In-class interactive learning activities will be an important part of this course. Consequently, attendance and participation is required. You are also required to finish each week's reading assignment before class on Monday, so that you are prepared to participate in discussions. A weekly reading quiz and credit for assignments done during class will help encourage you to do the reading and participate in class.

Homework:
A homework assignment will be handed out most Fridays, due the next Friday at the beginning of class. Some assignments will involve observations of the sky. You are encouraged to work together on homework, but you must write out your own answers and describe your own observations in your own words. Duplicate homeworks will not receive credit. Late homeworks will receive half credit until homeworks are returned.

Tests:
There will be a quiz each Monday on the reading for that week and the topics covered the previous week. There will be three in-class exams and a final exam. Late exams will be given only with a written doctor's note. Exams will emphasize material discussed in class, but will include topics covered only in the text. All quizzes and exams will be closed-book and closed-notes, and calculators will not be allowed (or needed).

Grades:
Grades will be based on homework (20% of the grade), the weekly quizzes (10%), in-class assignments (10%), the three exams (30%), and the final (30%). Your lowest quiz and homework scores (one of each) will be dropped.

Collaboration:
You are encouraged to study and work on homework assignments with other students, and you are encouraged to get help from the TA, but you must write out your own answers and make the assigned observations yourself. If you copy another homework or let someone copy yours, both of you will receive zero credit. In-class assignments will be done in groups, and all group members will receive the same grade (if the assignment is graded).

Schedule:

Week of:	Reading:	Topics:	Exams:
Aug 27:	Ch 1+App A	The Scale of the Cosmos
Sep 3:	Ch 2+3	The Sky, Cycles in the Sky
Sep 8:	Ch 4	The Origin of Modern Astronomy
Sep 15:	Ch 5	Telescopes	Sep 19: Exam #1, Ch 1-5
Sep 22:	Ch 6	Starlight and Atoms
Sep 29:	Ch 7	The Sun
Oct 6:	Ch 8	The Family of Stars
Oct 13:	Ch 9	The Formation and Structure of Stars
Oct 20:	Ch 10	The Lives and Deaths of Stars	Oct 24: Exam #2, Ch 6-10
Oct 27:	Ch 11	Neutron Stars and Black Holes
Nov 3:	Ch 12	The Milky Way Galaxy
Nov 10:	Ch 15	Cosmology
Nov 17:	Ch 16	The Origin of the Solar System
Nov 24:	Ch 17	The Terrestrial Planets
Dec 1:	Ch 18	The Outer Planets	Dec 5: Exam #3, Ch 11, 12, 15-19
Dec 15:		Final Exam