Course+Outline+120

Astronomy 120: Stars and Galaxies, Winter 2018
**Contact Information:**

Jennifer Krestow, Ph.D.(pronounced: Krestov) Office: CS 262 Phone: 818-2400-1000 x5356 Class meeting: Monday - Thursday, 9:30 - 12:30 P.M. in CR136 & CS257 Class website: GCCastronomy.wikispaces.com

Winter 2018 Astronomy 120 is an unusual, double pull class. One class is an on-campus only class (ticket #1240). The second class is an on-campus/Baja class (ticket #1702). Depending on which class you are registered in, you will either be required to complete your work only at the GCC in Glendale, or you will required to complete your academic work both at the GCC campus in Glendale, and the GCC campus in Baja to earn an academic grade. There are additional costs and considerations for the Baja class, but the experience will be once-in-a-lifetime and the night observing is exceptional, so I highly recommend taking the Baja class. That said, both classes will receive all lectures in person, by me, and both classes are equally academically stringent.

My office hours are every day the class meets, from 1:00 - 2:00 P.M., in CR136. If you’d like to meet before class, please email and let me know the day before.

**Course Materials:**

The most important resource for this course is the class website (GCCastronomy.wikispaces.com). All information regarding this course will be posted there and I will assume that you will access that website daily. Also on this website are links to two online textbooks that contain information at the appropriate level for this class. I will set readings from these online texts.

**Supplemental Instruction**:

Daniel Morrow is the class’ SI instructor. He has taken all astronomy classes that GCC offers and this is his third semester SI’ing. He can help you with your homework, and can explain concepts in greater depth and more slowly than lecture allows. Statistics show that those students who attend SI sessions do better than those who do not. SI sessions are free, and can certainly help your understanding of the complex astrophysical concepts of this course. Daniel’s SI sessions are everyday after class, from 1:15 - 2:15 P.M. in CR136.

**Grading (all dates and times apply for both on-campus and Baja classes):**

There will be quizzes almost every day of this class. The quizzes are worth 15% of your total grade, and will be based on the material learned in the previous class meeting. They will occur at the start of class, and are one way for me to ensure the class starts on time, with everyone in attendance. Quizzes typically last five minutes and have a number of fill-in-the-blank or short answer questions.

There are two term tests, each worth 15% of your grade: on Monday, January 22 nd and Monday, January 30 th. The tests are comprehensive, short answer tests, with no multiple choice options. Mathematics are included, but the maths are limited to essentially arithmetic and are used in order to help the science be better understood.

There will be a number of homework assignments and projects throughout the semester, together worth 20% of your grade. They were written by me, and are tailored to this class. They will help you to apply what you have learned in class, in order to better prepare you for the tests.

There is two major assignment for this class, each worth 5% of your grade. The first is a constellation assignment (due Friday, January 26 th at 12:00 noon), and the second is a one page, scientific critique/report of a visit to the Griffith Observatory (due 11:59 P.M. on Friday, February 2 nd, via the canvas website).

The final exam is worth 25% of the your grade and is scheduled to take place from 10:00 A.M. - 12:30 P.M. on Thursday, February 15 th, 2018 in CR136.

**Grading scheme in summary:** Quizzes: 15% total Tests: 30% total (15% each) Homework: 20% Constellation Report: 5% Griffith Report: 5% Final Exam: 25% **Total: 100%**

**Student Learning Outcomes:**

At the end of this semester, as a result of taking this astronomy course, you will be able to:

1. Students should be able to identify, classify and compare the stars on the Hertzsprung-Russell diagram. 2. Students should be able to identify, classify and compare the objects in the Universe, including, but not limited to; atoms, nebulae, stars, stellar clusters, galaxies, clusters of galaxies, quasars. 3. Students should be able to examine and critique the expansive and dynamic nature of our Universe, within a historical perspective. 4. Students should be able to explain the evolution of stars as well as of the large scale structure of the Universe.

**Academic Behavior:**

Cheating = “To take an examination or a test in a dishonest way, as by improper access to answers” 1 Plagiarism = “An act or instance of using or closely imitating the language and thoughts of another author without authorization and the representation of that author's work as one's own, as by not crediting the original author:” 2

I will not tolerate cheating of any kind! The work on the quizzes, the tests, the homework, the constellation report, the Griffith Report, and the exam must be your own. You may not use electronic devices of any kind during the writing of the tests or the exam. You may not copy or paraphrase from the web (even one sentence is too much) for any assignment handed in for this class. You may not help others to cheat or plagiarize. As stipulated in the GCC student handbook, cheating and/or plagiarism are serious academic offences. If you cheat, you will receive zero on that assignment/test/exam, possibly zero in the course, and you may even be expelled. The consequences are too high. Do not cheat. 3

**Students with Disabilities:**

GCC is committed to providing students with documented disabilities equitable access to all programs and facilities. If you have, or think you may have, a disability requiring accommodations, you must register with the Center for Students with Disabilities (CDS) in San Rafael 238-1. Please provide me with that information privately so that we can review those accommodations and I will then do my very best to make this Stars and Galaxies class a successful learning opportunity for you.

**Expected** **Classroom Behavior:**

Please respect that every classroom is a place of learning. I strive to make this classroom a welcoming and enjoyable space for everyone; regardless of age, ability, ethnicity and sexual orientation… or any other difference for that matter, obvious or not! Given this goal, I therefore expect that cell phones… well… let’s be honest here! Cell phones are always an issue in the classroom and we’ll come up with a policy together, for cell phone use in the first few days of the course, so that they disrupt our “place of learning” as little as possible.

I also should mention here, that as a result of previous experience, disruptive behavior of any kind will not be tolerated. After one warning, those disrupting the class will be asked to either move or leave.

**Recording Devices:**

All students should feel confident that their personal privacy is not being invaded by the taking of audio or video recording of them, without their knowledge or consent. Accordingly, no device that can be used to record (video or audio) is permitted in this class, without the express consent of the instructor and the entire class and a completed “Recording Permission” form.

**Schedule:** Date; 9:30 - 10:55 A.M. & 11:05 A.M. - 12:30 P.M. Monday January 8 th : Welcome to Astro 120! & “Science!” Tuesday, January 9 th : Mapping the Cosmos & Everything Moves, I Wednesday, January 10 th : Everything Moves, II & Tools of the Trade Thursday, January 11 th : Received from Above & Blackbody radiation Friday, January 12 th : Optional Study Session/Homework Help Saturday, January 13 th : Extra Credit Opportunity: Dark Sky Star Party

Monday, January 15 th : GCC closed - Happy Martin Luther King Jr. Day Tuesday, January 16 th : Atoms and Spectra & A Stellar Example Wednesday, January 17 th : Characterizing Stars, I & Characterizing Stars, II Thursday, January 18 th : Study Session/Homework Help & Study Session (and a special treat) Friday, January 19 th : Nothing. Be freeeeeeee!

Monday, January 22 nd : **Test #1** & Interstellar Medium Tuesday, January 23 rd : Stellar Formation & Evolution of Low Mass Stars Wednesday, January 24 th : Evolution of Medium Mass Stars & Evolution of High Mass Stars, I Thursday, January 25 th : Evolution of High Mass Stars, II & Evolution of Stellar Systems Friday, January 26 th : Optional Study Session & Constellation Report due by 12:00 P.M. (in person) Friday, January 26 th : Extra Credit Opportunity: Conversation with the Stars lecture

Monday, January 29 th : Study Session & **Test #2** Tuesday, January 30 th : Black Holes & Relativity, I & Black Holes & Relativity, II Wednesday, January 31 st : Extra Credit Opportunity: 5AM Lunar Eclipse Viewing Wednesday, January 31 st : Galactic Contents & The MilkyWay Thursday, February 1 st : Galaxies & Life in the Universe Friday, February 2 nd : Griffith Observatory Report due at 11:59 P.M. (on canvas)

Monday, February 5 th through Tuesday, February 13 th : All students enrolled in Astro 120, ticket #1702 must travel to the GCC campus in Baja California and attend all astronomy classes there.

Wednesday, February 14 th : Cosmology, The Past & Cosmology, The Future Thursday, February 15 th : **Final Exam(10:00 A.M. - 12:30 P.M.)**

1 Cheating. Dictionary.com, LLC. Copyright © 2017. (accessed: January 7 th, 2018). 2 Plagiarism. Dictionary.com, LLC. Copyright © 2017. (accessed: January 7 th, 2018). 3 I MEAN IT!