AST 112 -- Syllabus and Course Rules - Spring 2017

Textbook: ``Astronomy, Journey to the Cosmic Frontier'', by John D. Fix, 6th Edition (New York: McGraw-Hill Higher Education Publishers; ISBN 9781308973968). Older editions do not suffice. AST 112 covers chapters 1-7 and 16-27, plus Appendices. To save cost, there is a customized AST 112 book containing only these chapters for sale in the ASU Bookstore. You can purchase the electronic version for $109 or the physical book for $127. Check the ASU bookstore on: http://bookstore.asu.edu/asu/home.aspx or possibly http://www.amazon.com for better deals or used copies.

E-book version of the text-book: To further save cost, a Kindle Edition of the textbook can be rented for about $ 35. Open new browser window for: http://www.amazon.com. Then in Amazon search window, enter: `` Astronomy-Journey-Frontier-John-Fix-ebook ''. Note below that using phones, Email or texting is not allowed during the exams, so that if open-book exams are allowed, you must bring a printed copy or printed notes to the exams.

Lecture notes and voluntary reading: Click on the Scripts button for PPT slides of all figures in the text book, and detailed notes on all chapters in the textbook. You are strongly advised to make your own notes. During my lectures, I will regularly give examples of what kind of questions may be asked at the exams.

Prerequisites: Knowledge of elementary high school algebra and geometry is required, although I will briefly explain the relevant math in class. I will keep the use of formulae to a minimum, but expect you to learn not to be "scared" of simple math.

NEW: In-class Extra Credit: A number of you have asked for: (a) examples of questions that may occur on the tests; (b) other possible ways of getting extra credit; and (c) ways of using clickers or responseware.com to answer questions in class. From experience, the use of clickers or responseware.com is too burdensome on the students during class, because of the upfront expense, or the slow wireless when 200+ students use this during classtime. Therefore, we will do the following for the rest of this semester: (1) The TA may hand out one paper sheet every Tuesday with a couple of multiple-choice questions relevant to this week's material. These are the usual open-book questions; (2) You are welcome to hand this sheet back with your answers during the Tuesday or Thursday class that SAME week; (3) You will receive extra credit for proper answers (probably 1-2 extra points per correct answer), provided that your name and ASU ID number is clearly written on the sheet; (4) You will follow our very strict NO-EMAIL policy on this: Absolutely no responses allowed by Email, but points will taken off for any Email correpondence on this extra credit part. All reponses to these extra credit questions must be on the sheet of paper handed back to the TA in person each Thursday.

Web-pages relevant to AST 111/112: Since a stunning number of NASA images relevant to AST 111/112 have become available in recent years, I will continue to teach with the large-screen connected to a PC to show some of the best images. Click on the ``Links'' button to see some of the Web-pages relevant to AST 111/112.

Interaction: Despite the fact that this large lecture hall might be intimidating, I invite you to ask questions about the material. I like to have interaction with the class, and will give plenty opportunity to ask questions. The first few minutes after class starts will be set aside for questions in particular. The 15 min immediately before class are strictly off-limits for questions, since I need this time to setup and store away the audiovisuals. My office hours are available if you need individual help. Please feel free to raise your hand during class-time if you have a question, and when I call your question, please speak up loudly, so that everyone can hear it. The TA will be available to pass around a microphone in this large classroom.

Planetarium shows: You will benefit from attending some of the other Planetarium shows in Marston Theater (room ISTB4-185) that will be held for the AST 114 Labs during the first week of the Labs, see: http://http://windhorst114.asu.edu/ (Click on Schedule, go to very bottom of Schedule page). These are organized by Mr. Ric Alling (office ISTB-531, tel. 480-965-6891 or 480-727-7799).

Exams: There will be three midterm exams, each consisting of 50 questions, and one final comprehensive exam of 100 questions. All questions are multiple choice with 4 or 5 alternatives, worth 1 point each. Midterms will be given on February 07, March 14, and April 11. These are held during regular class time. All exams are in the current lecture room ISTB4-185.

NOTE due to a ISTB4-185 room schedule conflict on Thursday March 16, the AST 112 lecture on that day ONLY will be held in room PSF-166 (about 200 yards Southeast of the pedestrian archway across University), about a 10 min walk from ISTB4-185. See the ASU map on: http://www.asu.edu/map/interactive/ (Click to download Tempe map-PDF; PSF-166 is on map-block E4).

These exams cover roughly the first, second, and third 25-30% of the material, respectively. For each midterm exam, you need to study between about 90 and 130 new pages of the book, as indicated in the syllabus. The final comprehensive exam is scheduled for Thursday, May 4, at 2:30-4:20 pm in ISTB4-185, and covers Chapters 1-7 plus 16-26. NOTE ASU REQUIRES THIS EARLIER THAN NORMAL EXAM TIME! This is not my preference and I cannot change this time. Late arrivers will not be accommodated, since this room is needed right afterwards for the next exam.

All exams will be held in this room and are closed book. You should bring a sharp, soft (No. 2) pencil with eraser. Scantron forms filled out with ink-pens cannot be scanned or graded. Exam questions are based for about 65% on material in the book and for 35% on material discussed in my lectures. The exams require knowledge of all material from the chapters in the book as indicated in the syllabus, except for several sections pointed out during my lectures (a separate list of these will not be given). In addition, you need to study your own notes from all my lectures.

Open Notes: In previous years, I experimented with open notes or open book exams. I found that if I allow exams with open book or notes, students usually study less and perform worse on the exams, because they spend all their time searching for issues they didn't study. I therefore prefer to no longer allow open book exams, but I am willing to consider the following: As long as the class attendance remains consistently above 80%, the exams will be open notes and open book. This is a right you collectively earn as a class by attending consistently. Use it only for when you forgot something, but you know where it was in your notes or the book. The TA will take an attendance count every class, and as soon as the attendance drops below 80% just once, this right will be permanently revoked for that semester. Note below that using phones, Email or texting is not allowed during the exams. Should this occur during the exams, the open book privilege will also be revoked.

IMPORTANT: YOU MUST BRING YOUR VALID ASU PICTURE ID TO EACH EXAM. FAILURE TO DO SO WILL RESULT IN ZERO POINTS FOR THAT EXAM ! ASU requires me to verify your ASU Affiliate ID number on your Suncard before I can give you credit.

Grading: Your final grade will be determined from your total score over the exams, plus extra credit for an optional term-project on the Extra-Terrestrial debate that we will hold on May 1, for which I will ask volunteers on the first day of classes. It is allowed to drop your worst semester test, but NOT the final exam. No make-up tests will therefore be given. Absence from an exam will result in zero points for that exam, and may result in a final grade of D or E. The total possible score is 200 points (excluding a maximum of 20 extra credit points for a term-project on the ET debate).

Your final grade will be determined "on the curve". Usually, this means that about 10% of the students with the lowest scores (i.e., less than 80-100 points out of 200) will receive a D or an E. The true numbers depend on the final shape of the curve. The exams are graded by computer, and the results will be posted within a week on Blackboard or on the bulletin board across from the elevators on the second floor of the PSF-wing. Please consult these resources before asking us about your grade. Because it is illegal, we will not give out any grades over the phone or by Email. I will not engage in negotiations about scores.

AST Grades will be available on Blackboard, see: http://students.asu.edu/student-records-grades

ASU policy on Cheating and Plagiarism: ASU's policy on cheating and plagiarism is clearly spelled out by the Provost: ``Academic honesty is expected of all students in all examinations, papers, laboratory work, academic transactions and records. The possible sanctions include, but are not limited to, appropriate grade penalties, course failure (indicated on the transcript as a grade of E), course failure due to academic dishonesty (indicated as such on the transcript as a grade of XE), loss of registration privileges, disqualification and dismissal.'' For more information, see: http://provost.asu.edu/academicintegrity .

ASU list as prohibited conduct ``all forms of student academic dishonesty, including but not limited to, cheating, fabrication, facilitating academic dishonesty and plagiarism.'' According to ASU's academic integrity policy, ``Plagiarism'' means using another's words, ideas, materials or work without properly acknowledging and documenting the source. Students are responsible for knowing the rules governing the use of another's work or materials and for acknowledging and documenting the source appropriately.'' In the AST Lecture courses, we strictly enforce these policies. For your grade, we only want to measure your abilities, not how well you can copy material from somewhere else.

In practice, this means that if different exams of alternating color are given, you are not allowed to make the same color exam as you neighbor. Doing so, or copying from neighbors, allowing others to copy, talking, using cell-phones, Email, or texting and any other suspicious behavior or exchange of information during the exams will all be considered cheating and result in an E for the course. No exceptions. If open-books are allowed, you may use your Kindle or IPad or book or notes to look-up lecture material. Your wrong answers will be correlated by computer against those of everyone else, and students with exams suspiciously similar to those of who they were sitting close to will be investigated for cheating. Morale of the story is that cheating and plagiarism are not worth it, and about as dangerous for your career as falling into a black-hole, see e.g.: http://hubblesite.org/explore_astronomy/black_holes/encyc_mod3_q16.html .

AST Labs: The labs that go with AST 111 and 112 are AST 113 and AST 114, respectively. Contact the instructor of these labs, who may be able to give some overrides if you need one. Some ASU Colleges require that you take Lab AST 113 only with Lecture AST 111, and Lab AST 114 only with Lecture AST 112. We will let you take Lab AST 113 with Lecture AST 112, or AST 114 with AST 111, as long as you keep the book used in the Lectures while you are doing the Lab. During my office hours, I can provide you with a supporting memo to this effect, should someone require our permission in writing. All questions re. the AST 113/114 Labs need to be directed to the Lab instructor, which is also Prof. Windhorst for Fall AST 113: http://windhorst113.asu.edu/ and for Spring: http://windhorst114.asu.edu/ .

Public Viewing Nights: Interested students may want to go to the ASU Public Viewing Nights. These are held during the last Friday of each month -- starting in January or September -- on the roof of the PSH-wing. This may be useful to those students who are not taking the AST Labs. You can also go to public viewing nights at the Kitt Peak National Observatories near Tucson (to make a reservation, call 1 520 318 8000 or 8600). There is no extra credit for these activities.

Important Dates - see: http://students.asu.edu/academic-calendar

• April 2, 2017 --- Course Withdrawal Deadline
• April 28, 2017 --- Complete Session Withdrawal Deadline