A discussion of the major areas of astronomy. Topics include the solar system, the Sun and other stars, the stellar evolution, galaxies, and the universe itself. Students may receive credit for only one of the following courses: ASTR 100, ASTR 101, ASTR 120, or GNSC 125. This course is not open to students who have taken or are taking any astronomy course numbered 250 or higher. For students not majoring or minoring in a science. Prerequisite: MATH 012.

Welcome to Astronomy! Within the time frame of a few weeks, you will learn about the Earth, our solar system, the Milky Way galaxy and what lies beyond. This course has three important themes: vocabulary, facts, and evidence. It is important to learn the meanings, spellings and pronunciations of the scientific terms you encounter in this textbook. You should learn the definitions that author Professor Seeds gives both in the main text as well as in the Glossary at the end of the text. It is important to familiarize yourself with these definitions instead of memorizing them verbatim.

Factual knowledge is the second important theme for this course. Astronomy has an enormous number of facts. It is important to learn these facts. Facts alone are important in science, and theories that scientists develop explain and unify the enormous number of observations and phenomena are likewise important. Some of these theories seem sensible, others, outrageous.

To believe these theories, scientists require evidence. Evidence is the third important theme of ASTR 100. Every time you encounter a fact, see if the author presents that fact as evidence for a theory. Investigate the connections between the observation and the theory. Learn, for example, how Balmer lines are evidence of the presence of hydrogen, the orbital period of a binary system is evidence of the masses of the stars, x-ray emissions can be evidence of the presence of a black hole, and the cosmic microwave background radiation is evidence of the big bang.

The author presents material in several places. One is the main text. Study the main text carefully. Read it once to determine the main points; read it again to learn the main points in depth; then review it repeatedly. Challenge yourself to answer all the Review Questions, Problems and Discussion Questions at the end of the chapter. Prior to taking a quiz or examination, review each chapter again.

Additional material are in the figures. Every figure in the text serves a purpose. Be sure to read every caption and study each figure. Pay particular attention to the double-page spreads that the book includes in many chapters. Determine why the author included it. Relate it to the main text. See whether it illustrates one of the New Terms or presents observational evidence for some phenomenon. Tables also add depth to the main text.

Sidebars contain important supplementary material. Study the Windows on Science, By the Numbers, Critical Inquiries and other discussions that are in shaded parts of the book. Many of these would make good essay questions on tests.

Upon successful completion of Introduction to Astronomy you will be able to

• Explain the scientific method, why it is so successful, and how it has been used in Astronomy.
• Discuss the differences between science and pseudoscience and how to distinguish one from the other.
• Explain why the naked-eye astronomical objects (Sun, Moon, and nearby planets and stars) appear to move the way we see them move.
• Discuss the basic properties of the main types of astronomical bodies.
• Describe the range of distances and time scales that apply to various astronomical objects and phenomena.
• Explain why various parts of the universe and the universe as a whole change over time.
• Provide an overview of the astronomical, physical, chemical, and biological events that made it possible for life to exist on earth today.
• Perform quantitative reasoning, and present and interpret quantitative scientific information.

Required:

• Horizons: Exploring the Universe, 8^th Edition
  by Michael A. Seeds, 2004, Brooks/Cole.
• ASTR 100 CAT course CD-ROM
• The Sky Student Edition CD-ROM (accompanies the text)
• The Sky Workbook (accompanies the text)

Lesson	Chapter
MODULE 1: THE SKY
1	1	The Scale of the Cosmos
2	2	The Sky
3	3	Cycles of the Sky
4	4	The Origin of Modern Astronomy
5	5	Astronomical Tools
	1-5	REVIEW and QUIZ 1 - Chapters 1-5
MODULE 2: THE STARS
6	6	Atoms and Starlight
7	7	The Sun---Our Star
8	8	The Properties of Stars
9	9	The Formation and Structure of Stars
10	10	The Deaths of Stars
11	11	Neutron Stars and Black Holes
	6-11	REVIEW and QUIZ 2- Chapters 6-11
	1-11	MIDTERM EXAM
MODULE 3: THE UNIVERSE OF GALAXIES
12	12	The Milky Way Galaxy
13	13	Galaxies
14	14	Galaxies with Active Nuclei
15	15	Cosmology in the 21st Century
	12-15	REVIEW and QUIZ 3 - Chapters 12-15
MODULE 4: THE SOLAR SYSTEM AND LIFE
16	16	The Origin of the Solar System
17	17	The Earthlike Planets
18	18	Worlds of the Outer Solar System
19	19	Meteorites, Asteroids, and Comets
20	20	Life on Other Worlds
	16-20	REVIEW and QUIZ 4 - Chapters 16-20
	12-20	FINAL EXAM

The learning system you will use as you work your way through the Introduction to Astronomy has three components: a Student Notebook, a textbook and a CD-ROM. Together they provide an integrated learning system. To master the 20 lessons of the course, you should use the following sequence of learning activities:

1. Read through the Student Notebook carefully to be sure that you understand all course objectives, requirements, and assignments.
2. Review the Learning objectives for each lesson in the Student Notebook. Plan to read the text and lessons for a minimum of 18 hours each week.
3. Complete all textbook reading assignments found in the Student Notebook.
• Review the summary found at the end of each chapter. They are organized to reinforce the learning objectives stated at the beginning of each chapter.
• Answer the review and discussion questions after each chapter.
4. Complete the four quizzes, midterm, and the final examination.
5. When studying for an open-book quiz, it is best to prepare just as thoroughly as if the quiz would be closed book. That way, you will be able to answer most questions immediately, and use your limited time to look up the few that you don't know. Spending time this way will pay off when you take the closed-book midterm and final, since they cover the same topics. You will find lots of tips on studying and taking multiple-choice tests in UMUC Student Handbook: Pick up a free copy at the Maryland Field Representative's office where you registered for the course. Visit our our website and select "Studying" or "Test Taking."
6. Review the Chapter Summary, Chapter Objective, Glossary, and other links for each chapter found on the CAT Course CD-ROM.

You will be required to complete four quizzes, one midterm exam, and one final exam during this course.

1. Each quiz is OPEN-BOOK and composed of thirty multiple-choice questions. For example, a score of 21/30 is 70% (a C), 24/30 is 80% (a B), and 27/30 is 90% (an A). Each quiz covers all the chapters that are outlined in the Lessons portion of the Student Notebook. Note: Don't worry if your first quiz comes out a bit low; it sometimes takes a little effort to get used to the format. Also, on an individual quiz, the difference between a 21 and a 15, for example, is only about one percent of your grade. You can get an A in the course even with two or more D's on quizzes.
2. Both the midterm and final exams are CLOSED BOOK and have a two-hour time limit. You are required to take both a midterm and a final exam to complete the course successfully. You are required to answer ONE of two essay questions given on the midterm exam. This portion of the midterm exam must be completed in order to receive credit for the exam. No credit will be given for midterm exams with incomplete essay portions. Each exam covers all the chapters that are outlined in the Lessons portion of the Student Notebook.

The grading system will be based on the total points acquired through the midterm exam, final exam, and four quizzes. All scores will be added together to determine your final course grade.

Quizzes/Tests

4 quizzes @ 30 points each	=	120 points
Midterm Exam	=	200 points
Final Exam	=	200 points
Total	=	520 points

The grading scale is:

Points	Grade
427-520	A
375-426	B
323-374	C
271-322	D
270 and below points	F

The Sky Workbook is written specifically as a guide to The Sky CD-ROM. These resources provide examples, exercises, and in-depth explanations designed to complement each chapter. Topics include different types of sky coordinates, the motions of the Earth and planetary objects, the naming conventions and locations of astronomical bodies, lunar phases, solar and lunar eclipses, and sidereal time. The Sky Workbook includes step-by-step instructions on using the software and how to complete the exercises. The Student Notebook CD-ROM also contains instructions on how to complete each exercise.

The learning system you will use as you work your way through Introduction to Astronomy has four components: this Student Notebook, a textbook, the publisher's web site and a CD-ROM. Together they provide an integrated learning system. To master the 20 lessons of the course, you should use follow this sequence of learning activities:

Visit the textbook's web site and use its study tools. Go to this site and click on Astronomy, then on the cover of Horizons Exploring the Universe. Review the Chapter Objectives, Chapter Summary, Flash Cards and Glossary links that relate to the chapters.

Review frequently. After you finish a chapter, review it, and after you finish a module, review all the chapters in it. Allow extra time between Quiz 2 and the Midterm Exam to review every chapter in Modules 1 and 2. Likewise, after you take Quiz 4, be sure to review all the material in Modules 3 and 4. Frequent, thoughtful, timely, comprehensive review is the closest thing there is to a guarantee of success.

Pacing is another key to success in the CAT program. I recommend completing assignments according to the following schedule:

By the end of week:	Complete:
One	Quiz #1
Three	Quiz #2
Four	Midterm Exam
Five	Quiz #3
Seven	Quiz #4
Eight	Final Exam

You will have the opportunity to take tutorial quizzes, located in your Student Notebook CD-ROM, tailored for each chapter prior to taking the graded (proctored) quizzes and exams required by this course. This practice method is designed to help you prepare for the graded quizzes and exams.

As members of an academic community, which places a high value on truth, and pursuit of knowledge, students are expected to be honest in every phase of their academic life and to present as their own work only that which is genuinely theirs. Each student has the responsibility to maintain the highest standards of academic integrity and to refrain from cheating, plagiarism, or any other form of academic dishonesty.

According to UMUC policy, academic dishonesty is the failure to maintain academic integrity. Academic dishonesty includes but is not limited to: cheating (using or attempting to use unauthorized materials, information, or study aids in any academic exercise); fabrication (falsification or invention of any information or citation in an academic exercise); bribery offered for grades, transcripts, or diplomas; obtaining or giving aid on an examination; having unauthorized prior knowledge of an examination; doing work for another student, presenting another student's work as one's own; and plagiarism.

Plagiarism is the presentation of another person's idea or product as one's own. Plagiarism includes but is not limited to the following: copying verbatim all or part of another's written work; using phrases, charts, figures, illustrations, or mathematical or scientific solutions without citing the source; paraphrasing ideas, conclusions or research without citing the source; or using all or part of a literary plot, poem, film, musical score or other artistic product without attributing the work to its creator. Students can avoid unintentional plagiarism by carefully following accepted scholarly practices. Notes taken for papers and research projects should accurately record sources of material to be cited, quoted, paraphrased or summarized, and papers should acknowledge these sources in references. Please use the following websites to educate yourself on avoiding plagiarism and on the UMUC policy on plagiarism and academic dishonesty.

Web links to learn more about plagiarism:

• UMUC policy in regards to academic dishonesty and plagiarism.
• Part of the Effective Writing Center's resources, this module defines plagiarism and includes guidelines on how to avoid it.
• This website defines plagiarism, gives tips on how to avoid it, guidelines, and suggestions for developing one's writing skills, and answers to common questions you may have regarding plagiarism.
• Created by Purdue University, this website teaches one how to avoid plagiarizing and correctly cite sources. It includes exercises to familiarize yourself with correct citing techniques.
• What plagiarism is and how to avoid it.
• You can also find many more resources if you use a search engine such as Metacrawler, Yahoo, Google, etc. and simply type in "plagiarism".

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