Your course grade will be determined as follows:
Item | Percentage
Lab Reports | 40%
Homework | 10%
Discussions | 15%
Presentation | 10%
Quizzes | 25%
Lab Reports
There are a variety of labs in PHYS 1045. Some are conducted outside, while others can be done indoors. The outdoor labs will involve using a telescope to observe things like stars, nebulae, and the Moon. Indoor labs explore a variety of topics such as sunspots, asteroids, and creating images of celestial objects. The lab reports make up the majority of the final grade (40%). All lab reports are to be turned in by the deadline. No late work will be accepted.
Discussions
Discussing work with other observers is a vital part of astronomy. Each module will include a discussion where students can discuss their efforts and results with the other members of the class. These discussions account for 15% of the final grade. No late work will be accepted.
Homework
There are two homework assignments in this course for which the student will make observations of the Moon through a complete lunar cycle. The observations are short, and consist of observing the position of the Moon a few times a week. The homework is worth 10% of the final grade. No late work will be accepted.
Presentation
The student will prepare a short paper on a space-related topic of their choice. Any topic can be chosen,
but it has to be cleared with the instructor first. The presentation accounts for 10% of the final grade.
Quizzes
There are two quizzes in this course. One will be a constellation quiz that will assess the student's knowledge of the constellations, while the final quiz will assess the student's knowledge of all topics covered in the lab. The quizzes are worth 25% of the final grade. No late work will be accepted.
Grade Scheme
The following grading standards will be used in this class. Note that the grade descriptions come from University Policy 6.13:
Grade | Range | Description
A | 93-100% | Excellent
A- | 89-93% | Excellent
B+ | 86-89% | Above Average
B | 83-86% | Above Average
B- | 79-83% | Above Average
C+ | 76-79% | Average
C | 72-76% | Average
D+ | 67-72% | Below average
D | 63-67% | Below average
D- | 60-63% | Below average
F | <60% | Failure/poor