Natural Science GSTR 232 B
Spring Term 2000
Syllabus
Homework
Study Guides Practice
Exercises Lecture Supplements
Exams
Instructor: Dr. Lee
Roecker: Science 302 x3318 (office)
Office Hours: M, W, F 9:00-10:30; T,Th 1:30-3
Course Goals: My intent is to help you
to acquire a level of scientific understanding that will assist your thinking
about important issues relating to science and society. The course will
provide you with an integrative perspective from different areas of the
natural sciences (astronomy, physics, chemistry, biology, and geology)
which will enable you to investigate and understand scientific topics more
fully. Students should begin to understand their place in nature
and the similarities which they share with all forms of life and matter.
Course Description: The course topics and
readings have been chosen to understand the evolution of the universe,
our solar system, life within it, and how humans hold, in part, the blueprints
for future change. To understand this unifying theme, we will try
to understand how science works as we study topics such as nuclear chemistry,
the life and death of stars, biotechnology, the extinction of the dinosaurs,
human evolution, and environmental concerns such as global warming and
the depletion of the ozone layer. A different, but logical way to
look at the material we cover is that it all builds towards an understanding
of sustainability. The same topics- nuclear power, the enormous expanse
of geological time, the limited lifetimes of species, the relentless
reshaping of our earth by plate tectonics, the brave new world being created
by genetic engineering, and our attempts to understand our influence on
the environment will provide us with insight into sustainability at several
levels. In general, this course is designed to provide a general understanding
of natural science. Emphasis shall be placed on how scientists seek
to understand phenomena through scientific theories and models. This
course will explore major theories, laws, and models in the natural sciences
and include discussion of their origin and development.
Course Texts: Night Comes to the
Cretaceous by James L. Powell. This text is required.
In addition, you will provided with two issues of National Geographic (May
1998 & October 1999). Other reading assignments will come from
magazines such as Discover, or Scientific American that are
on reserve in the library or available on the Internet.
Course Assessment: Your understanding
of the class material will be evaluated on the basis of four quizzes, four
in class exams, and homework assignments. The examinations will be
in class. While each exam will emphasize material that has been covered
since the last exam, by necessity each exam is also comprehensive.
For example, radioactivity will be important in each unit-- if you still
don't understand it after the first exam you won't do well on the later
material. To perform at an acceptable level I would expect that you
will need to spend two hours outside of class for each hour spent in class.
Grades & Grading Scale:
A: An "A" grade signifies outstanding achievement in all aspects
of the course.
B: A "B" grade reflects work of good to very good quality.
Work at this level often has outstanding characteristics but is not as
consistent throughout the semester or in all aspects of the course as required
of "A" work.
C: A "C" denotes that the student has attained an acceptable level
of competence. The student has demonstrated a basic understanding
of the course material. The student has the capability to engage
scientific material at a level required of any citizen of this era where
issues of science and society take many forms.
D: "D" work is minimally adequate. A "D" raises serious
concern about the readiness of a student to make informed decisions about
many issues relating of concern to society about scientific issues.
F: "F" work is unsatisfactory and unworthy of credit.
There are 700 points in this course:
400 points (100 points for each in class exam)
100 points (25 points for each quiz)
100 points (homework/labs will be scaled to 100 points total)
100 points (comprehensive, final exam)
A 700-630 pts (100-90%); B 629-560 pts (89-80%); C
559-420 (79-60%); D 419-350 pts (59-50%) ; F <349 pts (<50%)
Attendance & Assignment Policy:
Class attendance is expected and row will be taken at the start of each
class. Missing more than 3 periods (for any reason) will lower your
class grade by one full letter grade; missing more than 5 class periods
(for any reason) will result in a failing grade. Homework is due
at the beginning of the class period the assignment is due. Late
homework will not be graded. No make-up exams or quizzes will be given.
Your lowest exam score (zero, if you miss one) will be replaced by your
final exam.
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