| Instructor | office | phone | office hours |
| Dr. R. Robert Robbins | RLM 13.136 | 471-7312 | Daily 2-3 p.m. or by appt. |
Two Required Textbooks (out-of-print, so photocopies available at Ginny's 2401 Rio Grande)
The First Stargazers-- Cornell
The Fabric of the Heavens-- Toulmin & Goodfield
Class attendance is important in 350 because (1) there will be lecture material that is not covered in the two textbooks, and (2) this is a class where we have the freedom to ask questions and carry out discussions. It is not just a listen-and-memorize hour. It is not a pre-requisite for any other course, so we have the freedom to delve into whatever we want.
The course fulfills an upper division writing requirement with three main writing assignments totalling some 16-18 pages. The largest of the writing assignments will be a term paper of at least 10 pages. The first writing assignment will be given out on the first day of class.
The following assignments and tests will determine your final grade (100 points total). Note that all but the first and last dates are approximate, depending upon our progress.
| Paper 1 (2-3 pages) | Due | Tuesday, 10 Sept. | 10 points |
| Paper 2 (2-3 pages) | Thursday, 17 Oct. | 20 points | |
| Title and Brief Outline of Term Paper | Tuesday, Oct. 29 | ||
| Midterm Exam | Tuesday, 5 Nov. | 30 points | |
| Two Homeworks | Nov. 7, Nov. 26 | 10 points | |
| Term Paper | Dec. 3 | 30 points | |
| There is no final exam. Thursday, Dec. 5 is our last day of class | |||
All papers must be typed (so that I can read them) and double-spaced, so that there is room for me to make comments. Handwritten papers are not acceptable. Late papers will be penalized 10 percent per class meeting -- e.g., if a paper counts 10 points and is handed in two classes late (a week), it can grade at most eight points. Further details about paper formatting and grading guidelines will be given in class.
The first paper gives me a sample of your writing. The second gives you an opportunity to explore an area of interest to you. Papers must earn a grade of C or be rewritten.
IMPORTANT DEADLINES AND DROP INFORMATION
Class begins Thursday, Aug 29. The last day to drop without penalty is Wednesday, Sept. 25. You may drop between Sept. 25 and Wednesday, Oct. 23 if you are working at a C level (University regulations). After Oct. 23, you can drop only for non-academic emergencies, and the drop decision is made by the Student Dean of your college. Up until Oct. 23, you can change your registration from graded to pass-fail, or vice versa. Note, however, that a pass-fail registration does not satisfy the B.A. Plan science requirement. You would receive three units of elective credit.
What can you see with the naked eye?
The Historical Origin of the Concept of Number
Stonehenge and "Standing Stones"
Egypt and the Development of the Calendar
The Astronomy of the New World - Maya, Amerindian
China
Africa
Finish reading Cornell here; start Toulmin
Toulmin book covers from here to "Age of Newton" below
Mesopotamian Astronomy
Greek astronomy
Arabian and Indian Astronomy
The "Dark Ages" and the Renaissance: The Emergence of a New World Model
The Era of the Telescope
Age of Newton and Herschel
Finish Toulmin reading by this point
The Explosion of Knowledge in the Last 100 Years
Theory of Relativity
Quantum Mechanics
Where do we go from here?