Clare 102 Inquiry in the Natural World
CLAR 102. Inquiry in the Natural World. An
introduction to what we know about the physical universe and how we have
discovered it. The process of
scientific discovery is explored using major discoveries in the history of
science as examples. Topics include the
fundamental properties of matter and energy, the nature of chemical reactions,
the use of energy by living things, the nature and property of DNA and its role
in biological evolution. The course
includes a combination of lecture and classroom discussion. 3 credits
Goals of the Clare College
Curriculum met by Inquiry in the Natural World
Goal I. To promote an understanding of the major achievements and the
modes of inquiry that have contributed to the intellectual and aesthetic
development of Western culture
Core Area Objectives
a. To introduce the mode of inquiry
of the natural sciences
b. To enable students to understand
and apply basic investigatory skills in a problem-solving context
c. To develop a sample of
fundamental discoveries of the natural sciences
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 within 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 dont expect a one-semester
college course will be able to introduce the content of modern science in much
more depth than you may have already had.
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.
Inquiry in the Natural
World is organized
into 11 modules. The modules will usually consist of a large lecture in the
Auditorium in Murphy Building, attended by all sections of the course, and
additional classes in smaller sections that emphasize class discussions and
group work.
With each new topic, you will receive a Student Topic Guide
stating the objectives for that topic and a description of the discussions and
group learning assignments that are planned for 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.
There will be two examinations during the semester and one
comprehensive final examination. The first two examinations will be
administered in your specific small lecture section while the final exam will
be given at a special open time period.
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 with your instructor ASAP. An unexcused
absence from any of the exams will result in a score of zero points. 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). This rule will be
strictly enforced. If you have a
documented 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 consist of objective questions
(multiple choice, true/false, etc) and essays.
The questions will be directed toward both scientific content and the
process of scientific inquiry.
Final Exam
The final exam will be
given at a special open time period (Saturday
7 May 3:45-6:15 PM) so all Clare 102 students can take
the exam at the same time. We scheduled
this time far in advance and you are expected to take the test at this
time. If you have a conflict with this
time, you must see your instructor within the first 2 weeks of class (by Friday
28 January).
Academic Integrity:
Academic dishonesty is inconsistent with the moral character
expected of students in a university committed to the spiritual and
intellectual growth of the whole person.
It also subverts the academic process by distorting all measurements. It is a serious matter and will de dealt with
accordingly. A list of unacceptable
practices, penalties to be assigned, and procedures to be followed in
prosecuting cases of alleged academic dishonesty may be found in the Student
Handbook.
Services for students with
disabilities:
Students with disabilities who
believe that they may need accommodations in this class are encouraged to
contact the Disabilities Support Services Office, Doyle Room 26, at 375-2066 as
soon as possible to better ensure that such accommodations are implemented in a
timely fashion. Documentation from this
office is required before accommodations can be made.
Attendance in classes is strongly encouraged. The material covered in the large lectures
will not be recapped in the smaller lecture settings, so it would be unwise to
miss them. Some 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. Your specific instructor will describe any
particular requirements they have for your class. 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.
Attendance problems will also be reported to authorized persons such as
academic advisors and student counselors.
The final
grade for this course is determined as follows:
|
Examination
1 (topics 1,2,3,4) |
100 |
|
Examination
2 (topics 5,6,7,8) |
100 |
|
Examination
3 (topics 9,10,11 & general concepts
from1-8 ) |
150 |
|
Class
activities |
100 |
|
Total
Points |
450
points |
|
A total of 450 points is
available. Your final grade will be calculated as follows: |
||
|
A more than 418 points |
B- 360-372 points |
D+ 301-314 points |
|
A- 405-417
points |
C+ 346-359
points |
D 283-300
points |
|
B+ 391-404
points |
C 328-345
points |
D- 270-282
points |
|
B 373-390 points |
C- 315-327 points |
F less than 270 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.
Laboratory
is a separate grade determined by the lab instructor. Though the content of lecture and lab are
related, the grades do not depend on each other.
Withdraw policy
The appropriate dates for drop / add and withdraw are
written below. These dates are
University policy. The instructors will
follow this policy, so please be aware of the dates in case you decide to drop
the course. You must have your course
instructor sign the appropriate form. Remember
that lab is a separate class and if you drop the lab, you must have your lab
instructor sign the form.
The last day of the drop / add
period is Monday 24 January.
Last day to withdraw (W grade) is
Friday 1 April.
Lecture
Instructors
|
Dr. Walter Budzinski |
Room 21 DeLaRoche |
375 2669 |
|
|
Dr. David
DiMattio |
Room 21 DeLaRoche |
375 2007 |
|
|
Dr. Ted
Georgian |
georgian@sbu.edu |
Room 201 DeLaRoche |
375 2631 |
|
Dr.
George Lapennas |
Room 219 DeLaRoche |
375 2639 |
|
|
Dr. James White |
Room 218 DeLaRoche |
375 2485 |
All instructors have regularly scheduled office hours; these
are posted on their office doors and will be announced in class. Instructors
are eager to discuss any aspect of the class in addition to answering your
questions; please visit them during office hours. If you are not available during any of your instructors
scheduled office hours, please make an appointment to see your instructor at
another time.
Fee for course learning material
A fee has been charged to each student enrolled in CLARE 102
and CLRL 102 in the amount of $35. This
course fee will cover the distribution of a laboratory manual and the textbook
How Science Really Works 1st edition by Dr. Joel Benington. No other textbook will be required for this
course.
http://web.sbu.edu/physics/faculty/physics.dimattio.html
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!
Most topics are covered in four class meetings but the order
of the large lecture (all sections combined) in the Auditorium in Murphy Building
and the small individual sections are not the same for each topic. You
must pay attention to the schedule so that you know whether you are meeting in
the large lecture or small individual section on a given day.
|
Sun |
Monday |
Tues |
Wednesday |
Thurs |
Friday |
Sat |
|
|
JAN |
16 |
17 -Topic 1 |
18 |
19 - Topic
1 (M) |
20 |
21 - Topic1 |
22 |
|
JAN / FEB |
23 |
24 -Topic1 |
25 |
26 - Topic
2 (M) |
27 |
28 - Topic2 |
29 |
|
|
30 |
31 -Topic 2 |
1 |
2 - Topic 2 |
3 |
4 - Topic 3 |
5 |
|
|
6 |
7 -Topic 3 |
8 |
9 - Topic
3 (M) |
10 |
11 - Topic 3 |
12 |
|
|
13 |
14 -Topic 4 |
15 |
16 - Topic 4 |
17 |
18 - Topic 4 |
19 |
|
FEB |
20 |
21 - Topic
4 (M) |
22 |
23 - Topic
5 (M) |
24 |
25 - EXAM 1 |
26 |
|
FEB / MAR |
27 |
28 |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
|
|
6 |
7 - Topic 6 (M) |
8 |
9 - Topic 6 |
10 |
11 - Topic 6 |
12 |
|
|
13 |
14 - Topic 6 |
15 |
16 - Topic 7 |
17 |
18 - Topic 7 |
19 |
|
|
20 |
21 - Topic
7 (M) |
22 |
23 - Topic
8 (M) |
24 |
25 |
26 |
|
FEB / APR |
27 |
28 |
29 |
30 Topic 8 |
31 |
1 - Topic 8 |
2 |
|
|
3 |
4 - Topic 8 |
5 |
6 - Topic 9 |
7 |
8 - EXAM 2 |
9 |
|
|
10 |
11 - Topic 9 |
12 |
13 - Topic
9 (M) |
14 |
15 - Topic 9 |
16 |
|
|
17 |
18
Topic 10 |
19 |
20 Topic 10 |
21 |
22 Topic 10 |
23 |
|
MAY |
24 |
25 - Topic 10 |
26 |
27 - Topic
11 (M) |
28 |
29 - Topic 11 |
30 |
|
MAY |
1 |
2 - Topic 11 |
3 |
4 Topic 11 |
5 |
6 |
7 Final
Exam |
M = Murphy Building
(Dresser Auditorium)
Topic 1 Dr. Georgian What is inquiry in the natural
world?
Topic 2 Dr. DiMattio Models of the Universe
Topic 3 Dr. DiMattio Motion
Topic 4 Dr. Budzinski Understanding Gravity
Topic 5 Dr. Lapennas Early Ideas about Matter
Topic 6 Dr. Lapennas Discovering "Airs"
Topic 7 Dr. Georgian Atoms: Dalton and Beyond
Topic 8 Dr. Budzinski Energy and the Price We Pay
Topic 9 - Dr. Lapennas What
is Life? / How does life use energy?
Topic 10 Dr. White How
do living things evolve?
Topic 11 Dr. White Why
do we resemble our parents?