Class schedule, GG 105, Fall, 2007

Date / Topic / Text pages / Homework set / 5 pts. extra credit: Homework due
Aug. 21 / 1. Introduction / 36-47
Aug. 23 / 2. Course overview
Aug. 28 / 3 Facts and definitions / 10-13
Aug. 30 / 4. The Sun, our star / 20-27
Sept. 4 / 5. Thermonuclear energy; other stars / 20-27 / Homework, classes 1-5
Sept. 6 / 6. Mercury, the dead planet / 193-207
Sept. 11 / 7. Venus, the shrouded planet / 208-234 / Homework due
Sept. 13 / 8. Earth: Climate; earthquakes / 127-151, 106-113
Sept. 18 / 9. Earth: Plate tectonics; volcanism / 113-127, 53-62
Sept. 20 / Examination # 1
Sept. 25 / 10. Earth: Impacts here-elsewhere / 48-53, 410-429
Sept. 27 / 11. Earth’s Moon: Its conquest / 164-172
Oct. 2 / 12. Moon rocks, dust, and lunar meteorites / 156-164, 172-176
Oct. 4 / 13. Moon: Origin and evolution / 177-192
Oct. 9 / 14. Mars: Exploration by spacecraft / 235-277 / Homework, classes 6-14
Oct. 11 / 15. Mars and its landscape / 257-271
Oct. 16 / 16. Martian rocks and meteorites / 235-277 / Homework due
Oct. 18 / 17. Is there life on Mars? / 244-252, 263- 281
Oct. 23 / 18. Meteorites: Poor man’s space probe / 384-409
Oct. 25 / Examination # 2 / 384-409
Oct. 30 / 19. Meteorites: Composition, and asteroid connection / 384-409
Nov. 1 / 20. Meteorites: Fossils of the early Solar System / 384-409
Nov. 8 / 21. Jupiter, the giant planet / 286-299
Nov. 13 / 22. Jupiter and its moons / 299-315 / Homework, classes 15-22
Nov. 15 / 23. Saturn, the ringed planet, and its strange moons / 316-336
Nov. 20 / 24. Uranus: The first “new” world / 337-357 / Homework due
Nov. 27 / 25. Neptune and its moons / 337-357
Nov. 29 / 26. Pluto, the mystery “planet” / 30-34
Dec. 4 / 27. Comets / 358-383, 410-416
Dec. 6 / 28. The origin of the Solar System
Final examination / Dec. 13 / 12:00 noon-2:00p.m. / POST 723

COURSE REQUIREMENTS

Three written examinations of multiple choice questions will be given (for dates and topics, see class schedule), each worth 100 points. In terms of material covered, none of the examinations are cumulative, i.e., examination #1 covers the material presented in class and the reading assignments in the text book from class 1-9, examination #2 from class 10-18, and the final from class 19-28.

The final grade will be calculated based on the points achieved in the final examination, and the better of examinations #1 and #2 (since one of these examinations does not count toward the final grade, there will be no make-up of missed examinations).

There will be 3 voluntary homework assignments for extra credit, each worth 5 points. Since the final grade is based on a total of 200 points, the extra homework assignment can add a possible 15 points to the final score.

The final course grade will be calculated as follows:

A: > 180 points

B: > 160 < 180 points

C: > 140 < 160 points

D: > 120 < 140 points

F: < 120 points