NATS 102 – The Physical UniverseA Survey of Astronomy

Instructors: Dr. Edward PratherTeaching Assistants: Brandon Kelly and

Eric Nielsen Required Text:

-The Cosmic Perspective – 4th Edition, by Bennett, Donahue, Schneider, and Voit, Addison Wesley (IBSN 0-321-43308-4 ) – Note: This ISBN is the text with Master Astronomy.

-Lecture Tutorials for Introductory Astronomy – First Edition, by Adams, Prather and Slater, Prentice Hall (ISBN 0-13-147997-0 ) – NOTE: BRING THIS TO CLASS EVERYDAY!!

IT’s ALL ABOUT ME

A little about me.

YOU CAN CALL ME:• Dr. Prather, (Mr. Prather was my Dad.)

• Professor Prather or just Professor

• Ed

• Can’t remember that, I will still answer to: WazSup, Hey, Help, Were Stuck, Dude, I don’t get it, or even a good pirate ARRRGGG Mate….

A little about me.Program Director for NASA’s

Center for Astronomy Education

Where does this class REALLY meet?

Here (only) in room N210 on Tuesday, and Thrusday from 11:00am to

12:15pm

This Course Satisfies the University’s Natural Science General Education Requirement

“The Physical Universe presents the astronomical phenomena of the universe in the context of physical science and examines Newton's laws governing force and motion, the laws of thermodynamics governing temperature and energy, the role of electromagnetism and light in nature, and the atomic structure of matter, in the context of current issues in planetary and space sciences”

This is Going to be Totally Sweet!!!!

How often have you thought or said:• I just can’t do science!• I just can’t do math!• I understand your lectures and the readings, but

I can’t do the homework.• I did all of the homework three times, but I

can’t do well on your tests.• I just can’t do history!

• From a teaching and learning perspective, just what is it that makes astronomy different?

But first a Questionnaire!!

Do your best!!

It’s not graded!!

Tell the truth!!

So what is going to happen in this course?

A look at the Syllabus – Our Contract!

• Active engagement with nearly daily group activities.

A Commonly Held Incorrect Model of a Student’s Conceptual Framework

tabla rasa

A Commonly Held Incorrect Model of Teaching and Learning

from How People Learn

“Students enter your lecture hall with preconceptions about how the world works. If their initial understanding is not engaged, they may fail to grasp the new concepts and information that are taught, or they may learn them for the purposes of a test but revert to their preconceptions outside the classroom.”

HOW PEOPLE LEARN, National Research Council, National Academy Press, 2000.

Key results from cognitive science and education research1. Learning is productive / constructive - learning

requires mental effort

2. Knowledge is associative / linked to prior mental models and formal structures

3. The cognitive response is context dependent – what and how you learn depends on the educational setting

4. Most people require some social interactions in order to learn effectively

Can Lecture Tutorials intellectually engage students at a level that is more effective than traditional lecture at

promoting deep conceptual change?

• Pre-Course: Students take a 68 question survey• Post-Lecture: questions administered in subsets• Post-Lecture Tutorial: questions administered in

subsets

Pre-Course mean: 30% (nA=39,nB=42)Post-Lecture mean: 52% (n ~ 100)Post-Lecture Tutorial: 72% (n ~ 100)

Former Students Speak OUT(focus group)

• “I liked the Tutorial, they were very helpful. I am not a science person but feel that I learned a lot from them.

• “Why don’t all professors use tutorials during class?”

• “The student interaction and tutorials are a very effective approach to both teaching and learning. I guarantee most students will retain most of this course.”

A look at the syllabus – Our Contract!

Periodically we will administer unscheduled questionnaires in class that will be collected during class. ….. In addition conceptual questions will be asked periodically (in class) to assess your understanding of course concepts both after lecture and after doing in class activities. We will gather your answers for participation.

80% or more participation points – A 70% - 79% of the participation points – B60% - 69% of the participation points – C50% - 59% of the participation points – D49% or less of the participation points – E

•Active engagement with nearly daily group activities.•Attendance at all classes is REQUIRED. To succeed in this course you need to be here

A look at the syllabus – Our Contract!During the semester you will be required to complete homework assignments that are designed to assess your understanding of the material covered in the course text, and in lecture. In some cases homework will consist of a short writing assignment that will be completed and handed in at the end of class. In other cases we will assign a set of homework problems (sometimes pencil and paper sometime computer based) that you are to complete on your own time and submit at the time designated when the assignment is provided. The dates for homework assignments are not scheduled ahead of time. We will communicate all information about assignments in class and on the course web page. If you are not in class on the day of an in-class writing assignment, you will not be able to make up this homework. In addition, if you are not in class on the day that outside-of-class homework is assigned, it is your responsibility to get the homework assignment from the course web-page and turn it in at the time described. No late homework will be accepted. All in class writing and pencil and paper homework (NOT Web based homework) will be graded on a 4 point grading scale. 4 - Thorough, detailed, correct response, at most one minor science content error 3 – Major ideas present but with an abbreviated or somewhat incomplete description; more than half the science content correct 2 - Major errors in science content but thoughtful response 1 - Major errors in science content and very incomplete/abbreviated description; OR unreadable 0 - No meaningful attempt worthy of grading

We will use the following grading scheme for homework.80% or more of total homework points – A 70% - 79% of total homework points – B60% - 69% of total homework points – C50% - 59% of total homework points – D49% or less of total homework points – E

•Periodic Homework is REQUIRED.

A look at the syllabus – Our Contract!•Active engagement with nearly daily group activities.•Attendance at all classes is REQUIRED. •Periodic Homework is REQUIRED.•Activities Outside of Class are REQUIRED.

All observing logs must be turned in no later than Tuesday, May 2nd (in class). No late Observing Logs will be accepted for ANY reason beyond Tuesday, May 2nd (in class). .

Don’t throw away (loose) 5% of your grade by being a procrastinator/slacker!!!!!

A look at the syllabus – Our Contract!•Active engagement with nearly daily group activities.•Attendance at all classes is REQUIRED. •Periodic Homework is REQUIRED.•Activities Outside of Class are REQUIRED•Testing Circumstances

You can drop your lowest, or missed, midterm exam.Everyone is required to take the CUMMULATIVE Final Exam!! Scantron, multiple choice – bring a pencil (not your cell phone)No make-up exams for the midterms or Final (exceptions require a written deans excuse)!!!

Grading Scheme• Absolute grading

– (no curves, no competition, and absolutely no extra credit)

• Three Exams (drop lowest) 50%• Final Exam (cannot drop) 20%• Homework 15 %• Participation 10 % • Observatory Visit 5 %

90 – 100 A

80 – 89.9 B

70 – 79.9 C

60 – 69.9 D

< 59.9 F

No plus or minus grades

Grades are available online 24/7 and updated weekly

All grades in the class are final 72 hours after they have been posted and/or returned. Please make sure if you have any grading dispute that you contact us BEFORE this 72 hour period is over.

How to be SPECIAL (in Ed’s class)!!

• Cell Phone calls or Texting in class

• Don’t Participate

• Be disruptive or disrespectful

• Leave before class is over

• Come late to class - often

• “Lie, Cheat, and Steal” *

Trust me you don’t want to be special!!!

* Credited to Manard of TOOL – from Undertow , tack 01 , “Intolerance”

This Class is rated PG13!!• Due to unplanned, and or unintentional occurrence of

potentially colorful expressions or actions either during lecture or in accompanying course media it is possible that you could be offended at some time during the semester. Let me start off by apologizing right now should this come to fruition. If you ever feel that you need to make me aware of any such occurrence, please feel free to do so at your convenience outside of class so that appropriate accommodations can be made.

WHO ARE YOU??!!?!?!?

Are you a professional student or are you an amateur?

OFFICE HRS – When will you REALLY come??

Time Mon Tues Wed Thurs Fri

9:00

10:00

11:00

12:00

1:00

2:00

3:00

4:00

PARTICIPATION – Get out a piece of paper and put your name and ID # on it and state the top two times you would come to office hours.

Goals of the courseHelp you develop:• a basic understanding of the central ideas of

astronomy

• an appreciation for the role astronomy has played in shaping the consciousness of the world in the past, at present and what the future holds.

• a real world perspective for how astronomy is connected to your daily lives

• the skills and motivation to pursue life long learning and become a valuable member of the workforce and our society

NOT Goals of the course• Turn you into Math-oholics!

• Expect you to sit there and listen to me lecture for an hour everyday

• Force you to work through an endless array of unconnected homework, labs and writing assignments (don’t worry you will still EARN your three credits!)

• Teach you essentially the same stuff as I do the astronomy majors

My wish is that this experience will make you a better human!!

Breath!!!

Life is a journey not a destination!

The only certain thing in life is change!!

Cute is not Sciencehttp://www.milaadesign.com/wizardy.html

• Don’t let cute be confused with REALITY!!

• Crating a website that shows that you know the numerical sequence that produces the number 9 = cute but not Clairvoyant!!

• NOT ALL THINGS ARE REAL OR EVEN CLEVER BUT SCIENCE IS BOTH OF THESE EVEN WHEN IT LATER TURNS OUT TO BE

INCOMPLETE OR WRONG!!!!

You Live in THIS Universe; Live With It or Leave!!

“There is a theory which states that if ever anyone discovers exactly what the Universe is for and why it is here, it will instantly disappear and be replaced by something even more bizarre and inexplicable. There is another which states that this has already happened.”

by Douglas Adams, from The Restaurant at the End of the Universe

You Live in THIS Society; Like it or Change it or Leave!!

Intelligent Design, EVOLUTION, Flying Spaghetti Monster

http://www.venganza.org/about/open-letter/

GO CONFIDENTELY IN THE DIRECTION OF YOUR

DREAMS!! LIVE THE LIFE YOU’VE IMAGINED