Image: Artist's impression of the planets orbiting the star 79 Ceti,
117 light-years from Earth
(To learn more, click here)

For a printable version of this page, click here
Click on the information you want:
       
  • INSTRUCTOR
    • Roger Freedman
    Office: 4133 Broida Hall
    Telephone: 893-2345
    e-mail: airboy@physics.ucsb.edu
    Home page: http://www.physics.ucsb.edu/~airboy/
    Office hours: Wednesdays 3:00-3:50 p.m. and Thursdays 3:00-4:50 p.m.

    A NOTE ON THE USE OF E-MAIL: When sending e-mail to your instructor, please be sure to include your full name, your perm number, and your e-mail address, and put "Astronomy 1" in the subject line of your message. This will help him to address your needs more efficiently. Failure to include "Astronomy 1" in the subject line of your message may result in the response being delayed up to 24 hours.

  • TEACHING ASSISTANTS
    • Jeremy Jacob --- e-mail: doublej@physics.ucsb.edu
    Office hours: Tuesdays 2:00-3:30 p.m. and Thursdays 11:30 a.m.-1:00 p.m.
    Grades homework for students with last names A-K

    Victor Sciortino --- e-mail: vsciortino@physics.ucsb.edu
    Office hours: Wednesdays 12:00-1:30 p.m. and Thursdays 2:00-3:30 p.m.
    Grades homework for students with last names L-Z

    The TAs will hold their office hours in the Physics Study Room, Room 1019, Broida Hall.
  • COURSE MEETING TIMES
    • Astronomy 1 Lectures:
      Monday, Wednesday and Friday 2:00-2:50 p.m., 1610 Broida Hall


    • Astronomy 1 Discussion Sections:
      IMPORTANT: All discussion sections will meet for the first time during the first week of classes (January 9-13). Make sure that you attend!
      03251 Monday 3:00 - 3:50 p.m., Girvetz 2128 (note correction) --- TA: Victor Sciortino
      03269 Monday 4:00 - 4:50 p.m., Arts 1241 --- TA: Jeremy Jacob
      03285 Wednesday 3:00 - 3:50 p.m., Girvetz 2128 --- TA: Victor Sciortino
      03277 Wednesday 6:00 - 6:50 p.m., Building 387, Room 101 --- TA: Jeremy Jacob
      03293 Friday 1:00 - 1:50 p.m., South Hall 1430 --- TA: Victor Sciortino

      For a campus map showing the locations of these classrooms, click here.

  • REQUIRED TEXTBOOK AND TOOLS

    You will need to purchase three items for this course.




    		•
    1. Your textbook.

    The required textbook for this course is R. A. Freedman and W. J. Kaufmann, UNIVERSE, 7th edition, (W. H. Freeman, 2005). All of of your reading assignments will be from this book, and you will be assigned homework questions based on these readings.

    You are strongly encouraged to purchase and use the online eBook version of the book. Access to the eBook retails for $45.00, less than half of the cost of a new copy of the printed book ($102.25 at Amazon.com) and even less than the cost of a used printed book. You can get the eBook even more cheaply through the UCSB Bookstore by purchasing a package that includes an PRS transmitter (described below). (The Bookstore does not have printed copies of the book for sale.) For details, scroll down to How to save money.

    In addition to having all the content of the printed version, the eBook also includes animations, web links, and interactive quizzes you can use to test your understanding. During the quarter, your instructor will add annotations to individual pages of the eBook with hints and guidance to help you get the most out of the reading. You can also add your own notes and highlighting, just like with a printed book.

    You can read the eBook on any computer with web access. No more lugging a heavy textbook around! For information on how to use the eBook, visit the syllabus page.

    If you are using a printed copy of the book rather than the eBook, you will need to use the textbook companion web site (http://bcs.whfreeman.com/universe7e/). This includes study aids such as interactive quizzes, videos, animations, and links to the latest astronomy news on the World Wide Web. (These same features are integrated into the eBook.)

    IMPORTANT: Whether you're using the eBook or a printed copy of the book, you must register on the textbook companion web site to be able to use your PRS transmitter in lecture (see below). For instructions on how to register, click here. (If you are using the printed version of the book, registering will allow you to use all of the features of the companion web site. If you are using the eBook, you won't need to visit the companion web site again, since all of its features are integrated into the eBook.)

    2. An Interwrite PRS transmitter.

    You'll bring your PRS (Personal Response System) transmitter with you to every lecture. At least twice during each lecture, your instructor will ask a multiple-choice question based on the topic under discussion. You'll punch in your answer using your PRS transmitter, and receivers located in the lecture hall will record your response. Your instructor will be able to see everyone's individual response on a computer monitor, and will use your responses to start a discussion and to help you better understand the material.

    Whether you give the correct answer or not, you'll get points for your participation in lecture using your PRS transmitter.

    Your in-lecture participation using your PRS transmitter is worth 4% of the total points toward your course grade.

    You can purchase a PRS transmitter from the UCSB Bookstore. The least expensive way to do this is to purchase a package that includes a PRS transmitter and an eBook access code. For details, scroll down to How to save money.

    IMPORTANT: In order to receive credit for your participation in lecture, you must register on the textbook companion web site (which is different than the eBook web site), then register your PRS transmitter. You must do this before lecture on Wednesday, January 11, 2006. To learn how to register your PRS transmitter, click here.


    3. Access to WebAssign.

    You will use a system called WebAssign to submit your answers to "pre-lecture quizzes." You will have three such quizzes a week. Your participation in the online quizzes is worth 4% of the total points toward your course grade.

    To learn more about the online quizzes and how to purchase access to WebAssign, visit the On-line Assignments page.

    Note that you must purchase WebAssign access before the first on-line assignment is due (at 10 p.m. on Tuesday, January 17, 2006). The WebAssign system will be available to you beginning at 10 p.m. on Tuesday, January 3, 2006.


    How to save money

    You have two options for purchasing the textbook and PRS transmitter.
    • Option #1: Purchase a special package at the UCSB Bookstore. The Bookstore is selling a package that includes both an access code to the Universe eBook and an Interwrite PRS transmitter. The price of this package is $70.00 plus $5.43 sales tax, for a grand total of $75.43.
    • Option #2: Purchase the eBook online and purchase a PRS transmitter at the UCSB Bookstore. Alternatively, you can pay online for access to the eBook by going to http://ebooks.bfwpub.com/universe.php and clicking on "Purchase this eBook." This will cost $45.00. You'll still need to purchase a PRS transmitter at the Bookstore for $30.65 plus $2.38 sales tax, for a total of $33.03. The grand total for this option (eBook access purchased online and PRS transmitter purchased at the UCSB Bookstore) is $78.03.
    So you can save $2.60 by using Option #1 and purchasing the package deal from the UCSB Bookstore. If you have questions about purchasing this package, you can contact the Bookstore directly through their web page: http://www.bookstore.ucsb.edu/coursematerial/contactinfo.html

    You can also save a few cents by making an online purchase of WebAssign access ($6.90) instead of purchasing an access code at the Bookstore ($7.05). For details, see the On-line Assignments page.

  • READING ASSIGNMENTS
    • Daily reading assignments for the course can be found at the Astronomy 1 syllabus web page (click here to visit this page). This page also explains how to use your eBook.

    IMPORTANT: In order to get the most out of the lectures, you must read each assignment BEFORE the lecture.

  • COMPUTERS AND ASTRONOMY 1
    • In this course you will be required to use a computer and the World Wide Web on a regular basis. If you do not have your own computer with Web access, you may use the computers at Instructional Computing (IC) in Phelps Hall (http://www.ic.ucsb.edu/) or the computers

    Students in Astronomy 1 have priority access to the IC computers. To identify you to the IC staff as an Astronomy 1 student, you will need a priority hour sticker. You may pick these up at the Instructional Computing office at 1523 Phelps Hall. Be sure to bring a copy of your class schedule from GOLD to prove that you are enrolled in Astronomy 1.

    Instructional Computing offers free workshops on how to use e-mail and the World Wide Web. For more information and a detailed schedule of these workshops, click here or call Instructional Computing at 893-3002.

    You may also use the computers in the Physics Study Room, Room 1019, Broida Hall, during the hours it is open (Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.).


  • WRITTEN HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENTS
    • A written homework assignment will be assigned each week, to be due the following Friday at 3:30 p.m.

    The written homework is worth 12% of of the total points toward your course grade.

    Each assignment can be found on the Astronomy 1 homework web page (click here to visit this page). Assignments are to be handed in to designated boxes at the rear of the lecture hall, 1610 Broida Hall. Late problem sets cannot be accepted.

    You are encouraged to work with your friends on the problem sets, but you must hand in your own assignment in your own words. If you can't do the homework problems by yourself, then you won't be able to do the exams! The method you use to get the answer is as important as the answer itself.

    Homework solutions will be made available through the Library's Electronic Reserve web site. (For a link, see the Homework Assigments page.)

    If you have questions about the grading of your homework assignment, please refer them directly to the TA who grades your homework, NOT to the instructor. The most efficient way to do this is by e-mail. (Click here for the TAs' contact information.)

  • ON-LINE ASSIGNMENTS AND WebAssign
    • Three times a week you will have an on-line assignment in the form of a multiple-choice "pre-lecture quiz". These assignments are only available on the World Wide Web. (They are not available in printed form.)

    The on-line assignments are worth 4% of the total points toward your course grade.

    You can access the on-line assignments through the On-line Assignments page. Each on-line quiz will be due at 10 p.m. on the night before a lecture, and will cover material from the reading assignment for that lecture. You may consult the book as much as you like to figure out the answers.

    All of the on-line quizzes are open-book, open-notes, and you may work with other people. You may submit answers for each on-line quiz two times. All of the answers can easily be found in the readings or on the Astronomy 1 web site.

    You will take the on-line quizzes using WebAssign, a service of North Carolina State University.

    IMPORTANT: You must purchase WebAssign access before the first on-line assignment is due (at 10 p.m. on Tuesday, January 17, 2006). To learn how to do this, click here to go to the On-line Assignments page. Note that the WebAssign system will not be available to you until 10 p.m. on Tuesday, January 3, 2006.

  • IN-CLASS EXAMINATIONS
    • There will be two midterm exams, given in lecture on Wednesday, February 8, 2006 and Wednesday, March 8, 2006. Each midterm exam is worth 20% of the total points toward your course grade.

    The final exam will be given on Monday, March 20, 2006, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m. The final exam is worth 40% of the total points toward your course grade.

    Calculators are permitted on the midterm exams and final exam, but cell phones are NOT allowed.

    IMPORTANT NOTE: It sometimes happens that a student is unable to take an exam due to illness or a family emergency. If this should happen to you, you must contact the course instructor, Roger Freedman, at the earliest opportunity by e-mail, phone, or in person. Do not contact the TAs or homework graders, since they will only tell you to contact the instructor.

  • EXTRA CREDIT
    • There are two ways in which you can get extra credit equal to 2% of the possible points for the course.

    Extra credit method #1: Attend a planetarium show at the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History, located at 2559 Puesta Del Sol Road in Santa Barbara.

    Planetarium programs are offered Saturdays and Sundays in the Museum's Gladwin Planetarium. Each program lasts approximately 35 minutes. You can confirm the times of planetarium shows by calling 682-4711 or by visiting http://www.sbnature.org/education/planetarium/.

    When you arrive at the Museum, check in at the entrance for a special reduced admission charge. You'll need to keep your receipt to serve as proof of your participation in a planetarium show.

    For driving directions to the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History, click here. For a map, click here.

    You can also get to the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History via bus using the Santa Barbara Metropolitan Transit District (MTD). The MTD is free for UCSB students. Take Route 11 or Route 24 to the Transit Center in downtown Santa Barbara. Then take Route 22 to the Museum.
    Extra credit method #2: Attend a "star party" offered by The Astronomical Unit, an organization of avid amateur astronomers. These are held once a month at the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History. The Museum "star parties" for Winter 2006 are scheduled (weather permitting) for
    • Saturday, January 14, 2006, 7:00 p.m.;
    • Saturday, February 11, time to be announced; and
    • Saturday, March 11, time to be announced.
    "Star parties" are also held the third Friday of each month at Westmont College's Carroll Observatory. Click here for an up-to-date schedule of these events.

    If you attend a "star party," be sure to ask for a handout or signature to serve as proof of participation.

    See above for directions to the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History. For driving directions to Westmont College, click here. For a campus map showing the location of the George Carroll Observatory, click here.

    How to receive extra credit: After attending one of these events, write a one page description of your experience, including a description of what you learned. Include your name and perm number and attach your proof of participation to your writeup and give it directly to your professor.

    The deadline for handing in an extra credit writeup is 4:00 p.m. on Monday, March 20 (the beginning of the final exam).

    You can only receive extra credit for one event.


  • GRADING
    • Your course grade will be determined as follows: written homework assignments, 12%; lecture participation using your PRS transmitter, 4%; on-line assignments, 4%; first midterm exam, 20%; second midterm exam, 20%; final exam, 40%.

    THIS COURSE IS NOT GRADED ON THE CURVE. Your grade in Astronomy 1 will depend on what percentage of the total possible points you receive (from written homework, lecture participation, discussion section participation, on-line assignments, and in-class exams, plus any extra credit), using the following scheme:

    Course
    grade
    Percentage of
    possible points
    needed for this grade
    A+
    90%
    A
    80%
    A-
    75%
    B+
    70%
    B
    65%
    B-
    60%
    C+
    55%
    C
    50%
    C-
    45%
    D
    40%
    F
    zero to 40%

    You can check your scores on the World Wide Web using WebAssign (the same web site you use for taking on-line assignments). For details on WebAssign, see the Astronomy 1 "On-line Assignments" page (click here to visit this page).

  • WHERE TO GET HELP
    • Roger Freedman is available to answer your questions about any aspect of Astronomy 1 (or anything else concerning astronomy or physics) during his office hours, or at other times by appointment. Please come by!

    Physics Study Room (PSR): Located in Room 1019, Broida Hall, the PSR is where all physics TAs hold their office hours. The PSR is open Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and TAs are on duty at most times. Note that all the TAs you'll find in the PSR are able to provide assistance with Astronomy 1, not just the TA assigned to the course. This is a unique and extremely helpful component of our Physics Department. Make full use of it!

    Campus Learning Center (CLAS): CLAS provides tutorial assistance for all courses, including special tutorial sections for Astronomy 1. CLAS is located in the Student Services Complex area (telephone 893-3269). For more information, click here to visit the CLAS web site, and click here to see a map that shows where CLAS is located.

    Stressed Out? This can help: Stress is a natural part of student life. Santa Barbara physician Jay Winner, MD has created an effective program for dealing with stress of all kinds. For details, click here.
  • WHERE NOT TO GET HELP
    • Academic dishonesty is not acceptable in Astronomy 1 or any other course at UCSB. If you copy another student's homework assignment or exam, both you and the student from whom you copied will receive a grade of zero for that assignment or exam. In addition, a Faculty Report Form for Academic Misconduct will be sent to the Office of the Dean of Students, and your case will be referred to the Student-Faculty Committee on Student Conduct. It is not uncommon for a first-time offender to be suspended from the University for one quarter for committing one act of cheating. A second offense commonly leads to permanent suspension from the University.

    This is not an idle threat, but a description of what has happened on previous occasions when cheating occurred. Remember that cheating hurts everybody, and you should not hesitate to inform your instructor or teaching assistant if you witness an act of cheating. Academic dishonesty will not be tolerated.

    Return to top of page

    Return to Roger Freedman's home page

    Send e-mail to Roger Freedman

    Last updated 2006 January 9

    Copyright ©2006 by the Regents of the University of California