Clare 102 Syllabus

Spring 2003

Course Description

 

Inquiry in the Natural World is one of the Core Area Courses in the Clare College core curriculum at Saint Bonaventure University. Your Clare College courses are designed to give you a well-rounded liberal arts education to complement the specialized training you are getting in the courses that make up your major. Inquiry in the Natural World introduces you to the mode of inquiry that is used in the natural sciences.

Inquiry in the Natural World is not a run-of-the-mill science course. We know that you have already had a number of years of science courses in high school, and we don’t expect a one-semester college course will be able to introduce the content of modern science in much more depth than you have already had it.

      Instead, we will be focusing on the process of scientific inquiry. We will be using key discoveries in the history of Western science as examples through which we can explore how scientific advances happen. Since we are focusing on process, there will be a minimum of traditional lectures. Instead, you will be actively involved in discussions and group projects in class. And your performance in this work in class will have an effect on your overall course grade.

 

Course Organization

 

Inquiry in the Natural World is organized in 13 one-week modules. Each module will start with a large lecture in Dresser Auditorium, attended by all sections of the course. The next two meetings will be in smaller sections and will emphasize class discussions and group work.

 

In each keynote lecture, you will receive a description of the discussions and group learning assignments that are planned for the remainder of the week. These activities will require preparation on your part, as described in the handout for each week. This preparation is an essential part of your participation in Inquiry in the Natural World. If you do not prepare to participate in class, your grade will suffer.  These topic objectives can also be found on the course webpage.

 

Examinations

 

There will be three examinations during the semester and one comprehensive final examination. The examinations will be administered in each section.  You are expected to take the exams at the scheduled times, unless you have spoken to your instructor far in advance about other arrangements.  If you have non-academic conflicts with the scheduled exam times, you should resolve them now or speak to an instructor ASAP.  An unexcused absence from any of the exams will result in a score of 0 points being entered in the course record. There will be NO makeups given for unexcused exam absences. You will only be permitted to make up a missed examination if your absence was due to documented illness or emergency and if you have informed an instructor in a timely manner (i.e. email or phone your instructor within 24 hours of your missed exam).  Unlike past semesters, this rule will be strictly enforced.  If you have reason to miss an exam, it is your responsibility to contact your instructor.  Failure to do so will result in a zero for the exam.

 

The examinations will be divided 50/50 between scientific content (found mostly in the textbook) and reflections and concepts regarding how science works (explored mostly in class). Very little class time will be spent covering our current understanding of scientific topics that can be found in the textbook. You will be responsible for reading this material for yourself!

 

Attendance Policy

Attendance in classes is strongly encouraged. The material covered in the large lectures will usually go beyond what is covered in the textbook, and so it would be unwise to miss them. Most of the smaller section meetings will include group learning exercises for which a written product will be handed in and graded. You are expected to attend class and be present for these active learning exercises.  If you cannot attend class, it is your responsibility to contact your instructor and make other arrangements. You will receive a zero on any assignments on days that you missed.

Roll will be taken intermittently and will be used in determining the final grade. Attendance will also be reported to such authorized persons as academic advisors, student counselors, and parents.

 

Grading

The final grade for this course is determined as follows:

 

      Examination 1   (topics 1,2,3,4)                  100 points

      Examination 2   (topics 5,6,7)                       75

      Examination 3   (topics 8,9,10,11)              100

      Comprehensive final examination

(topics 12,13 + all earlier topics)           125

      Group learning assignments and quizzes 75

      Class participation                                       25

 

A total of 500 points is available. Your final grade will be calculated as follows:

 

A   more than 465 points                B-  400-414 points                   D+ 335-349 points

A-  450-464 points                   C+ 385-399 points                   D   315-334 points

B+ 435-449 points                   C   365-384 points                         D-  300-314 points

B    415-434 points                   C-  350-364 points                         F    less than 300 points

 

A few notes:

Midterm grades are assigned for a reason.  This usually indicates the direction your grade is approaching and should not be taken lightly.  However, your final grade is based upon the above criteria. 

      Your laboratory grade is a separate value determined by the lab instructor.  Though the content of lecture and lab are related, the grades do not depend on each other.

 

Withdraw policy

According to University policy, the official withdraw date is April 4th .  The instructors will stick by these dates, so please be aware of it if this becomes a necessary step.  You must have your course instructor sign the appropriate forms.  If you drop the lab, you must have your lab instructor sign the forms.

Lecture Instructors   

 

Dr. Adam Brown            Room B49           Plassmann              375-2316         abrown@sbu.edu

Dr. Walter Budzinski      Room 21              De La Roche                375-2669         wbudzins@sbu.edu

Dr. David DiMattio   Room 21              De La Roche                375-2007         ddimatti@sbu.edu

Dr. George Lapennas     Room 219            De La Roche                375-2639         glappena@sbu.edu

Prof. James Miller           Room  207A        De La Roche                375- 2632        jmiller@sbu.edu

 

All instructors have regularly scheduled office hours, which are posted on their office doors and which they will announce in class. All instructors are eager to discuss any and all aspects of the class as well as go over any questions you may have. Please visit them during office hours. If you are not available during any of your instructor’s scheduled office hours, please make an appointment to see your instructor at another time.

 

 

Required Textbooks

 

James Trefil and Robert Hazen, The Sciences: An Integrated Approach, 3rd edition,. John Wiley & Sons: New York.

Please note:  The page numbers for the new edition (3rd) and the older (2nd) do not match.  If an older edition is used, it is the student’s responsibility to find what material might be omitted. 

 

A considerable number of other readings, for use in the laboratory and in class discussions, will be handed out as photocopies during the semester. The total charge for photocopying in this course (including the laboratory) will be $20. This will be collected during the first week of laboratory. Please bring a check made out to “St. Bonaventure University”.  Please be aware that if payment is not made, the student will be assigned an incomplete for the course.  This is a mandatory charge. 

 

Course Webpage

 

A Clare 102 webpage will be maintained by Dr. DiMattio.  Announcements, handouts, and some powerpoint lectures will be linked to the following address.

 

http://web.sbu.edu/physics/faculty/physics.dimattio.html

 

Schedule of Topics

 

The schedule of topics on the following page lists what will be covered each day in class, as well as when the examinations are and what material will be contained in each examination. Each week, you will be given a handout that describes the specific pages we will expect you to cover in your reading of the textbook, as well as what we would like you to think about as you read the supplemental readings. Remember that the textbook contains only some of the material for this course! Each topic is covered in three class meetings; the first meeting is as a large lecture (all sections combined) in Murphy Auditorium and the second and third meetings are as individual sections.

 

M= Murphy Aud.

Topic 1 – How do we find out about the world?  (Dr. DiMattio)

Topic 2 – Where are we in the Universe?  (Dr. Budzinski)

Topic 3 – Why do things fall and planets revolve?  (Dr. Budzinski)

Topic 4 – What is energy?  (Dr. Budzinski)

Exam 1 (Topics 1,2,3,4)  Friday February 14th

Topic 5 – What is matter?  (Prof. Miller)

Topic 6 – What are atoms?  (Dr. Brestensky, Chemistry Dept.)

Topic 7 – What is light and what are electrons?  (Dr. DiMattio)

Exam 2 (Topics 5,6,7) Friday March 21st

Topic 8 – What is life?  (Dr. Lapennas)

Topic 9 – How do living things evolve?  (Prof. Miller)

Topic 10 – Why do we resemble our parents?  (Dr. Lapennas)

Topic 11 – How does life use energy?  (Dr. Lapennas)

Exam 3 (Topics 8,9,10,11) Monday April 14th

Topic 12 – A really neat topic  (Dr. Brown)

Topic 13 – How do we view the Universe now?  (Dr. DiMattio)

Final Exam  Monday May 5th 3:45 pm    Murphy Aud.