Spring Semester, 2004
Professor: Dr. John K. Elwood
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Text: None Required. |
Lecture Times: T, Th, and F from 12:00-12:50 PM in Gessner 117
Course Web Page: Access the course page from my home page at:
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http://www.esu.edu/~jelwood/ |
To Yak with John: email: John.Elwood@po-box.esu.edu
Office: Gessner 201
Office Phone: 422 3408
Office hours: M 9 AM-10 AM,
Tu 9 AM - 10 AM
W 9 AM - 10 AM, 11 AM - 12 PM
Th 10 AM - 11 AM
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* and by appointment. I am usually here! * |
Course Description: This course deals with the nature and theoretical basis of recent noteworthy advances in science. Interdisciplinary in design, the course draws its content from the various disciplines of the natural sciences. Emphasis is placed upon topics being reported upon in professional journals.
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Course Prerequisites: PHYS 105 or PHYS 117 or PHYS 121 or PHYS 131 or PHYS 161. |
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Special Needs: Students who are eligible for accommodations are invited to make an appointment to deliver their letter from the Office of Disability Services and to discuss their accommodation requests. |
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Grading: The points that you earn from Class Discussions, Quizzes, and your Final Presentation will determine your grade for the course. These are worth, respectively: |
Class Discussions 50%
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Quizzes 30% |
100%
Your grade will be determined according to the prescription:
90%-100% A
80%-89.9% B
70%-79.9% C
60%-69.9% D
< 60% E
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Class Discussions: Each student will be responsible for initiating and moderating at least five class discussions throughout the course of the term. Often, this will be done in conjunction with a classmate. The team should be knowledgeable enough to explain the most salient features of its topic, to answer all questions posed by classmates, and, in general, to keep us all on the edges of our seats for at least 20 minutes. After researching the topic in preparation for the class discussion, each team should come up with 3 high quality questions related to their topic. Questions produced by members of the class will comprise 60% of all Quiz questions. |
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Quizzes: Four Quizzes will be given throughout the course of the term, and will be designed simply to pull together and solidify topics that have been discussed since the previous Quiz. As noted above, a large fraction of the Quiz questions will be drawn from the class itself. The first three Quizzes will be given in class on the following days: Friday, February 6; Friday, March 5; Tuesday, April 6. The fourth Quiz will be given during Finals Week [15th Week], and will cover material discussed during Final Presentations. |
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Final Presentation: The final three weeks of the term will be reserved for Final Presentations. Each student will have a full class period in which to discuss more fully a topic of particular interest to them. Multimedia presentations are encouraged, as are props! Topics for Final Presentations should be submitted to John by the end of the Fifth week of class [February 13], and a date should be reserved by each student by that point. If you are having difficulty choosing a topic, stop in and see me before the fifth week rolls around. |
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Retention of Student Material/Garbage Reduction Act: Student exams, homework, and other contributions that are not picked up will be kept for one year after the close of the current term. That is, all contributed student material may be destroyed at any time following the first week of the Fall 2005 semester. |
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Enjoy the class, and in keeping with the theme…. |
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An invasion of armies can be resisted, but not an idea whose time has come. |