Lecture Notes:

A list of lecture dates and topics can be found below.  Recordings of each lecture can be found in the Panopto link on the left. PDF versions of my PowerPoint slides can be found in the Resources tab on the left side of the page.

Course Materials:

For my section of ASTR 1280, you are required to have three items:

1. The book "Origins: 14 Billion Years of Cosmic Evolution" by Neil deGrasse Tyson and Donald Goldsmith (available in paperback for less than $15). A copy of this book is on reserve in the Science and Engineering Library in Clark Hall.
2. The book "Big Bang: The Origin of the Universe" by Simon Singh (available in paperback for less than $15). A copy of this book is on reserve in the Science and Engineering Library in Clark Hall.
3. Access to the Learning Catalytics interactive classroom system. To use Learning Catalytics, you will need to bring an internet enabled device (smart phone, iPad, iPod Touch, tablet, or laptop) to every class. If you will not have access to an internet enabled device, please let me know. If you took and astronomy class in Fall 2015, your account for Learning Catalytics should still be valid. If not, you will need to purchase access to Learning Catalytics for $12 at: https://learningcatalytics.com/

I also highly recommend that you download and install a free copy of the planetarium program Stellarium, but it is not required.

Grades:

Your grade will be based on 3 quizzes, a final exam, 2 lab exercises, in class exercises, and weekly homework. On a 1000 point scale each is worth: 

 

Quiz 1	100 points	Thursday, February 11 from 2:00 p.m. - 3:15 p.m.
Quiz 2	100 points	Thursday, March 17 from 2:00 p.m. - 3:15 p.m.
Quiz 3	100 points	Thursday, April 14 from 2:00 p.m. - 3:15 p.m.
Exam	200 points	Friday, May 6 from 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. (Block 10)
Classroom Exercises (Learning Catalytics)	100 points
Weekly Blog or Assignment	100 points
Digital Media Team Project	200 points
Constellation Lab	50 points	Maximum grade declines during semester
Telescope Observing Lab	50 points	Maximum grade declines during semester

 

The final exam is fully comprehensive. It will be approximately twice as long as a quiz and in the same general style.

Grades will be posted on the UVa Collab site http://collab.itc.virginia.edu in the Gradebook tab on the left. Your final grade is based on 1000 points with letter grades assigned as follows:

Letter Grade	Point range	Letter Grade	Point Range
A+	970-1000	C	730-769
A	930-969	C-	700-729
A-	900-929	D+	670-699
B+	870-899	D	630-669
B	830-869	D-	600-629
B-	800-829	F	0-599
C+	770-799	Pass	600-1000

 

 

I will send official correspondence via electronic mail. Therefore, you should immediately activate your U. Va. e-mail account if you have not already done so. If you use a mail service other than the University's, be sure to have your University mail forwarded to it. You will be responsible for reading all materials sent via electronic mail.

Attendance Policy:

It is in your best interest to attend class regularly. During most classes you will be asked to answer a number of questions using Learning Catalytics. Credit will only be given for answers completed during class. You must attend the scheduled quizzes and the final exam. See me at least two lectures before an exam if you have a conflict. Makeup exams are given only at the discretion of the instructor.

You must turn off your cell phone before class begins.

Please do not hold conversations with other students during class. Regardless of how quiet you believe you are, it is very distracting to the students around you.

Since you will be bringing a smart phone, tablet, or laptop to class everyday, please be respectful of me and the other students in the class. I ask that you restrict your use to Learning Catalytics, class related note-taking and research. Working on non-class related projects is distracting to the students around and behind you and is distracting to me. For a nice summary of the negative effects of using your laptop in class, see this New Yorker article by Dan Rockmore. 

Honor Code:

As a graduate of the University of Virginia, I take the honor code very seriously. I assume that all exams and labs are bound by your honor to be your own work, even if you did not explicitly sign the pledge. In class you will, at times, be asked to work in groups. In these cases, I expect everyone in the group to contribute to the answer. I would consider it an honor violation if you submit a groups' answer but did not contribute to the discussion. If you are not sure what is allowed ask me to clarify.

Weekly Blogs and Assignments:

The ability to understand and critically analyze popular accounts of science in the media, as well as experiencing the excitement of doing science, are essential for a scientifically literate member of society. Each week, you will have one exercise where you will read an article, watch a video, listen to a podcast, or solve an astronomical problem. Each week you will write a brief commentary viewed by the entire class and read/comment on your peers work. This will help you prepare for the final digital media project.

Digital Media Team Project:

This semester, we are going to create an online magazine called Origins. (modeled after Slate.com). You will be assigned to a group of 4 students. Your group will contribute a piece to the magazine on the astronomical origins of anything in the Universe (your choice). Like an online magazine, the piece must be fresh and engaging. You can write an article (with images) or produce a video, podcast, infographic, animation, or something I didn't think of. Be creative! Your grade will be based on a rubric that we will share with you that assesses the innovation and creativity of your piece, the rigor and importance of the information presented, an evaluation of your supporting evidence and resources, peer reviews of other groups work, and responses to the peer review. During the semester, leading up to the final project, you will participate in peer reviews of the project title, short project summary, and draft of the project. 

Laboratories:

You will be required to complete two labs this semester, the Constellation Lab and the Telescope Observing Lab.

 

Constellation Lab:

This lab consists of learning the names and locations of the brightest stars and constellations, completing a worksheet, and passing a short quiz. The lab can be completed in a single night and you may repeat it until you pass. The lab is graded pass/fail and the number of points that you receive depends on the date that you complete the lab:

Dates	Maximum possible grade
Jan 25 - Mar 03	50 points
Mar 14 - Apr 07	40 points
Apr 11 - May 03	30 points

 

You should complete the Constellation Lab as early as possible in the semester since the number of points that you receive will decline as the semester progresses; the lab gets very crowded as deadlines approach and you run the risk of being clouded out. There will be absolutely no exceptions to this schedule. The lab operates every Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday evening at both 9:00 and 10:00 p.m. and lasts one hour.  The lab is operated in the garage area adjacent  to the Astronomy Building (to the left of the Astronomy Building as seen from the Observatory Hill Dining Hall). You must sign up for a session in advance using the Sign-up tool in Collab (click on the Sign-up tab on the left side of the course Collab page). See the Lab Information page for more details.  If you completed the lab in a previous semester for another astronomy class, you must complete the lab again this semester.

 

You will significantly increase your chances of passing the quiz if you learn the names and locations of the major constellations and bright stars in the night sky. You can get very good star maps at SkyMaps.com and Heavens-Above.  Go outside at night and use the star maps to locate the constellations and bright stars.  At the start of the lab, the teaching assistant will review their locations and names.

 

The  Constellation Quiz Lab will not operate if the skies are cloudy.  If you are in doubt, call the Astronomy Department Night Lab hotline at (434) 924-7238 after 7:00 p.m. to learn if the labs will be open.

 

If you pass the lab, your grade will appear in the Gradebook on Collab within a week. If you do not pass the lab, you will receive an email and you should schedule another lab session.

 

Telescope Observing:

 

In this lab you will attend a single observing session at the Leander McCormick Observatory and sketch at least three objects as seen through the telescopes. The Telescope Observing Lab operates only on Monday and Thursday evenings and runs from 9:00-11:00 p.m.  See the Lab Information page for more details. You must sign up for a session in advance using the Sign-up tool in Collab (click on the Sign-up tab on the left side of the course Collab page). You should meet the teaching assistant at the left entrance of the Astronomy Building (as seen from the Observatory Hill Dining Hall) no later than 9:00 p.m. to get a ride to the Observatory.  The lab will also be graded pass/fail. The number of points that you receive for passing the lab depends on the date that you complete the lab:

Dates	Maximum possible grade
Feb 01 -  Mar 31 Apr 14	50 points
Apr 18 Apr 04 - May 02	40 points

You do not need to do any work or studying prior to the lab.  The teaching assistants will have the telescopes pointed at interesting objects.  You must make a quick, but accurate, sketch of the object and write a brief description of its appearance. If you pass the lab, your grade will appear in the Gradebook on Collab within 10 days. If you do not pass the lab, you will receive an email and you should schedule another lab session.

 

Learning Catalytics Classroom Exercises:

During most classes, I will ask you to respond to a number of questions using the Learning Catalytics student response system. I will use your responses to gauge the overall comprehension of the subject, to clear up any misunderstandings, and to learn your opinions on various topics. You will receive 1 point for each question that you answer and 1 additional point if you answer the question correctly. Once you have earned 100 points, you will not earn any additional credit. I do not allow students to make up missed questions. You may not use another student's account to answer questions for them. Answering questions for another student, whether they are present or absent, is a violation of the honor code. To use Learning Catalytics, you will need to bring an internet enabled device (smart phone, iPad, iPod Touch, tablet, or laptop) to every class. Please let me know if you do not have such a device.

Keys to Success:

Invest in your own learning and participate. What you get out of this course will be directly related to how much you put into it. In order to get the most out of our precious class time, your peers and I will rely on your to come prepared and ready for discussion.

Collaborate with your peers. We will regularly work in collaborative teams. This approach facilitates our learning and mimics your future professional roles as a member of interdisciplinary teams whether they be in science, politics, or business Since eveyone comes from different backgrounds and science experiences, your peers are valuable resources for learning.

Engage with the material. With all of the topics that we will cover in this course, I want you to keep these questions in mind: What are the main points? How would I explain those main points to someone not in this class? At times when you have to work at understanding a topic, what though process led you there? What do you not understand? For material you don't feel completely comfortable with, what action could you take to fill in the gaps in your understanding?

Talk to me. I am committed to helping you achieve your learning goals for this course. I am available during scheduled office hours or you can make an appointment to meet with me. You should let me know what ideas and tools are challenging to you and how you are doing in the class. If you start this habit early in the semester then I will be able to better tailor our activities to help you learn.

Have fun! At its heart, scientific inquiry involves dreaming up questions about the fundamentals of our universe and then seeking out the answers. It's a pretty sweet gig. I think its the best job in the world! Have fun with it.

Weather Pages:

Astronomy Department Night Lab weather hotline:  (434) 924-7238 (after 7:00 p.m.)

Current conditions at McCormick Observatory

National Weather Service forecast for Charlottesville

Clear Sky Clock for McCormick Observatory

Real-time satellite weather images

ASTR 1280 The Origins of Almost Everything