Class Format
Reading Assignments
Writing Assignment
Grading
Exams and Quizzes
Extra Credit Opportunities
Course Schedule
Response system transmitter list
Text book companion web site
Call No. 05399; Winter Quarter 2009
Class Format
Reading Assignments
Writing Assignment
Grading
Exams and Quizzes
Extra Credit Opportunities
Course Schedule
Response system transmitter list
Text book companion web site
| Class hours: | Mo., Tu., We., Th., 1:10 p.m. - 2:00 p.m. |
| Walter Hall 135 |
| Instructor: | Assoc. Prof. M. Böttcher |
| Office: Clippinger 339 | |
| Phone: 593 1714 | |
| E-mail: mboett@helios.phy.ohiou.edu |
Office hours: Mo., Tu., We., Th., 5:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.
| Text: | M. A. Seeds: ``The Solar System'', Brooks/Cole - Cengage Learning, 6th Edition (earlier editions may be used as well) |
Interactive Online Materials accompanying the text book are available at the Cengage Learning web site..
Generally, the sessions on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday will be regular
lecture sessions in which new material will be presented. Throughout those
lectures, I will ask questions, which you should answer using a Personal
Response System (PRS). Regular class participation is a requirement to
achieve the maximum score in the class and will contribute 10 % towards
the final class grade. Answering at least 95 % of the questions asked in
the regular sessions, will secure this 10 % score; answering 90 - 95 % gives
9/10 of this score, etc. Consequently, if you answer less than 50 % of
the PRS questions during the regular (Mo. - We.) lectures, your class
participation score will be 0. For your score, it does not matter whether
you are answering the questions correctly or not - this only measures your
active class participation. Please pick up your
assigned transmitter at the beginning of each lecture.
Whenever appropriate, the Thursday sessions will be used to discuss
in depth a special topic and/or a particular space exploration mission
related to a topic covered in class during the current week. This will
be based on information available on-line, and it will be a
homework reading assignment for
you to explore the given internet site and be prepared to answer questions
about its content. Throughout the Friday sessions, PRS questions will be
asked about the reading assignment and the material covered in class during
that week. Your answers to those questions will be graded, and the combined
score will enter with a 20 % weight into your final class grade. Here, it
does matter whether your answers are correct; you will only receive credit
for correct answers. You may take notes while preparing for these quizzes,
and use your notes when answering the quizzes.
| Grades will be based on: | 2 midterm exams: | 30 % (15 % each) | Final exam | 20 % | 6 Reading Assignment Quizzes (Th. sessions) | 30 % (5 % each) |
| 1 Writing Assignment | 10 % | PRS class participation (Mo. - We. sessions) | 10 % |
Study guides with sample questions to help prepare for the exams are posted on a weekly basis (links behind the chapter numbers in the course schedule posted below). The exams will cover the content of the lectures.
The grading scheme posted here explains how percentage scores are translated into letter grades throughout the quarter.
| Exam / quiz schedule: | The midterm and final exams will be in-class, closed-book exams and will be held in the regular lecture Hall, Walter Hall # 135. |
| There are two midterm exams, namely on Thu., Jan. 29, 2009 and Thu., Feb. 19, 2009 during regular class hours. The second midterm exam will cover material discussed after the first midterm exam. | |
| The Final exam will be on Wednesday, March 18, at 2:30 p.m. This exam will be comprehensive, covering the material of the entire quarter, with focus on material covered after the second midterm exam. | |
| Reading assignment quizzes spread throughout most Thursday sessions using the electronic Personal Response System. Please pick up your assigned transmitter at the beginning of each session. | |
| Writing assignment:write an essay about the Messenger mission to Mercury. The essay is due on Mo., March 2. For details, please see the link to the writing assignment. | |
| In addition, there are 2 extra credit opportunities: A movie night on Monday, Feb. 16, and a telescope night on March 4 (alternative date: March 5 in case of bad weather on March 4). See the link above for details. |
| Attendance Policy: | Students are responsible to follow the class throughout the quarter. Your participation will be monitored through the PRS input and enters the course grade as described above. |
| Attendance will also be tracked through the attendance tracking devices on the front desk of the class room. You can swipe your ID any time starting 15 min. before the beginning of class, untill 5 minutes after the end of class. |
Markus Böttcher's home page
Links from topics refer to powerpoint presentations of the lectures
(will be posted latest on the first day that a topic is discussed in
class).
Links from Chapter numbers refer to study guides.
OU Astronomy and Astrophysics
Department Physics and Astronomy
Ohio University