Instructor: Dr. Brian M. Davies
Instructor's office: Currens 532 (top floor, northwest corner)
Instructor’s office phone: 309-298-1307
Physics Dept. Fax: 309-298-2850
Office Hours: MTuWF 11:00 – 11:50 a.m.
Instructor's e-mail address: BM-Davies@wiu.edu
Instructor’s web page: http://faculty.wiu.edu/BM-Davies/
Required textbook : "Discovering the Essential Universe” by Neil F. Comins, 4 th edition 2009
Class Time and Location: Tuesday and Thursday 2:00 – 3:15 p.m. in Currens Hall, room 205
Course Objective: To introduce the student to basic concepts in astronomy and the methods that are used to determine what we know about the universe.
Grading:
There will be four in-class closed-book exams and one final exam. The lowest score of the four regular exams will be dropped, and each of the three highest exam scores will contribute 20% of your grade. The score for the final exam will count for 30% of your grade, and will not be dropped. The final exam will be comprehensive, covering all the material for the semester. Exams are a mixture of multiple choice questions and true/false questions. You should see the textbook for summaries and learning goals for the material that we will cover. The exams may include extra-credit questions which are based on material presented in class which is not in the book. There will be a paper (see below) which will count for 10% of your grade. Additional class activities such as occasional quizzes and evening star-observing sessions will give you an opportunity for additional credit. On the days that we have exams, there will be about 30 minutes of class lecture or review before we start the exam.
Attendance in the lecture is not recorded, and there is no penalty for missing class (but you need to be present to take the exams if you want to get credit for them!).
Writing requirement:
This course is a general education course, and has a writing requirement. You will write a two page paper, typed (double-spaced) or produced with a computer, which will count for 10% of your grade.
The topic will be based on a movie which will be shown in class. You must come to class to see the movie if you want to get credit for the paper. You will then write the paper, based on the material you saw in the movie. A second movie will be shown later in the semester for those who miss the first movie, but all students are encouraged to see both movies. The paper is due at the end of class, one week after the movie is shown, but it will be accepted any time earlier. Late papers will be accepted, but you will be penalized 20% of the possible score for each day the paper is late!
There will be a handout which gives more detail about this assignment. In addition, the University
Writing Center is available to assist you with general and specific questions on writing assigned in any discipline and at any academic level. The one-on-one assistance available at the Writing Center is valuable for generating ideas, talking about global-level issues such as organization, and even working through grammatical problems. The University Writing Center is located in Simpkins Hall 341. Call for an appointment (298-2815) and be sure to bring a copy of your assignment.

Assignment of Grades:
A 100 – 88
B 87 – 75
C 74 – 62
D 61 – 50
(Plus and minus will be given for the top and bottom 4% of these ranges, except no A+.)
Physics 101 Astronomy Exam Schedule
Exam # 1 Thursday, September 8 (Ch. 1 and 2)
Exam # 2
Exam # 3
Exam # 4
Final exam
Thursday, October 6
Thursday, November 3
Thursday, December 1
Tuesday, December 13 at 3 p.m.
(Ch. 3, 4, and 5)
(Ch. 6, 7, and 8)
(Ch. 9, 10, and 11)
(Ch. 1 through 13)
Physics 101 Astronomy Movie Schedule
Movie # 1 Tuesday, October 11, and the paper is due October 18
Movie # 2 Thursday, November 10, and the paper is due November 17
ADA policy: “In accordance with University policy and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), academic accommodations may be made for any student who notifies the instructor of the need for an accommodation. For the instructor to provide the proper accommodation(s), you must obtain documentation of the need for an accommodation through Disability Resource Center and provide it to the instructor. It is imperative that you take the initiative to bring such needs to the instructor's attention, as he/she is not legally permitted to inquire about such particular needs of students. Students who may require special assistance in emergency evacuations (i.e. fire, tornado, etc.) should contact the instructor as to the most appropriate procedures to follow in such an emergency. Contact the
Disability Resource Center at 298-2512 or disability@wiu.edu for additional services.”
There is more policy that applies to this class, even if it is not written into the syllabus.
Please see these documents on the WIU web site :
General education goals: http://www.wiu.edu/catalog/requirements/gened-goals.php
Student Rights and Responsibilities: http://www.wiu.edu/provost/students.php
Academic Integrity Policy: http://www.wiu.edu/policies/acintegrity.php