PSci 21 Elementary Astronomy

PSci 21 Elementary Astronomy - 2008 Spring

Course syllabus: please read carefully.

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

Phone: (559) 278-8426

Also: (559) 278-2371

Office hours (between January 15 and May 9): MW 1-3, F 1-2.
If students need to see Dr. Ringwald outside office hours, please call or e-mail 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 in during office hours.
This is time set aside for students, when Dr. Ringwald will be in.
You can get homework help, free tutoring, or review sessions before exams, personalized just for you.

Please contact Dr. Ringwald if you have any problems in this course, or if you're doing well and just want to talk about the wonders of the Universe. It's in Dr. Ringwald's interest, and he cares, that all students do well!

Course Description

2007-2008 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

"Astronomy compels the soul to look upwards and leads us from this world to another." - Plato

"The mind is not a vessel to be filled but a fire to be lighted." - Plutarch

"The task of a school is to increase students' capacities." - Neil Postman

Lecture meeting times and location: Schedule 41351 (Section 03), MWF 12-1 p.m., McLane 162. All students must also register separately for labs: see below. Astronomy labs start on the third week of class, on January 28 or 29.

Holidays: January 21 (Martin Luther King Day), February 18 (Presidents Day), March 17-21 (Spring Break), March 31 (César Chávez Day).

Required Course Texts (which should be available at Kennel Bookstore, in the University Student Union):
(1) PSci 21 Class Notes, by F. A. Ringwald.
(2) The PSci 21 Lab Manual, by F. A. Ringwald and S. White.
(3) The Stars, A New Way to See Them, by H. A. Rey.
(4) The Elements of Style, by W. Strunk Jr. and E. B. White.

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).

Recommended Course Texts and Equipment (which should be regarded as required, for any student who is going for an A):
(1) Discovering the Essential Universe (3rd edition), by Neil F. Comins (2006), which I'll refer to as Comins. [***NOTE FOR FALL 2008: Change to Astronomy 6th ed. by Dinah Moche]
(2) The Science Class You Wish You Had, by David and Arnold Brody, which I'll refer to as Brody [***NOTE FOR FALL 2008: remove, since out of print.].
(3) A scientific calculator (that can display scientific notation, and can calculate exponents).

If you can't afford books: You may borrow copies of any of the texts from the Circulation Desk at Madden Library (559-278-4024), 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. 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% 3% 2% 3% 3% 3% 2% 6%	Homework, including: [1] The Math Exercise, due Friday, February 1. [2] The Timekeeping, Angles, and Classical Astronomy Exercise, due Friday, February 8. [3] The Constellation Study Sheet, due Friday, March 7. [4] The Moon Phases and Eclipses exercise, due Friday, March 28. [5] The Exercise on Why the Sky is Blue, due Friday, April 11. [6] The Writing Exercise, due Friday, April 18. [7] The Research Paper Titles and 150-to-250-word Summaries (see the Writing Guide), due Friday, April 25. [8] The Cosmic Calendar on Three Number Lines, due Friday, May 2.
10%	Two Mid-term Exams (50 multiple choice questions in 45 minutes), the lower of which will be dropped, tentatively scheduled for Friday, February 15 and Friday, April 4.
10%	Laboratory, for which every student must register for a section, separately from this lecture section.
20%	Research Paper, over 1200 words long and with a reference list (see the Writing Guide), due Wednesday, May 7, the last day of instruction.
35%	Final Exam (100 multiple choice questions in 115 minutes), which will be comprehensive (covering all material in the entire PSci 21 course), on Wednesday, May 14, from 1:15 to 3:15 p.m. in the regular classroom (McLane 162).

TENTATIVE Course Schedule (updated 2008 April 14). Always do the readings before class:

Week	M	W	F	Read by Wednesday of next week
1	1/14: No class	1/16: Introduction and Course Syllabus	1/18: Powers of Ten, Scientific Notation, Metric System (Comins 1-1 and Appendix B)	Comins 1-1 (pages 1-4) and Appendix B (page A-10); Class Notes pages 1-38; and this entire syllabus.
2	1/21: Holiday	1/23: Units Conversions, The Light-Year, Look-Back Time (Comins 1-1)	1/25: Proportions; A Brief Tour of Space and Time (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 39-61.
3	1/28: The Cosmic Calendar (Comins 1-1)	1/30: Classical Astronomy and Seasons (Comins 1-2 to 1-7, Rey)	2/01: Classical Astronomy and Seasons (continued); 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 62-82.
4	2/04: Scientific Method (Comins 2-1)	2/06: Scientific Method (continued) (Brody Introduction)	2/08: Motion, from Copernicus to Galileo (Comins 2-2 to 2-5; Brody 1 and 2); 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	2/11: Motion, from Galileo to Newton (Comins 2-6 to 2-8; Brody 3)	2/13: Newton's laws of motion (Comins 2-7 and 2-8; Brody 3)	2/15: 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	2/18: Holiday	2/20: Atoms, Isotopes, and Radioactivity (Comins 3; Brody 4 and 5)	2/22: Matter, Energy, and the Laws of Thermodynamics (Comins 3)	Comins 3; Brody 4 and 5; Class Notes pages 101-112.
7	2/25: The E/M Spectrum (Comins 3)	2/27: Thermal radiation and the Doppler Effect (Comins 3)	2/29: Telescopes (Refractors vs. Reflectors)(Comins 3); Drawing Exercise due (see Class Notes, pages A9-A10)	Comins 2-9 to 2-15 (pages 38-53) and 4; Brody 15; Class Notes, 113-119.
8	3/03: Telescopes (Aperture, Resolution, and Magnification)(Comins 3); CCDs, Eyes, and Cameras; Small Telescopes (Comins 3)	3/05: The Solar System (Comins 2-9 to 2-13)	3/07: The Solar System (continued); Extrasolar Planets (Comins 2-14 to 2-15); Homework 3 due (The Constellation Study Sheet: see Class Notes, page A11-A12)	Comins 1-8 to 1-11 (pages 15-22), 4, and 5 and Appendix E-2 (pages A-25 to A-26); Rey, pages 136-138; Class Notes, 120-133.
9	3/10: Planet Earth (Comins 4 and Brody 15)	3/12: Moon Phases and Eclipses (Comins 1-8 to 1-11, and Rey, pages 136-138)	3/14: The Earth's Moon (Comins 4 and Appendix E-2)	-
-	3/17: Spring Break	3/19: Spring Break	3/21: Spring Break	Comins 5 and 6; Class Notes pages 134-144.
10	3/24: Mars (Comins 5)	3/26: Small Bodies (Comins 6)	3/28: Mercury, Venus, Atmospheres (Comins 5); Homework 4 due (The Moon Phases and Eclipses exercise: see Class Notes, pages A13-A14)	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, and pages 90 to 144 of the Class Notes.
11	3/31: Holiday	4/02: The Outer Solar System (Comins 5)	4/04: Mid-term Exam 2, covering Comins Chapters 3 to 6, 1-8 to 1-11, and 2-9 to 2-15, and Appendices C, E-2, and F-3, Brody Chapters 4-5 and 15, Rey pages 136-138, and pages 90-144 of the Class Notes.	Comins 7 and Appendix F-4 (page A-14); Brody 6; Class Notes pages 145-148; also Comins 8 and 9; Class Notes pages 149-156.
12	4/07: The Sun (Comins 7 and Appendix F-4)	4/09: The Sun and Nuclear Physics (Brody 6)	4/11: Stars (Comins 8); Homework 5 due (Why the sky is blue: see Class Notes, page A15)	Comins 10; Brody 7 and 8; Class Notes pages 154-162.
13	4/14: Stars: spectral types and luminosity classes (Comins 8)	4/16: Stellar evolution (Comins 8)	4/18: Interstellar Matter and Star Formation (Comins 9); White Dwarfs and Neutron Stars (Comins 10); Homework 6 due (The Writing Exercise: see Class Notes, pages A17-A18)	Comins 11; Class Notes pages 163-173.
14	4/21: Black Holes and Relativity (Brody 7 and 8)	4/23: Black Holes and Relativity (continued)	4/25: The Milky Way; Galaxies and Hubble's Law (Comins 11); Research Paper titles and summaries due (see the Writing Guide, on pages 9-14 of the Class Notes)	Comins 12 and Appendix A (pages A-1 to A-9); Brody 9 and 10; Class Notes pages 174-188.
15	4/28: Cosmology (Comins 12; Brody 9 and 10)	4/30: The Deep Universe	5/02: Life Beyond Earth (Comins Appendix A); Homework 8 due (The Number Line of the Cosmic Calendar: see Class Notes, pages A19-A20)	Comins Appendix A (pages A-1 to A-9); Brody Epilogue; Class Notes pages 189-191; start re-reading the Class Notes, Comins, Rey, and Brody.
16	5/05: Life Beyond Earth (Comins Appendix A)	5/07: The Most Influential Scientific Findings of All Time (Brody Epilogue); Research Paper due (see the Writing Guide, on pages 9-14 of the Class Notes)	-	Re-read the Class Notes (pages 1-191), 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 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 Lab Instructor
41353 Monday 5:30-7:20 p.m. McLane 258 Mr. Bellis
41355 Monday 5:30-7:20 p.m. McLane 264 Mr. Locke
41361 Tuesday 5:30-7:20 p.m. McLane 258 Ms. Kurimoto
41363 Tuesday 5:30-7:20 p.m. McLane 264 Mr. Locke
41357 Monday 7:30-9:20 p.m. McLane 258 Mr. Bellis
41359 Monday 7:30-9:20 p.m. McLane 264 Mr. Locke
41365 Tuesday 7:30-9:20 p.m. McLane 258 Ms. Kurimoto
41367 Tuesday 7:30-9:20 p.m. McLane 264 Mr. Locke

Schedule #	Day	Time	Lab Classroom	Lab Instructor
41353	Monday	5:30-7:20 p.m.	McLane 258	Mr. Bellis
41355	Monday	5:30-7:20 p.m.	McLane 264	Mr. Locke
41361	Tuesday	5:30-7:20 p.m.	McLane 258	Ms. Kurimoto
41363	Tuesday	5:30-7:20 p.m.	McLane 264	Mr. Locke
41357	Monday	7:30-9:20 p.m.	McLane 258	Mr. Bellis
41359	Monday	7:30-9:20 p.m.	McLane 264	Mr. Locke
41365	Tuesday	7:30-9:20 p.m.	McLane 258	Ms. Kurimoto
41367	Tuesday	7:30-9:20 p.m.	McLane 264	Mr. Locke

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 (559) 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 clear plastic ruler and a copy of The Stars, by H. A. Rey, are required as well. A scientific calculator is highly recommended. Always bring your blue lab manuals, and read the lab beforehand.

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: February 4 or 5, February 11 or 12, February 25 or 26 (or March 3 or 4, in case of bad weather), March 10 or 11, and March 24 or 25 (or April 7 or 8, in case of bad weather). Range labs will start at either 5:30 or 7:30 p.m.: check the schedule.

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 (559-278-8426) 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. Students must attend the labs in the lab section in which they are registered: exceptions will be made only by written consent in advance by the instructor of the lab section in which the student is registered, and even then, only for a compelling reason, such as a job interview or an illness documented by a physician's note. If any student must miss a lab for such a compelling reason, or if the student does have written consent from the instructor of the lab section in which the student is registered to miss a lab, then 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%. Advance or make-up labs cannot be given under any circumstances, because of the availability of lab equipment, and also because many astronomical phenomena (including the Moon and the stars) are not always observable, which is why the labs are scheduled at the times they are.

If any student misses a lab and does not provide that student's lab instructor a written copy of evidence of a job interview or of a physician's note documenting an illness before the last day of instruction, or if any student attends a lab other than the one in which that student is registered without prior written consent of the instructor of the lab section in which that student is registered, that student 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 third week of class, on January 28 or 29.

TENTATIVE Lab Schedule (updated 2008 March 31). Always read the lab description (in the blue Lab Manual) before lab and be ready for a quiz.

Week Dates Moon Lab
1 January 14-15 First Quarter
(Jan 15) No Lab
2 January 21-22 Full
(Jan 22) No Lab (Martin Luther King Jr. Day holiday)
3 January 28-29 Last Quarter
(Jan 30) Lab 1, Star Names, Maps, and Constellations.
Meet in the lab classrooms (McLane 258 and 264). Bring flashlights!
4 February 4-5 New
(Feb 7) Meet in the lab classrooms (McLane 258 and 264), and do:
Lab 3, The Mystery Constellations.
5 February 11-12 First Quarter
(Feb 14) Meet at the Range at 5:30 p.m. NOTE revised time!
Do: Lab 4, Introduction to Telescopes.
6 February 18-19 Full
(Feb 21) No Lab (Presidents Day holiday)
7 February 25-26 Last Quarter
(Feb 29) Meet in the lab classrooms (McLane 258 and 264), and do:
Lab 6, Spectra, Fingerprinting the Elements.
8 March 3-4 New
(March 7) Meet at the Range at 7:30 p.m.
and do: Lab 2, Dark-Sky Observing Lab A .
9 March 10-11 First Quarter
(March 14) Meet in the lab classrooms (McLane 258 and 264), and do:
Lab 7, The Basics of Optics and Telescopes.
- March 17-18 Full
(March 21) No Lab (Spring Break)
10 March 24-25 Last Quarter
(March 29) Meet in the lab classrooms (McLane 258 and 264), and do:
Lab 9, The Hunt for Micrometeorites.
11 March 31 - April 1 New
(April 6) No Lab (César Chávez Day holiday)
12 April 7-8 First Quarter
(April 12) Meet in the lab classrooms (McLane 258 and 264), and do:
Lab 5, the Revolution of the Moons of Jupiter
13 April 14-15 Full
(April 20) Lab 10, The Hertzsprung-Russell Diagram: Meet in the lab classrooms.

[NOTE TO LAB INSTRUCTORS: Please grade all labs, record the grades, and return the labs to all students during the April 21 and 22 labs.]
14 April 21-22 Full
(April 20) Lab 11, Life Beyond Earth: 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: Please 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 April 28-29 Last Quarter
(April 28) Lab Final Quiz (covering all labs, except for Lab 12) and
Lab 12, Classification of Galaxies assigned: Meet in the lab classrooms.
16 May 5-6 New
(May 5) Lab 12, Classification of Galaxies due.
Return and discuss the Lab Final Quiz, to prepare for the Final Exam: Meet in the lab classrooms.

Week	Dates	Moon	Lab
1	January 14-15	First Quarter (Jan 15)	No Lab
2	January 21-22	Full (Jan 22)	No Lab (Martin Luther King Jr. Day holiday)
3	January 28-29	Last Quarter (Jan 30)	Lab 1, Star Names, Maps, and Constellations. Meet in the lab classrooms (McLane 258 and 264). Bring flashlights!
4	February 4-5	New (Feb 7)	Meet in the lab classrooms (McLane 258 and 264), and do: Lab 3, The Mystery Constellations.
5	February 11-12	First Quarter (Feb 14)	Meet at the Range at 5:30 p.m. NOTE revised time! Do: Lab 4, Introduction to Telescopes.
6	February 18-19	Full (Feb 21)	No Lab (Presidents Day holiday)
7	February 25-26	Last Quarter (Feb 29)	Meet in the lab classrooms (McLane 258 and 264), and do: Lab 6, Spectra, Fingerprinting the Elements.
8	March 3-4	New (March 7)	Meet at the Range at 7:30 p.m. and do: Lab 2, Dark-Sky Observing Lab A .
9	March 10-11	First Quarter (March 14)	Meet in the lab classrooms (McLane 258 and 264), and do: Lab 7, The Basics of Optics and Telescopes.
-	March 17-18	Full (March 21)	No Lab (Spring Break)
10	March 24-25	Last Quarter (March 29)	Meet in the lab classrooms (McLane 258 and 264), and do: Lab 9, The Hunt for Micrometeorites.
11	March 31 - April 1	New (April 6)	No Lab (César Chávez Day holiday)
12	April 7-8	First Quarter (April 12)	Meet in the lab classrooms (McLane 258 and 264), and do: Lab 5, the Revolution of the Moons of Jupiter
13	April 14-15	Full (April 20)	Lab 10, The Hertzsprung-Russell Diagram: Meet in the lab classrooms. [NOTE TO LAB INSTRUCTORS: Please grade all labs, record the grades, and return the labs to all students during the April 21 and 22 labs.]
14	April 21-22	Full (April 20)	Lab 11, Life Beyond Earth: 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: Please 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	April 28-29	Last Quarter (April 28)	Lab Final Quiz (covering all labs, except for Lab 12) and Lab 12, Classification of Galaxies assigned: Meet in the lab classrooms.
16	May 5-6	New (May 5)	Lab 12, Classification of Galaxies due. Return and discuss the Lab Final Quiz, to prepare for the Final Exam: 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 PSci 21. Please check your schedule and work out problems at the beginning of the semester. If a student must miss a class, 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 absent. To do this, check this syllabus and 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.
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 "A" students are almost invariably the ones who keep up with the reading.
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. Many questions PSci 21 students have are really quite good: there are many astonishingly strange things out there in the Universe.
Note taking: Everything Dr. Ringwald writes during class, on the boards or on overhead transparencies, is of primary importance for exams. All students should copy it into their own notes, which they may write directly on the pages of the Class Notes, or anywhere else they like. 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 devices that make noise, including portable phones, beepers, and pagers, whenever class is in session.
Laptop computers are not allowed in PSci 21 lectures, for any reason. Sorry, but too many people have been using them inappropriately during class. Text messaging, reading newspapers, and playing portable music players (such as iPods) are also not allowed during PSci 21.
Dr. Ringwald often uses e-mail to communicate with students, and please feel free to send e-mail to Dr. Ringwald. Please allow Dr. Ringwald at least 24 hours to respond his e-mail, particularly if it requires careful thought, and longer during weekends, although Dr. Ringwald almost always answers e-mail within 48 hours. However, Dr. Ringwald does not accept assignments that are sent by e-mail. All assignments must be handed in as paper copies during the first five minutes of class. By "assignments," Dr. Ringwald means homework, research papers, research paper titles and summaries, and all other work to be turned in for credit or extra credit for PSci 21.
NO late assignments can be accepted. Sorry, but it's just not possible, for classes as large as PSci 21. Assignments are due during the first five minutes of the class period on the due date, and will not be accepted at any time later than this. Sorry, but in a large class such as PSci 21, having students continually moving around the classroom during class is distracting for students who want to learn.
Dr. Ringwald will not allow or accept assignments slipped under his office door, or delivered to McLane 173 (the Department of Physics office), or e-mailed, or faxed, because they get lost so easily. Any such assignments will be marked "late" and given zero credit, even if turned in on time or early.
Because PSci 21 is such a large class, Dr. Ringwald will not be able to accept late work under any circumstances, even from students with a compelling reason to be late, such as an illness documented by a physician's note. In cases in which students do have a compelling reason to be late, and only in such cases, Dr. Ringwald will mark missed work as "excused," which will mean that the part of the course grade for which that work would have counted will be voided, and the rest of the grade will be counted as 100%.
If there is any concern that a family emergency or other risk event, such as a broken printer, might arise that would hinder any student from handing in assignments during the first five minutes of the class on the due date, Dr. Ringwald highly recommends completing the assignment early.
Always show all work in all course assignments, especially in homework involving mathematical calculations, including the units. Not showing all work, with the correct units, will be cause for taking off points.
Please do not bring children under 16 to PSci 21 class or labs, unless they are registered in the course: PSci 21 isn't the place for them.
All students are required to keep all PSci 21 course materials for the duration of the PSci 21 course. Retain all copies of all work done in all classes, ever. Hang on to textbooks, too: even the real stinkers can serve as bad examples.
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 (such as Mozilla Firefox, Internet Explorer, or Netscape) and how to use e-mail. Most students will already know this, but if any students don't, they shouldn't be embarrassed: Dr. Ringwald would be glad to give individual lessons during his office hours, or some other time arranged by appointment.
If Web access is still a problem, students should come to Dr. Ringwald's hours or make an appointment to meet at some other time with Dr. Ringwald, and Dr. Ringwald will let these students 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."
Do not ever recycle Scantrons in PSci 21. Anytime any kind of Scantron form is used in PSci 21, whether for homework or other assignments or for exams, it must be a new Scantron at the beginning of the PSci 21 assignment or exam.
Exams: There will be two mid-term exams and a comprehensive final exam. The lower mid-term grade will be dropped. All extra credit for the semester will be added to the higher of the two mid-term exams, and points of extra credit will be the same size as points for mid-term exams. The material for the exams will come from the lectures and the assigned reading: exams may also include identification of constellations and stars, which will come 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 students may not use any notes or books during the exam. Calculators may be used for PSci 21 exams, but laptop computers may not. Electronic devices that can communicate outside the classroom, including Blackberries or cell phones, may not be used during PSci 21 exams, even if used only as calculators, with their communications functions disabled.
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. Legitimate reasons for being absent include, but are not limited to, job interviews, illness documented by a physician's note, deaths in the immediate family that can be documented, or participating in University-sponsored activities, such as athletics or theatre. If any student must miss a mid-term exam, the student should remember that only the higher of the two mid-term exams will count. If any student must miss both mid-term exams, the part of the course grade for which the 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. (In the past, students who were allowed to take make-up and advance exams abused 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 substantial additional cost in his time. Scheduling make-up exams or exams in advance, in classes as large as PSci 21, is also not feasible: 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. Fairness left no choice but to end the practice altogether of giving make-up exams and exams in advance, and never make exceptions.
If any student must miss the final exam for a very compelling reason, such as 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 within the first 15 working days of the next semester to make the necessary arrangements to remove the I grade. See the California State University, Fresno General Catalog for regulations concerning the Incomplete (I) grade. Only students who can document a very compelling reason for missing the final exam, such as an illness documented 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, 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. If the student must leave the classroom because of a medical problem that can be documented with a physician's note, the student will be excused without penalty from the exam, using the same procedure as when a student is ill. Dr. Ringwald regrets it has to be this way, but in the past students have attempted to cheat while doing this.
Any student who arrives more than two minutes late for an exam will have her or his grade on that exam lowered either by twenty percent or by one percent for each minute that student was late, whichever comes to more. Don't be late for exams.
During exams, Dr. Ringwald will be happy to answer any questions about the content of the exam in progress. Since Dr. Ringwald needs to supervise the exam, he will not have time to discuss students' grades or assignment deadlines, until after the exam is over. Dr. Ringwald will not accept any assignment that any student hands in while any exam is in progress, unless it is the exam in progress.
When taking exams, every student is required to sit in the assigned seat listed in the seating chart given with 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. Any students caught cheating, in this or any other way, will receive an F for the entire PSci 21 course.
If students want to know their mid-term grades, Dr. Ringwald finds that mid-term exams indicate them reliably. During 2007 Spring, 83% of PSci 21 students got a grade for the entire course within one grade of what they scored on the higher of the two mid-term exams, plus all extra credit for the semester.
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 so 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. See Grade Protests in the California State University, Fresno General Catalog: this must be done before the end of the fourth week of classes, during the semester immediately following the semester in which the contested grade was awarded.
Students with Disabilities: Upon identifying themselves to the instructor and the university, students with disabilities will receive reasonable accommodation for learning and evaluation. For more information, contact Services to Students with Disabilities in the University Center Room 5 (559-278-2811).
Honor Code: Members of the California State University, Fresno academic community adhere to principles of academic integrity and mutual respect while engaged in university work and related activities. Students should:
(a) understand or seek clarification about expectations for academic integrity in this course (including no cheating, plagiarism and inappropriate collaboration)
(b) neither give nor receive unauthorized aid on examinations or other course work that is used by the instructor as the basis of grading.
(c) take responsibility to monitor academic dishonesty in any form and to report it to the instructor or other appropriate official for action.
Instructors may require students to sign a statement on exams and assignments that "I have done my own work and have neither given nor received unauthorized assistance on this work." (This section on the honor code was a required syllabus policy statement by Fresno State.)
Cheating and Plagiarism: Cheating is the actual or attempted practice of fraudulent or deceptive acts for the purpose of improving one's grade or obtaining course credit; such acts also include assisting another student to do so. Typically, such acts occur in relation to examinations. However, it is the intent of this definition that the term 'cheating' not be limited to examination situations only, but that it include any and all actions by a student that are intended to gain an unearned academic advantage by fraudulent or deceptive means. Plagiarism is a specific form of cheating which consists of the misuse of the published and/or unpublished works of others by misrepresenting the material (i.e., their intellectual property) so used as one's own work. For more information on the University's policy regarding cheating and plagiarism, refer to the Class Schedule (Legal Notices on Cheating and Plagiarism) or the University Catalog (Policies and Regulations). (This paragraph was a required syllabus policy statement by Fresno State.)
DO NOT EVER take papers from the Internet, and turn them in as your work. This is now easy for professors to detect, with www.plagiarism.org. Modifying someone else's paper slightly, or changing the word order, or stringing someone else's paragraphs together, even if they're cited, are also forms of plagiarism.
To prevent plagiarism, Dr. Ringwald will be copying both the research paper titles and summaries and the research papers themselves. If Dr. Ringwald finds any work that is plagiarized, the student will receive an F for the entire PSci 21 course. Dr. Ringwald may also send the plagiarized work 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 the student has graduated. 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.
Computers: At California State University, Fresno, computers and communications links to remote resources are recognized as being integral to the education and research experience. Every student is required to have his/her own computer or have other personal access to a workstation (including a modem and a printer) with all the recommended software. The minimum and recommended standards for the workstations and software, which may vary by academic major, are updated periodically and are available from Information Technology Services (http://www.csufresno.edu/ITS/) or the University Bookstore. In the curriculum and class assignments, students are presumed to have 24-hour access to a computer workstation and the necessary communication links to the University's information resources. (This paragraph was a required syllabus policy statement by Fresno State.)
Disruptive Classroom Behavior: The classroom is a special environment in which students and faculty come together to promote learning and growth. It is essential to this learning environment that respect for the rights of others seeking to learn, respect for the professionalism of the instructor, and the general goals of academic freedom are maintained. Differences of viewpoint or concerns should be expressed in terms which are supportive of the learning process, creating an environment in which students and faculty may learn to reason with clarity and compassion, to share of themselves without losing their identities, and to develop and understanding of the community in which they live. Student conduct which disrupts the learning process shall not be tolerated and may lead to disciplinary action and/or removal from class. (This paragraph was a required syllabus policy statement by Fresno State.)
Copyright policy: Copyright laws and fair use policies protect the rights of those who have produced the material. The copy in this course has been provided for private study, scholarship, or research. Other uses may require permission from the copyright holder. The user of this work is responsible for adhering to copyright law of the U.S. (Title 17, U.S. Code). To help you familiarize yourself with copyright and fair use policies, the University encourages you to visit its copyright web page: http://www.csufresno.edu/library/libraryinformation/campus/copyright/copyrtpolicyfull.pdf
For copyright Questions & Answers: http://www.csufresno.edu/library/libraryinformation/campus/copyright/faqcopyright.pdf
(This paragraph was a required syllabus policy statement by Fresno State.)
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 (to be offered 2008 Spring and 2010 Spring). Prerequisite: Phys 4C.
- Phys 151/175T Observational Astronomy (offered during fall semester). Prerequisite: Phys 4C.
- Phys 175T Galaxies and Cosmology (to be offered 2009 Spring). 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, Dr. Ringwald's PSci 21 lecture section means that the student accepts all the 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 2008 May 12. Web page by Dr. Ringwald (ringwald[at]csufresno.edu and replace [at] with @)
Department of Physics, California State University, Fresno. Please read this disclaimer.