SC 130 Physical Science schedule summer 2012

Circled laboratory reports get written up using spread sheet (tables, xy scattergraph charts) and word processing software (text with tables and charts pasted in), handed in, and marked using a rubric. Software such as Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Word, or OpenOffice.org can be used for these reports.

Lab	Date	Due date
L01	06 June	13 June
L03	12 June	19 June
L07	20 June	27 June
L09	27 June	04 July
L11	03 July	10 July
L14	10 July	17 July

Lecture and laboratory topic titles with cross-references to the text section number. The numeric prefixes correspond to the textbook section.

Key	Topic	Lecture	Laboratory
L00	Measures	011 What are your measurements?	010 sticks & stones
L01	Measures	Density intro (vials) & sig digs	012 Density
L02	Motion	021 How slow are you?	022 Linear motion
L03	Motion	031 Arc of a sphere	032 Acceleration of gravity
L04	Motion	041 Banana leaf marble ramp	042 Conservation of momentum
L05	Forces	051 Newton's laws	052 Hooke's law
L06	Heat	061 Temperature	062 Conduction of heat
L07	Earth	071 Find Binky	072 Latitude
L08	Weather	081 Humidity and precipitation	082 Clouds
L09	Sound	091 Waves	092 Speed of sound
L10	Spectra	101 Color	102 CD spectroscope
L11	Optics	111 Lenses	112 Ref[le|ra]ction
L12	Magnetism and electricity	121 Magnetism	122 Circuits
L13	Chemistry	131 Introduction to the elements	132 Acids & Bases
L14	Astronomy	Planetary presentations	Final practical
L15	Cosmology	MITC	152 Site swap notation

SC 130 Physical Science syllabus

• Textbook: Physical Science by Dana Lee Ling
• Required materials: Scientific calculator, 30 cm ruler, graph paper.
• Recommended materials: Sunglasses, digital watch with chronograph.
• Office hours: After lecture Monday & Friday. See also alternate contact information below.
• Instructor: Dana Lee Ling
• Email: dleeling@comfsm.fm
• Web site: http://www.comfsm.fm/~dleeling/physci/
• Social media: http://www.facebook.com/danaleeling | http://danaleeling.blogspot.com
• Phones: 320-2480 extension 228 | Cell SIMs: 922-1858, 970-5318 | Home phone: 320-2962
• Attendance: Students who are absent for more than four lecture classes can be dropped from the course. A late is one third of an absence. Thus any combination of MWF absences and lates that exceeds four can result in withdrawal. Students who are absent for more than two laboratories can also be dropped from the course. All absences are initially considered unexcused. Absences can be excused from the four absence limit for medical or official education-related travel. Appropriate documentation is required such as a note from the physician (doctor) or, in the case of education-related travel, some form of written or electronic communication from official sponsors of the travel.
• Drug policy: No betel nut in class nor on campus except in the cultural huts. No chewing of betel nut during class. Chewing betel nut during class can result in dismissal from class for that day.
• Evaluation and assessment:Tests are given every Friday.
• Learning outcomes
  
  1. Program learning outcomes. The student will be able to:
     
     1. Write a clear, well-organized paper using documentation and quantitative tools when appropriate.
     2. Present and interpret numeric information in graphic forms.
     3. Define and explain the concepts, principles, and theories of a field of science.
     4. Perform experiments that gather scientific information and to utilize, interpret, and explain the results of experiments and field work in a field of science
  2. B. Student learning outcomes. The student will be able to:
     
     1. Demonstrate core scientific skills
     2. Perform experiments in mechanics
     3. Perform experiments in material and earth sciences
     4. Perform experiments in wave based phenomena
• Grading policy: Attendance, homework, quizzes, tests, laboratory reports, and the final are marked and generate points. Both laboratories and tests are important in this demanding and difficult course. This course places more value on work done over the term than on a cumulative final examination. This course is about researching a system and writing a report on the findings. The course focuses on science as a process, not a memorized collection of facts. Success in this course depends on consistent completion of work throughout the term. There is no way to bring a grade up late in the term. Your grade is a reflection of a body of work during the term. The final letter grade is based on the standard College policy: Obtain 90% of the points or more to obtain an A, 80% to 89% for a B, and so forth.
• Laboratories: Laboratories are central to the course. To the extent possible, each day focuses on the laboratory with lecture in support of the laboratory exploration. Circled laboratories are written up, submitted, and marked using a rubric. Each written lab has its own rubric, all are based to a lesser or greater extent on the generic rubric. Laboratory write-ups are composed of a single word processing document created with Microsoft Word or OpenOffice.org Writer. Tables, graphs, and analysis done in a spreadsheet such as Microsoft Excel or OpenOffice.org Calc should be copied and pasted into the word document in the appropriate order. Laboratories are due one week after the laboratory. Laboratories can be sent by email, this does not change the due date/time or submission guidelines. Summer is very short and brief. Late laboratories will not be accepted. As noted, this is a difficult course.
• Academic Honesty Policy: Cheating on an assignment, quiz, test, midterm, or final will result in a score of zero for that assignment, quiz, or examination. Due to our cramped quarters, the course operates by necessity on a system of personal integrity and honor.