Lead Deadwood School District Syllabus
Course Title: Astronomy
SD DOE Common Course Number: 03004
Course Description: Astronomy is a course is a one-semester course in which students will gain a
broader understanding of Earth as a system, our solar system, our galaxy and beyond. Topics
covered will include everything from the origin of Astronomy to the origin and death of stars. Students
will have several hands on projects to help solidify concepts.
Teacher Introduction: Thomas Tieszen
Teacher Contact Information: Thomas.tieszen@k12.sd.us
State Content Standards Alignment: 2014-2015
Course Concepts and Standards and Direction: Content Standards to be covered
18 Week Outline
1st Grading Period -
2nd Grading Period –
Concepts Covered:
Concepts Covered:
History of Astronomy
Astronomical Cycles
Gravity and Motion
Light and Waves
Telescopes
Earth
Earth and Moon system
Features of the Sun
Solar System
Inner planets
Standards Delivered/Assessed:
(Include indicators addressed)
Standards Delivered/Assessed:
(Include indicators addressed)
3rd Grading Period –
4th Grading Period –
Concepts Covered:
Concepts Covered:
Outer Planets
Asteroids and Comets
Milky Way galaxies
Stars
Life of a star
Cosmology
Black holes
ExtraTerrestrial Life
The unexplored Universe
Standards Delivered/Assessed:
Standards Delivered/Assessed:
(Include indicators addressed)
(Include indicators addressed)
Assessment Types: The student is expected to monitor their grade throughout the semester.
All tests will be scheduled and announced. There may be unannounced quizzes to ensure consistent studying
habits. Standardized Tests, Essays, Labs, and projects will all be utilized to assess student learning.
Grading Scale and Policy:
Student assessment will be based on homework, tests and quizzes, labs and any projects that are assigned.
Letter grades will be used for reporting to parents/guardians for each marking period.
Letter grades and GPA will be based on the Lead Deadwood School District policy. The following grading
scale will be used by all departments and all instructors and will determine grade point average (GPA), class
rank, and honor graduate status. The LDSD grading scale is as follows:
100
95-99
93-94
91-92
88-90
86-87
84-85
80-83
78-79
76-77
72-75
70-71
69<
Incompletes
A+
A
4.33
4.00
A-
3.66
B+
B
BC+
C
CD+
D
DF
3.33
3.00
2.66
2.33
2.00
1.66
1.33
1.00
0.66
0.00
4.17-4.33
3.83-4.16
3.50-3.87
3.17-3.49
2.83-3.16
2.50-2.82
2.17-2.49
1.83-2.16
1.50-1.82
1.17-1.49
0.83-1.16
0.50-0.82
0.00
All grades reported as incomplete must be removed within two weeks following the end of a grading period
unless special permission for an extension is granted by the building administration. An incomplete will be
recorded as an “F” if it is not removed within two weeks. It is the student’s responsibility to complete the work
and hand it in to the instructor.
Standardized Testing Preparation: As a part of this course, significant effort will be directed towards the
preparation for the Dakota STEP assessment. Students who have already taken and passed the DSTEP will
benefit in their preparation for the ACT or college-placement exams when applicable.
Materials: Textbook: Explorations: An Introduction to Astronomy (6th Edition) Authors: Arny, Thomas T.
Publisher: McGraw-Hill Higher Education Copyright: 2010. In addition, handouts and Internet tools will be
employed when appropriate to aid student learning Method for note-taking. Paper and writing utensil.
Notebook.
Attendance Policy:
MAKE-UP WORK: It is the responsibility of the student to manage his or her make-up work. You must get
the assignments, take the make-up tests etc. When possible, this can be done via your school email account. It
is suggested you do so before/after school or during SRB immediately returning to school. Do not expect your
teachers to automatically inform you and schedule your make-up work. You will be expected to use the course
website when applicable and other tools to avoid falling behind. The late-work policy from the student
handbook appears below:
High School students who are absent for more than five (5) days of a block class during a school
semester will not receive credit for the course work without special extenuating circumstances and the
recommendation of exception from the principal. Students may request an appeal to the loss of credit
through a committee of five teachers selected by the student and the building principal.
The building Principal is granted the right to make exceptions to this minimum attendance standard in
extra-ordinary cases. If a student reaches the absence limit and thus will potentially lose credit, he or
she must continue in the course until the end of a semester unless approved by the building
administration. Students who are permitted to withdraw with no credit will be assigned to the “CABIN”
for the remainder of the semester.
The student is allowed (2) school days for make-up work for each excused absence.
Contact Information:
LDHS phone 717-3899, e-mail: thomas.tieszen@k12.sd.us
Planning time – Gold 1
This syllabus is a tenative outline of this course and may be changed as deemed necessary by the instructor.