Integrated Science 1101
INSTRUCTOR: Tim Goodman, PhD
COURSE DESCRIPTION: ISCI 1101 Integrated Science: A multi-disciplinary course for non-science majors. Students are introduced to some fundamental principles of the physical sciences emphasizing the world of matter and energy, forces and motions and how the universe behaves. The scientific method, critical thinking skills, and written laboratory exercises are emphasized throughout the course.
PRE-REQUISITES: Eligibility for College Algebra or Math Modeling
TEXTBOOKS: The Sciences, An Integrated Approach, 4th edition, 2003, Trefil James, and Hazen, Robert M., John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
COURSE OBJECTIVES AND OUTCOMES LINKAGES:
In this course the student will:
Learn fundamental principles of astronomy, biology, geology, chemistry and physics necessary to understand in order for you to appreciate the impact of science on society and your own life. Student Learning Outcome #5
Develop critical
thinking skills based on the scientific method. Student Learning
Outcome #3
EVALUATION:
5 Exams - 50%
Laboratory Assignments - 20%
WebCT Discussion Participation - 10%
Final Exam - 20%
GRADING:
A = 90.0-100%
B = 80.0-89.9%
C = 70.0-79.9%
D = 60.0-69.9%
F = Below 60.0%
PARTICIPATION POLICY: There is no substitute for planning, perseverance and participation when it comes to this class. To be successful students must keep on top of all the assignments and not procrastinate. This is especially true given the limited availability of the instructor. The instructor will make contact either by email, telephone or the WebCT site with any student who appears to disappear from or get behind in the class. A student missing more than four consecutive assignment due dates will be given an F in the course unless the student provides a valid excuse to the instructor for missing the assignments.
OFFICE INFORMATION: The instructors office is in Room 571
of the
LATE AND MAKE-UP WORK POLICY: All work must be completed or a grade of zero will be assigned for the missed work. If a student does not complete an assignment on time but does complete it later, a 10% reduction will be made in the grade for each week it is late. Please pay particular attention to the timeline and dues dates for this course.
TAPING OF CLASSES: Students who would like to audio or videotape a class or a portion of it must receive permission from the instructor. For institutional purposes, all GSAMS classes are subject to being videotaped.
PLAGIARISM: In some instances collaboration with other students is encouraged. The laboratory assignments are good examples of opportunities for interaction and collaborative effort. There are instances when collaboration is not allowed. For plagiarism on written assignments and for giving or receiving information during the course of any examination a grade of zero will be given for that assignment. If you have questions about collaboration on an assignment, check with the instructor. Students caught a second time will be given a grade of F for the course.
TEXTBOOK COVERAGE: Because this is a single semester course, the entire textbook will not be covered. Chapters 1-4, 8, 10 and 14-18 will be covered. The student is expected to read and comprehend those chapters and be able to complete assignments and exams over the material in the chapters.
NOTES: Each chapter will have a set of skeleton notes available for student use. They outline the most important concepts in the chapter in the view of the instructor. The notes will be available through WebCT. The skeleton notes, homework and special readings will be the basis for exam questions.
HOMEWORK AND SPECIAL
Chapter 1 Homework - (p. 26-28): Review
Questions 1, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 10; Discussion Questions 2, 5, and 8;
Investigations 6 and 8; Special
Chapter 2 Homework - (p. 58-59): Review Questions
2, 3, 4, 5, 8, 9, 10; Discussion Questions 1, 2, and 7; Problems 2, 3, 5, and
7; Special
Chapter 3 Homework - (p. 82-83): Review
Questions 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8 and 10; Discussion Questions 2, 7 and 9; Problems 2,
3, and 4; Special
Chapter 4 Homework - (p. 108-109): Review
Questions 2, 4,and 7; Discussion Question 6; Special
Chapter 8 Homework - (p. 214-215): Review
Questions 1, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 10 and 13; Discussion Questions 3, 8, and 11;
Problem 1; Special
Chapter 10 Homework - (p. 261-262): Review
Questions 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 12 and 13; Discussion Question 5 and 7; Problem
1; Special
Chapter 14 Homework - (p. 354-355): Review
Questions 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 8, 11, 15, 17, 18, 19, and 21; Discussion Questions 1
and 5; Special
Chapter 15 Homework - (p. 379): Review
Questions 1, 2, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10 and 12; Discussion Questions 2 and 4; Special
Chapter 16 Homework - (p. 407): Review Questions 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 9, 10, 12, 13, 14, 15, 17 and 18; Discussion Questions 1, 4 and 7; Special Readings Gravity and Bones (p. 388); Where Could Life Begin? (p. 394); The Discovery of Pluto (p. 400); Discovering New Planetary Systems and How Are Extrasolar Planets Formed? (p. 403-405)
Chapter 17 Homework - (p. 407): Review
Questions 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, and 12; Discussion Questions 2, 8 and
10; Special
Chapter 18 Homework - (p. 464): Review Questions 4, 5, 8, 12, 14, 16, 17, 19, and 20; Special Readings How Steady is the Earths Climate? (p. 453)
LAB: During the semester, fourteen lab assignments will be completed. Because the labs will be completed at the convenience of the student, labs are due on or before the assigned time and will be subject to the late assignment penalty. See the course schedule for due dates. A lab kit will be available for the use of the student. It will have materials to complete the labs. In addition, the student must also purchase or have on hand common materials and devices to complete the labs. Students may share lab kits and may work together on lab assignments, but must turn in separate lab answer sheets. The lab kit may be obtained from the instructor on January 3, 4, 5, or 8. A $100.00 deposit on the kit will be required and is part of the College's bill to the student. The deposit will be partially refunded ($50.00) when the kit is returned intact. The deduction is made to cover the cost of re-supplying the kits. Missing and broken materials could result in additional reductions from the deposit. A student who does not turn in the lab kit will have a hold placed on registration for subsequent semesters until the kit is returned. The student should complete the lab answer sheet on WebCT by the due date to not receive a reduction for late work. The WebCT answer sheet may not be the same as the answer sheet enclosed in the lab kit. One of the lab assignments requires that you develop a laboratory procedure (Sunset and the Old Scout). You should begin working on that lab well before it is due. The lab procedure must be submitted as an attachment to an email.
WebCT USE: The delivery vehicle for this course is WebCT-Vista. Students must be able to use WebCT in order to take the course. To ensure that the student knows how to use WebCT, a student must complete the following three of the following four activities by January 19 to remain in the class. 1 - Take the Course Pre-test in WebCT; 2 - Complete the Introductions Discussion Assignment in WebCT; 3 complete the black-box lab; and 4- Email the class in WebCT. If a student does not know how to use WebCT, they should contact the instructor (478-289-2034 or goodman@ega.edu) to schedule a time to review the use of WebCT.
WebCT DISCUSSIONS: During the semester, the student will be required to complete seven assignments in the discussion area of WebCT. Each assignment will require the student to respond to a request in the discussion area. In all cases, the student will be expected to respond to other students as well as provide their own response to the assignment to get full credit. The expectation is a post and thoughtful responses to at least two other posts from fellow students. Students will also be able to create their own discussion thread. This is done by clicking on "Create Your Own Discussion" in the discussion section and posting a discussion item. Students who post a discussion item about science and get their fellow students to join the thread will get 1 point added to their Exam #3 grade for every student participation (up to 10 points). See the course schedule for due dates for discussions. Please note that a 10% reduction is made for each discussion that is more than one week late and an additional 10% for each subsequent week it is late.
EXAMS: Exams are scheduled by appointment approximately every three weeks and the comprehensive Final Exam is scheduled for the final exam period. The exams and Final Exam can be taken in Swainsboro or Statesboro on-line through WebCT. Whether at Swainsboro or Statesboro, the student will be asked to setup an appointment to take an exam. The identity of the student will need to be verified and proctored by the instructor or a third party approved by the instructor. Students may also make arrangements with the instructor for other off-site testing sites. See the course schedule for exam periods. The skeleton notes, homework and special readings will be the basis for exam questions.
COURSE PRETEST: During the first five days of class, students are requested to take a Course Pretest to assess how much scientific information students have prior to taking the course. The Pretest must be taken online. Students completing the pretest will be given 10 points to add to their Exam #1 grade.
COURSE EVALUATIONS:
During the last week of the course students are requested to complete
two evaluations of this course. The
first evaluation is the generic course evaluation of instruction and the second
is an evaluation of the use of WebCT for the
course. Students
completing the evaluations will receive 5 points for each evaluation to add to
their Exam #5 grade.
WebCT "GRADES:" WebCT has a place for students to determine their grade status in the course at any point in the semester. As assignments are graded, the grade can be found in the "grades" section of WebCT. In addition, you will find your average at any point in the semester. Called the "current average," it is calculated by using the grades on all assignments as they are due. This semester I will assign a 5-Week Grade to everyone in the class. You should be able to access Banner to get that grade. Be sure to pay attention to the grade. It will serve as an additional early warning to problems you may be having with the course.
OTHER WebCT OPTIONS: WebCT will also have internal email capabilities for this class and a class calendar.
COURSE SCHEDULE AND DUE DATES:
January 3-8 - Lab Kit Pick Up
January 8 First Day of Class
January 12 - Last Day for Course Pretest
January 15 Martin Luther King
January 17 Black Box Lab Due
January 19 Introductions Discussion Assignment Due
January 22-29 Exam #1 (Covering Chapters 1 and 2) by Appointment
January 22 Measurement Lab Due
January 29 Force Lab Due
February 2 Stem Cells Discussion Assignment Due
February 5 Free Fall Lab Due
February 7 Five-Week Grade Available
February 9 Alternative Energy WebCT Assignment Due
February 12-19 Exam #2 (Covering Chapters 3 and 4) by Appointment
February 12 Statistics/Graphing Lab Due
February 19 Heat of Fusion Lab Due
February 26 Rumor Lab Due (Rumors will be emailed on February 18)
February 26 March 5 Exam #3 (Covering Chapters 8 and 10) by Appointment
March 5 Kitchen Chemistry Lab Due
March 9 Life Cycle Costs WebCT Assignment Due
March 19 Ziploc Bag Chemistry Lab Due
March 26 Mendeleev Lab Due
March 26 April 3 Exam #4 (Covering Chapters 14 and 15) by Appointment
March 30 Formation of the Universe WebCT Assignment Due
April 2 Moons and Satellites Lab Due
April 9 Earthquakes and Volcanoes Lab Due
April 13 Space Exploration WebCT Assignment Due
April 16 Rocks, Minerals and Fossils Lab Due
April 16-24 Exam #5 (Covering Chapters 16, 17 and 18) by Appointment
April 23 Weather Lab Due
April 27 The Sunset and the Old Scout Lab Due
April 30 Beach Front Property WebCT Assignment Due
April 25 May 2 Course Evaluations
April 30 May 3 Final Exam by Appointment
GENERAL EDUCATION LEARNING OUTCOMES:
General education at
General education consists of
forty-two semester hours spanning Areas A-E.
Included in these hours are courses in the arts, humanities,
mathematics, and natural and social sciences. These courses are designed to achieve
twelve learning outcomes that define the intellectual, cultural, and physical
experiences that students complete prior to graduation from
1. Students will read, write, speak, and listen with the
competence necessary to succeed in higher education.
2. Students will participate in activities for cultural
enrichment.
3. Students will demonstrate skill in logic and critical
thinking.
4. Students will demonstrate proficiency at solving
problems algebraically, numerically, and graphically.
5. Students will apply scientific principles to solve a
variety of problems.
6.
Students will
study various values and cultures to better understand human behavior and
diversity.
7. Students will participate in health education and
activity classes and be encouraged to take responsibility for personal health,
wellness, and life-long physical activity.
8. Students will access, manage, and present information
available through traditional and electronic media.
9. Students will demonstrate knowledge of the basic
structures and processes of American government.
10. Students will apply historical perspective.
11. Students will apply the study and learning strategies
necessary to succeed in higher education.
12. Students will demonstrate an understanding of
different themes, subjects, styles, and cultural expressions in art, music, or
literature.
CAMPUS EMERGENCIES:
In the event the fire alarm is sounded, everyone must evacuate the building at once and in a calm and orderly fashion - DO NOT RUN - using the nearest exit. In the event of a severe weather warning, which will be delivered verbally, everyone must proceed immediately to the nearest designated shelter area which are marked by a small tornado symbol. All severe weather shelter locations are posted on the EGC website. Each student should, on the first day of class, determine the location of the nearest exit and the nearest designated shelter area for each of his or her classrooms. If you have difficulty locating either ask you instructor to assist you.