2) Units of Distance in Astronomy
3) The Scale of the Universe
4) The Celestial Sphere
a) Constellations
b) Measuring the Positions of Celestial Objects
c) Celestial Coordinates
5) The Sun’s Motion Across the Sky
a) The Ecliptic
b) The Zodiac
c) The Sun and the Seasons
6) History of Astronomy
a) The Greek Earth-Centered Model
b) Nicholas Copernicus and the Heliocentric Model
c) Johannes Kepler and the Three Laws of Planetary Motion
d) Galileo Galilei and the Telescope
e) Isaac Newton and the Three Laws of Motion
f) Albert Einstein and the General Theory of Relativity
7) Light and the Electromagnetic Spectrum
8) Telescopes
a) The Refracting Telescope
b) The powers of a Telescope
c) The Reflecting Telescopes
d) Radio Telescopes
e) Interferometry
9) The Earth-Moon System
a) The Moon’s Phases
b) Lunar Eclipses
c) Solar Eclipses
d) The Earth
e) The Moon
10) The Solar System
a) The Terrestrial Planets
i) Mercury
ii) Venus
iii) Mars
b) The Jovian Planets
i) Jupiter
ii) Saturn
iii) Uranus
iv) Neptune
c) Other Solar System Objects
i) Pluto
ii) Asteroids
iii) Comets
iv) Meteors and Meteor Showers
11) The Sun
12) The Properties of Stars
13) Interstellar Matter and Star Formation
a) Nebulae
b) Star Birth
c) Star Clusters
14) The Deaths of Low-Mass Stars
a) Brown Dwarfs
b) Red Giants
c) White Dwarfs
15) The Deaths of Massive Stars
a) Supernovae
b) Neutron Stars/Pulsars
c) Black Holes
16) Galaxies
a) The Milky Way
b) Hubble Classification
c) Active Galaxies/Quasars
17) Cosmology
a) The Expanding Universe
b) The Big Bang Theory
c) The Quest for Extraterrestrial Intelligence
LESSON 1: Prologue and Chapter 1; An Earth Centered Universe.
LESSON 2: Chapter 2; A Sun Centered System; Gravity and the Rise of Modern Astronomy.
LESSON 3: Chapters 3 and 4; Light and the EM Spectrum; Telescopes; Windows to the Universe.
LESSON 4: Chapters 5, 6, and 7; The Earth-Moon System; A Planetary Overview.
LESSON 5: Chapters 8 and 9; The Terrestrial Planets; The Jovian Planets.
LESSON 6: Chapters 10 and 11; The Pluto and solar System Debris; The Sun
LESSON 7: Chapters 12 and 13; Measuring the Prop. of Stars; Interstellar Matter and Star Formation.
LESSON 8: Chapters 14, 15, and 16; The Lives and Deaths of Low-Mass Stars; The Deaths of Massive Stars;
The Milky Way Galaxy.
LESSON 9: Chapters 17, 18 and 19;A Diversity of Galaxies; Cosmology: The Nature of the Universe; The
Quest for Extraterrestrial Intelligence.
Final Exam at the dates and times scheduled by the college.
Kuhn, Karl. IN QUEST OF THE UNIVERSE (6TH
EDITION).
In the box below type, I have the textbook for ASTR 1 or I will
have it by the end of the first week of class.
Email Updates
One of the primary
methods of contact in an online course is email. Your college is capable of
extracting student names and email addresses from our registration system.
The purpose of extracting this information is two fold. The information will
be used by the instructor to remain in contact with the class in order to
provide information necessary for the students' academic success. The
information will also be used to send emails to the students from the
college administration. The emails sent by the college administration will
consist of links to course surveys which will be used to improve our online
courses, important announcements for students, and links to college surveys,
which will be used to satisfy requirements placed on the college by the
California Community College Chancellor's Office. The college will not use
this information to advertise any products and will not share student email
addresses with any other organization.
In the box below type the following information:
As a student I understand it is my responsibility to ensure my email address
is up to date in the registration system, and that failure to do so can
seriously impact my ability to successfully complete my courses. Further, I
consent to receive email communication from my instructor and from the
college administration. This consent will remain in force until it is
revoked in writing or I am no longer taking classes with the college. Upon
submitting the syllabus, I agree to enter the registration system, check my
email address and change it if necessary. I understand a tutorial is
available to assist me with this procedure. I also understand I can contact
760-252-2411 x7236 to receive additional assistance if I encounter any
difficulties when attempting to change my email address.
ON-LINE INSTRUCTIONS:
YOU MUST FILL OUT THIS SYLLABUS IF
YOU INTEND TO TAKE THE COURSE!
It is your responsibility to make sure the
instructor has the all the contact information stated at the top of
this syllabus by the start of classes!! It is your responsibility to
email the instructor if you have any problems or do not understand
this syllabus.
It is your responsibility to confirm your enrollment
either via the Internet at
https://bcregweb.barstow.edu/
or by calling (760)252-2411 x7236 if you are having problems
accessing the course material. After you have confirmed your
enrollment go to
http://www.bcconline.com/orient/ and read the password link.
Following this procedure will ensure you are helped in the fastest
manner possible.
By enrolling for this class, the assumption is that
you possess the necessary skills to read at the college level, to
enter and perform research on the internet, to email using proper
email etiquette and to post to the discussions.
When emailing your instructor: (gakers@bcconline.com)
include your full name. Send all email with the name of the course
in the subject line and Lesson No. or the words: problem, question
or comment. Many times I receive email with no name in the body of
the email. Sign all email with your name as registered at school,
or else you will not receive a reply and your assignment will not be
graded.
You must explain the problem in the subject line,
i.e., ASTR 1, Research 1 -- no research available. Email without an
appropriate subject line will be deleted and will not be read. With
the current high incidence of viruses and unsolicited email I
automatically delete all email without appropriate subject lines.'
Remember I do not answer email on the weekends, so
48 hours response time do not include Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays
and holidays. If an email stating problem, help, or question in the
subject line is sent on Monday through Thursday you can expect a
response within 24-48 hours. If an email stating problem, help, or
question in the subject line is sent on the weekends there will be a
longer turn around time, but the email will be answered by Tuesday
of the following week.
Email assignments will have a one week turnaround
time, and you should not expect an answer to a successfully
submitted and completed assignment before the end of the one week
turnaround time period. Receiving graded assignments or answers to
your questions before the above stated timelines have passed does
not guarantee that you will receive replies that quickly in the
future.
Online classes are NOT conducted via instantaneous
transmission. Just as I am giving you a EIGHT day period to
complete your work, I am to be given SEVEN days to reply to your
assignments. In addition, the above stated timelines apply to ALL
students and ALL responses to your questions and concerns.
I appreciate your understanding of the above stated
timelines and will respond to ALL questions and concerns about this
class within the timeframes stated above.
A posting place at the top of the discussion page
indicates the instructor’s message board to you. Be sure to check
this each week so that you don’t miss messages and clarifications;
remember that sometimes no instructor posting will have been made.
Students are not to post in the instructor's posting area. Should
you have a concern with your class please email me your question.
It is not appropriate for students to post their concerns in the
instructor's posting area. Students who post in the instructor's
posting area will receive a warning and their posting will be
deleted unanswered. Students who ignore the warning and post again
to the instructor's posting area will be dropped from the class.
At the conclusion of the class students may find out
their grades by going to the student records area at
https://bcregweb.barstow.edu/. I do not email or post student grades and will not respond to
inquiries about grades at the conclusion of the course.
In the box below type, I understand and agree to
abide by the online instructions written above.
IMPORTANT:
You will not officially start this course until after you have
completed the orientation sessions at
http://www.bcconline.com/orient/. No work should be completed
until AFTER the you have reviewed the orientation area. The
orientation area will answer many frequently asked questions about
online instruction and also provides tutorials on common problems
students encounter while doing online courses. If you are
experiencing technical difficulties and/or need to learn how to use
our courseware you should first check the orientation area to see if
it answers your technical question. If your technical question is
not answered on the website you may then email the webmaster@bcconline.com
with your question.
If your question pertains to class materials you should email
gakers@bcconline.com. The
webmaster cannot answer course related questions, and Dr. Akers does
not answer technical questions. Remember that you must state your
full name, problem, question or concern and your class name in the
subject line when asking a question.
In the box below type:
I understand I must fill out the syllabus in order to activate
this course and that completing the online orientation before beginning
my course work is mandatory. I realize that I should email the
instructor with any class related questions. I also understand that I
should first check the orientation area for answers to my technical
questions and can email the webmaster@bcconline.com my technical questions ONLY after checking
the orientation area for the answer to my question first.
Requirements:
There is no prerequisite for this course. However there are
several requirements in order to take the class:
An internet browser to access web pages;
Netscape 3.0, Internet Explorer 3.0 or the equivalent is the
minimum.
An e-mail address to receive class materials. A free e-mail
account such as Hotmail or Yahoo is acceptable.
The ability to structure your own time to do the readings, weekly
assignments and be prompt. There are no make-ups. Be sure to
schedule the midterm and the final in your personal
scheduler. Do not plan to move, get married, go on vacation or any
other such activity especially during these times. The midterm and
the final count high points.
The ability to create and submit college level written materials.
Facility with using e-mail, the discussion groups, the web, and
word processing.
If you do not have access to a computer you may use the computer
lab on campus; be sure to check times available for each lab to
coordinate with your schedule.
In the box below type, I understand this is a university-level
course that requires certain academic skills. Therefore, I assert that I
am able to read at the English 101 level appropriate college-level
writing and test-taking skills. I understand the standards for written
work and agree to abide by them. I will contact the instructor if I have
any questions or concerns. I understand the standards for participation
and agree to abide by them. Further, I understand and have the ability
to meet the requirements listed above. Finally I have the necessary
materials to complete this course.
Proctor Statement:
There will be two proctored exams for this course: one for the midterm and one for the final exam. If you
cannot take the midterm and final on campus, it is your responsibility to find
an approved proctor (approved by the instructor by the date stated on the
home page of the class website), for example, a librarian or
education officer, and an approved site, such as a library or an
education center, to take the exam. You must completely fill out the
proctor form on the front page of the course. Incomplete proctor
forms will be discarded. You must also activate the class by filling
out and submitting this syllabus.
In the box below type:
I understand there are two proctored exams for this
course (the midterm and the final). If I am unable to take the midterm
and final on the main campus,
or at Barstow College's Ft. Irwin site, I understand it is
my responsibility to find a proctor and completely fill out the proctor
from.
Syllabus Disclaimer:
A syllabus is not a contract between instructor and student, but
rather a guide to course procedures on attendance, requirements,
grading, and objectives. The instructor reserves the right to amend the
syllabus when emergency circumstances dictate. Students will be duly
notified.
In the box below, I understand a syllabus is a general guideline for
students to use in planning their time for a particular class. The
instructor reserves the right to make modifications to the syllabus with
reasonable time allowances for students to adjust to the changes.
Disability Statement:
If you have a disability which may impact
your success in this course, you may contact the Office of Student Support
(OSS) to arrange any reasonable accommodations and
supports to which you are entitled. It is the responsibility of the
student to initiate these procedures. The OSS department can be contacted
by calling 760-252-2411 x7225 or 760-252-6759 TTY/TDD or emailing
oss@bcconline.com.
In the box below type: I understand that if I have or
suspect I have a disability I can contact the OSS program at the number or
email address listed above and request reasonable accommodations. Further I
realize it is my responsibility to contact the OSS department.
