PROFESSOR: Michael Shull (Office: Duane D-235; Phone: (303) 492-7827; Email: michael.shull@colorado.edu)
TEACHING ASSISTANT: None (class size is too small)
TIME AND PLACE: Classes are Tu-Th 9:30 am-10:45 am (Duane G-130). One or two classes may be held at the Fiske Planetarium. Three in-class "midterm exams" will be given (Feb 6, Mar 13, Apr 19). You can always check the class calendar for the schedule of lectures, readings, homework due-dates, and exam dates.
COURSE HOME PAGE: http://casa.colorado.edu/~mshull/ASTR2010-Spr2018
GOALS OF THIS COURSE:
This class offers an introduction to cosmology, intended primarily for
non-science majors. However, all students are presumed to have the
mathematical literacy appropriate for admission to the University
of Colorado, including basic algebra and quantitative reasoning skills.
The overall goal is to familiarize students with current astronomical
views on the Origin and Evolution of the Universe.
We will discuss current evidence for the expanding (and evolving) universe
and its content (stars, galaxies, gas, radiation, dark matter, dark energy).
By the end of this semester, you should be able to critically evaluate
news articles written on these topics.
For some of you, this course may offer a scientific context for
discussing religious issues: what scientists sometimes call "initial
conditions" or the "Anthropic Principle" in the creation of the universe.
I intend to devote some time for class discussion of these issues.
I strongly encourage regular class attendance and student engagement.
I will hand out homework sets and and short writing assignments
(50% of total grade) on topics relevant to our in-class discussion.
These assignments should be turned in (written copies, not e-mail)
in class.
Therefore, it will be in your interest to attend class regularly.
We have 75-minute classes, which offer sufficient time for questions and
discussion. So, please turn your cell phones off; don't spend
valuable class time surfing the internet or text messaging your friends.
You never know when I might call on you!
Please enjoy this course -- the lectures, reading,
class discussion, maybe even the homework.
The major topics to be covered in ASTR 2010 include:
In addition to these texts, I recommend that you
obtain access to an introductory astronomy textbook,
particularly if you have not taken college-level astronomy before. Although
all concepts needed for this class will be covered in lecture, they may not
be adequately covered in the books above, and a good introductory text will
be very useful. I recommend
The Cosmic Perspective (Bennett, Donahue, Schneider, and Voit),
especially during the first third of the course.
I will provide access to Chapter 4 (Motion, Energy, and Gravity),
Chapter 5 (Light: The Cosmic Messenger), and Chapter 11 (Surveying the Stars).
This book is not a required text for two reasons: (1) it covers a wide
set of topics in astronomy, many of which are not relevant to this class;
(2) the book is expensive. However, it is widely used on the CU campus and
around the nation, so you should be able to find a used copy or borrow one
from a friend or the library. You do not need any of the CDs or internet
accounts that are sometimes linked to this book. Please try to use a
recent edition (7th or 8th) as cosmology has been changing rapidly!
For those of you who wish to read about Cosmology in more detail,
here is a useful link to a
Cosmology Tutorial,
a Web-Tutorial, written by Ned Wright of UCLA, complete with Frequently Asked
Questions, News of the Universe, even sections on "Cosmology and Religion"
and "Cosmology and Art".
PREREQUISITES: None. MATHEMATICAL SKILLS REQUIRED:
While this class is largely non-mathematical,
dealing with concepts in the physical universe, you will be expected to
use simple proportional and algebraic relations and to interpret numbers
and physical units.
TEXTBOOKS:
I have asked you to obtain (and read) one textbook on
Modern Cosmology:
ADDITIONAL COURSE INFORMATION
(All students: please read this carefully)
TOTAL GRADE:
30% - Three in-class exams (Feb 6, Mar 13, Apr 19); no make-ups
(lowest grade dropped)
50% - Homework and Writing Assignments (5 each) - submit in class on due-date
20% - Final Examination (Mon May 7 from 4:30-7:00 pm)
EXAMS: Tests will comprise 50% of the total grade: 20% (final exam) and 30%
(midterm exams). Your lowest grade on the 3 midterm exams will
be dropped. If you have to miss a test for some reason, we will
drop that grade. No make-ups.
The exams will consist of a few multiple-choice or true-false questions,
but primarily short-answer or essay questions.
Because the lowest midterm exam grade is dropped, there will be no make-up
exams offered due to medical absences, academic conflicts, personal reasons
or religious holidays. If you miss an exam, that will be the one whose grade
will be dropped. If you anticipate having conflicts for two or more dates,
please speak to me early in the term.
HOMEWORK: There will be 5 homework sets and 5 writing assignments
over the semester, which in total count for 50% of your final grade.
These will include traditional homework that you do on your own (short
answer questions and calculations) plus one-page written essays.
These written assignments must to be turned in during class (no e-mail)
on the due-date.
FINAL EXAM:
The final exam will be on May 7 in Duane G130 (starting at 4:30 pm).
The test will be cumulative (based on the entire course).
It will be similar in form to the other exams, but with more emphasis on
short essay questions.
Check your final exam schedule. If you have three or more finals
scheduled for May 7, please talk to me or send email to:
michael.shull@colorado.edu
before Feb 22 regarding the other finals you will be taking that day. Please do
not plan on leaving Boulder before May 7
TRACKING YOUR GRADES:
If you have any questions about your grades, please see me during office
hours or make an appointment to discuss grading errors.
INCOMPLETES: The College of Arts and Sciences has strict rules about
"Incomplete" grades. Basically, I can give you a grade of "Incomplete"
only in case of an emergency that is beyond your control, and I must
have written documentation. Moreover, your current grade must be
passing at the time the emergency occurs.
DISABILITIES: If you qualify for accommodations because of a
disability, please submit to me a letter from Disability Services in a
timely manner so that your needs may be addressed. Disability Services
determines accommodations based on documented disabilities.
Contact: 303-492-8671, Willard 322, and
http://www.Colorado.EDU/disabilityservices
CURRENT POLICIES (provided by the CU Administration)
The following are official policy statements from the CU administration,
recommended for inclusion in all course syllabi. They refer to accommodation
for disabilities and religious holidays, expectations on classroom behavior,
and the campus honor code. A full discussion of these policies can be found
at this website:
https://www.colorado.edu/academicaffairs/policies-customs-guidelines/required-syllabus-statements
CU HONOR CODE:
I expect all CU students to be aware of and to follow the CU Honor Code,
as well as the CU Policy on Classroom and Course-Related behavior.
Specifically: Please come on time and do not disrupt the attention of other
students by conversation or leaving the classroom early with excess noise.
Students and faculty each have responsibility for maintaining an appropriate
learning environment. Those who fail to adhere to such behavioral standards may
be subject to discipline. Professional courtesy and sensitivity are especially
important with respect to individuals and topics dealing with differences of
race, culture, religion, politics, sexual orientation, gender, gender variance,
and nationalities. All students of the University of Colorado at Boulder are
responsible for knowing and adhering to the academic integrity policy of this
institution. Violations of this policy may include: cheating, plagiarism, aid
of academic dishonesty, fabrication, lying, bribery, and threatening behavior.
All incidents of academic misconduct will be reported to the Honor Code
Council (honor@colorado.edu; 303-725-2273). Students who are found to be in
violation of the academic integrity policy will be subject to both academic
sanctions from the faculty member and non-academic sanctions (including but
not limited to university probation, suspension, or expulsion).
Information on the Honor Code can be found at
www.colorado.edu/policies/student-honor-code-policy.html
NOTE: It's fine to help each other with homework. I encourage you to
do so and will also offer help during office hours. But simply copying
other people's work without trying to understand it is cheating. The
reason homework is assigned is for YOU to learn what you need for the
course. What you hand in should demonstrate that you personally
understand it. If we find two or more homework assignments with
answers that are so alike that we suspect unthinking copying, we will
split the credit for the work equally between each submitter. This means
you also must be careful not to let others copy your work.
If you worked
with another student on homework assignments to the point where you
suspect that you may have very similar answers, please write so on the
front page of the homework assignment.
For example (if you were so lucky) you could write:
"I consulted with Stephen Hawking on this assignment".
If you copy text or other information from any source for any reason,
you must also include a citation to that source (for example,
Bennett et al., "The Cosmic Perspective," p. 461;
or From " Astronomy Picture of the Day Website,
http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/astropix.html, Authors
& editors: Robert Nemiroff (MTU) & Jerry Bonnell (USRA).) Doing
this will keep you from plagiarizing, and will allow us to appreciate
your good scholarship.
If a student is caught cheating on
a quiz or exam, the minimum penalty will be a grade of F on that exam
and the maximum will be an F in the course. University
policy requires us to report any cheating incident to the Honors
Council.