11-12 Last Quarter
(Dec 12) Lab 12, Classification of Galaxies due.
Return and discuss the Lab Final Quiz: Meet in the lab classrooms.

Week	Dates	Moon	Lab
1	August 28-29	New (Aug 23)	No Lab
2	September 4-5	First Quarter (Aug 31)	No Lab
3	September 11-12	Full (Sep 7)	No Lab
4	September 18-19	Last Quarter (Sep 14)	Lab 1, Star Names, Maps, and Constellations. Meet in the lab classrooms (McLane 258 and 264). Bring flashlights!
5	September 25-26	New (Sep 22)	Lab 2, The Mystery Constellations: Meet in the lab classrooms.
6	October 2-3	First Quarter (Sep 30)	Meet at the Range at 5:30 p.m. and do: Lab 3, Introduction to Telescopes. In case of poor weather: Meet in the lab classrooms, and do: Lab 4, Spectra, Fingerprinting the Elements.
7	October 9-10	Full (Oct 6)	Lab 4, Spectra, Fingerprinting the Elements: Meet in the lab classrooms (or Range, if cancelled last week: do Lab 3, Introduction to Telescopes.).
8	October 16-17	Last Quarter (Oct 13)	Meet at the Range at 7:30 p.m. and do: Lab 5, Dark-Sky Observing Lab A. In case of poor weather: Meet in the lab classrooms, and do: Lab 6, The Basics of Optics and Telescopes.
9	October 23-24	New (Oct 21)	Lab 6, The Basics of Optics and Telescopes: Meet in the lab classrooms (or Range, if cancelled last week: do Lab 5, Dark-Sky Observing Lab A).
10	October 30-31	First Quarter (Oct 29)	Lab 7, The Revolutions of the Moons of Jupiter: Meet in the lab classrooms.
11	November 6-7	Full (Nov 5)	Lab 8, The Hunt for Micrometeorites: Meet in the lab classrooms.
12	November 13-14	Last Quarter (Nov 12)	Meet at the Range at 7:30 p.m. and do: Lab 9, Dark-Sky Observing Lab B. In case of poor weather: Meet in the lab classrooms, and do: Lab 10, The Hertzsprung-Russell Diagram.
13	November 20-21	New (Nov 20)	Lab 10, The Hertzsprung-Russell Diagram: Meet in the lab classrooms (or Range, if cancelled last week: do Lab 9, Dark-Sky Observing Lab B). [NOTE TO LAB INSTRUCTORS: Please grade all labs, record the grades, and return the labs to all students during the November 27 and 28 labs.]
14	November 27-28	First Quarter (Nov 27)	Lab 11, Life in the Universe: Meet in the lab classrooms. After briefing in the lab classrooms, we will see Search for New Worlds at the Downing Planetarium. [NOTE TO LAB INSTRUCTORS: brief your classes first, then bring them to the planetarium at 6:15 p.m. (for the 5:30 labs) and at 8:15 p.m. (for the 7:30 labs).]
15	December 4-5	Full (Dec 4)	Lab Final Quiz (covering all labs, except for Lab 12) and Lab 12, Classification of Galaxies assigned: Meet in the lab classrooms.
16	December 11-12	Last Quarter (Dec 12)	Lab 12, Classification of Galaxies due. Return and discuss the Lab Final Quiz: Meet in the lab classrooms.

Please note:

Class Attendance:
All students are required to attend all class sessions. All students are also expected to arrive for class on time, and to attend to the end of all class sessions. Doing otherwise is disruptive, in large classes like this. Please check your schedule and work out problems at the beginning of the semester. If a student must miss a class for a compelling reason (e.g. a job interview or an illness documented by a physician's note), it is the student's responsibility to get the notes from another student. It is also that student's responsibility to check on announcements made while you were absent. To do this, check the notes taken by another student: Dr. Ringwald may not remember everything offhand.
Don't miss class. Listening to lectures and participating in discussions are much more effective than reading someone else's class notes. Active participation is even better: it will help you retain what you are learning.
Always do the reading assignments before class. Class time is valuable: it is much better spent in informed, active discussion among us all than in just Dr. Ringwald talking. It always amazes Dr. Ringwald: the students who get "A"s are almost always the ones who keep up with the reading. The ones who don't, almost always are the ones who don't.
If a student wishes to withdraw from PSci 21, the Dean of the College of Science and Math will require written substantiation of the serious and compelling reasons for a withdrawal.
If you want to do well in this course, it will require 2-3 hours of studying for every hour of class lectures. Attached to the class syllabus is a page on "How to Succeed in Your College Astronomy Course." Read it, it's definitely worthwhile.
Don't be shy about asking questions in class, or during office hours. Remember that the only "dumb" question is the one you didn't ask, that fouled you up later because you didn't ask it. This is especially so in this class: there are some mighty strange things out there in the Universe.
Note taking: Everything Dr. Ringwald writes during class, on the chalkboard or on overhead transparencies, is of primary importance for exams. All students should copy it into their own notes, which they may put between pages in the loose-leaf folder that contains the Class Notes. Students who get grades of "A" often re-copy and re-organize their notes, after class. This makes learning active, and more thorough.
All students are required to turn off all beepers, pagers, and portable phones while classes are in session.
Dr. Ringwald often uses e-mail to communicate with students, and please feel free to send e-mail to Dr. Ringwald. However, all assignments must be handed in as paper copies during class, including homework, lab assignments, paper titles and summaries, and papers.
NO late assignments can be accepted. Sorry, but it's just not possible, for classes this size. Assignments are due at the beginning of the class period specified by the due date, and will not be accepted at any time after the end of class. Dr. Ringwald can't allow assignments slipped under his office door, or delivered to McLane 173 (the physics department office), or e-mailed, or faxed, because they get lost so easily.
Always show all work in all course assignments, especially in homework involving mathematical calculations, including the units. Not showing all work, and the correct units, will be cause for points to be taken off.
All students are required to keep all course materials for the duration of the course. Retain all copies of all work you have done in all your classes, ever. Hang on to your textbooks, too: even the real stinkers can serve as bad examples.
The Department of Physics cooperates with the Services for Students with Disabilities (SSD) to make reasonable accommodations for qualified students with physical, perceptual, or learning disabilities (cf. Americans with Disabilities Act and Section of 504, Rehabilitation Act). Students with disabilities must present their written accommodation request to Dr. Ringwald within the first two weeks of class.
Dr. Ringwald will be using the World Wide Web in this course. All PSci 21 students are required to know how to use an Internet browser and how to use e-mail. Most students will already know this, but if any students don't, they shouldn't be embarrassed. Please let Dr. Ringwald know: he would be glad to give individual lessons during his office hours. Although it would be a big advantage for students' schoolwork, all students need not own computers, since students may use the computers in many labs around campus.
If Web access is still a problem, students should come to office Dr. Ringwald's hours or make an appointment, and Dr. Ringwald will let you use his computer. Dr. Ringwald therefore won't accept excuses such as "I couldn't use the Internet" or "My browser wasn't Java enabled."
Anytime any kind of Scatron form is used in PSci 21, whether for homework or for exams, it must be a new Scantron, at the beginning of the PSci 21 assignment. Do not recycle Scantrons in PSci 21, ever.
Exams: There will be two mid-term exams and a comprehensive final exam. The lower mid-term grade will be dropped. The material for these exams will come from the lectures and assigned reading, and identification of constellations and stars from maps. The mid-term exams will have 50 multiple choice questions and will last 45 minutes. The final exam will have 100 multiple choice questions and will last 115 minutes. All exams will be closed book and as such you may not use any notes or books during the exam. Calculators may be used for the exams.
Sorry, but Dr. Ringwald cannot give make-ups for mid-term exams, nor can Dr. Ringwald give mid-term or final exams in advance, not even for students who have legitimate reasons for being absent (e.g. job interviews, illness documented by a physician's note, deaths in the immediate family that can be documented), or for students who are participating in University-sponsored activities, such as athletics or theatre. If any student must miss a mid-term exam, the part of the course grade for which that mid-term exam would have counted will be voided, and the rest of the grade will be counted as 100%.
This is really the only possible solution, since it takes about eight hours of Dr. Ringwald's time to prepare one of his cheat-proof exams, each of which must be different for every student who wants a make-up exam or an exam in advance (since in the past students who were allowed to take make-up and advance exams did attempt to abuse the privilege by attempting use the situation to cheat). It is therefore quite impossible for Dr. Ringwald to give make-up exams or exams in advance without very substantial additional cost in his time. Scheduling make-up exams or exams in advance, in classes as large as PSci 21, is also not humanly possible: during Dr. Ringwald's first semesters at Fresno State he did allow make-up and advance exams, and quickly found it impossible to accomodate every student who wanted them. There simply aren't enough hours in the week for it: this left no choice but to end the practice altogether of giving make-up exams and exams in advance.
If any student must miss the final exam for a very compelling reason (e.g., an illness documented by a physician's note), that student will receive a grade of I (incomplete) for PSci 21 for the semester. It will then be that student's responsibility to contact the university administration in a timely fashion, and make the necessary arrangements to remove the I grade. See the California State University, Fresno General Catalog for regulations concerning the I grade. Only students who can document very compelling reasons to miss final exams (e.g. with a physician's note) will be eligible for incompletes: other students missing the final exam will get a 0% on the Final Exam.
The above paragraph means that if any student's parents or anyone else buys that student a plane ticket or otherwise arranges for that student to leave the Fresno area at the end of the term, the party who bought the ticket or made these arrangements is responsible for knowing when the Final Exam for this course is (listed above), and that students are not allowed to miss the Final Exam for this course for any reason other than an illness documented by a physician's note, or else that student will get a 0% on the Final Exam.
If for any reason any student leaves the classroom while an exam is being given, that student may not re-enter the classroom as long as that exam is still taking place. The student's leaving the exam will be taken to signify that the student has finished that exam. This includes trips to the bathroom, so plan ahead.
Since during exams Dr. Ringwald needs to supervise the exam, he will not be able to discuss students' grades or assignment deadlines or to accept assignments, until the exam is over. Dr. Ringwald will be happy to answer any questions about the content of the exam in progress, however.
When taking exams, every student is required to sit in the assigned seat listed in the seating chart given on the front cover of the exam. Not doing so, without the explicit permission of the instructor, will earn a 0% for the exam.
All students are required to remove sunglasses and earphones of any kind during all exams, because they have in the past been used to aid cheating. Students may not use calculators, pagers, cell phones, or any other devices that can communicate outside the classroom during exams. This constitutes cheating, and any students caught cheating, in this or any other way, will receive an F for the entire course.
A favorite pastime is to try and determine a ``running'' grade (in other words, trying to figure out a grade based on a single exam or some subset of it). Since there are many contributors to the final grade, this isn't very useful. The above grading scale will not be moved: how any student's grade is determined doesn't depend on any other student's grade.
Dr. Ringwald will be happy to fix any errors that occur in the grading. If after any errors are fixed, students still want to contest their grades, the students are required to do it in writing. This written request must be typed and must be a minimum of half a single-spaced page of 12-point type for exam or Final Exam questions, and a minimum of one single-spaced page of 12-point type for the overall grade. It is to be submitted one time, either to Dr. Ringwald during his office hours, or to his mailbox in McLane 173.
Plagiarism: Dr. Ringwald likes even less when students take papers from the Internet, and turn them in as their own work. This is now easy for professors to detect, with www.plagiarism.org. If Dr. Ringwald finds a paper or web page anywhere that closely resembles that of any student, that web page had better have that student's name on it. If it doesn't, that student turning it in for course credit will be interpreted as an attempt to misrepresent someone else's work as the student's own, which constitutes plagiarism. Remember, always: you are responsible for anything with your name on it.
Modifying someone else's paper slightly, or changing the words around, or stringing someone else's paragraphs together, even if they're cited, is no better: none of these dubious practices make it your paper. For information on the University's policy regarding cheating and plagiarism, refer to the Schedule of Courses (Legal Notices on Cheating and Plagiarism) and the University Catalog (Policies and Regulations).
To prevent plagiarism, Dr. Ringwald will copy both the paper titles and summaries and the papers themselves, and will keep these copies on file, for life. If Dr. Ringwald finds a plagiarized paper, the student will receive an F for the entire course. Dr. Ringwald may also send the plagiarized paper to the Dean and other university authorities (e.g. coaches) and recommend the student be expelled from the University—or the degree be revoked, if Dr. Ringwald doesn't find it until 25 years from now. Do NOT plagiarize!
Dr. Ringwald will be photographing this class several times, to get to know the class, and during exams, to prevent various forms of cheating.
The Central Valley Astronomers are Fresno's amateur astronomy group. They have monthly star parties and meetings on campus, which will be announced in class. Their web page is at: www.cvafresno.org.
Other astronomy courses at Fresno State include:
- Phys 150 Astrophysics (offered during spring semester). Prerequisite: Phys 4C.
- Phys 151/175T Observational Astronomy (offered during fall semester). Prerequisite: Phys 4C.
This syllabus and schedule are subject to change in the event of extenuating circumstances, such as poor weather. If any student is absent from class, it is that student's responsibility to check on announcements made while that student was absent. A student's being registered in, and not dropping, this PSci 21 lecture section for which Dr. Ringwald is the instructor means that that student accepts all the above terms in this syllabus, and in the accompanying Writing Guide for Research Papers.

Click here for the Writing Guide for Research Papers

Go to Dr. Ringwald's PSci 21 (Elementary Astronomy) home page,

for News, including whether we'll be observing at the Range.

Go to Dr. Ringwald's home page

Last updated 2006 October 31. Web page by Dr. Ringwald (ringwald[at]csufresno.edu and replace [at] with @)
Department of Physics, California State University, Fresno. Please read this disclaimer.