REMINDER:
The University adheres to a strict policy regarding cheating and plagiarism.
See the
SDSU/CSU policy on Cheating and Plagiarism.
Such activities will not be tolerated in this class and will result in
an automatic failing of the assignment, a letter grade deduction for
the course, and forfeit of any extra credit points.
Cheating or plagiarism will result in a disciplinary review by
Student Affairs. Examples include but are not limited to:
Remember: Copying any part of an answer from an on-line source
(e.g. Chegg.com) is cheating.
Homework Assignments:
May 6:
- Study for the final exam on Monday May 11.
See the Class News webpage for important information about the
final exam.
Please read the instructions carefully.
May 1:
- Read the final bit of the textbook, the Epilogue.
- Written HW #3 due at the start of class on Monday.
Apr 27:
- Read Chapter 13.3 (The Fermi Paradox); we are not going to cover the
rest of Chapter 13.
- Examine the NASA
Exoplanet Exploration website.
- Reminder: HW#3 due in one week.
Apr 22:
- Read Chapter 12.
- Re-read/review Chapters 9, 10, and 11
- Examine the NASA
Exoplanet Exploration website.
Apr 20:
- Review Chapters 9, 10, and 11
- Examine/explore the NASA/JPL
Cassini Misssion Legacy website.
Enceladus website. I recommend that you look at the "quick facts" and
then watch the "overview" video again.
Apr 15+:
- Read Ch 9 "Life on Jovian Moons".
- Read/review Ch 8 "Mars".
- Written Assignment #3
due Monday May 4 (upload into Blackboard before 10:30 am)
(1) Multiple Choice questions (please just state the letter answer):
- Ch 8 # 35, 37
- Ch 9 # 27, 28, 32
- Ch 10 # 29
- Ch 11 # 32, 34
- Ch 12 # 25, 26, 32, 33
- Ch 13 # 37
(2) Explore the internet to find 2 images related to astrobiology:
- - 1st image must be related to biology/life on Earth
- - 2nd must be related to something beyond Earth
Write a full (lengthy) paragraph for each image (up to a page in
length) stating the science content of the image. Specifically, explain
what the image is and how the image is connected to astrobiology. Then,
in a short second paragraph, briefly explain why you chose the image.
Be sure to fully cite the source of the image (URL) and give proper
credit.
Include the image. It does not have to be high-resolution or on any special
kind of paper. You do not have to print in color - black and white and
grey are fine. But if you mention anything about colors in your text,
you should print in color. (Note: If you choose a tiny, low-resolution,
black and white image, and then go on to discuss details and colors
in the image, the grade earned will probably be tiny too!)
Apr 11:
- Please keep up with the pre-recorded lectures available on Blackboard.
- Review Ch 7 "Searching for Life in Our Solar System".
- Read Ch 8 "Mars".
- Examine, read, and explore the following websites:
. . NASA/JPL
Mars Exploration Program
. . "Google Mars" website.
Also, review these websites:
. . . SpaceWeather.com
. . . NASA/JPL's CNEO FAQs
Center of Near Earth Object Studies
. . .
NASA's Planetary Defense faq website.
Old Homework Assignments:
Apr 6:
- Study for Exam #2 on Friday.
- Please join the live class Zoom meeting on Wednesday April 8 at 11am for
a quick test of the Blackboard method we will use for the exam. This will
only be for ~15 minutes. It also allows you to ask about any questions
concerning the exam. Details on how to join Zoom will be posted via
Blackboard.
Mar 27 - Apr 5 (Spring Break):
- Prepare for Exam #2 on Friday April 10, the first week after spring break.
See the Class News website for study hints.
- Please watch the PBS documentary Your Inner Fish (Episode 1) by Neil
Shubin.
- (If you have not already done so, check out the websites listed in the
March 27 homework assignment)
Mar 25:
- Reminder: Written HW #2 due Friday March 27. Also, you may use the two
websites listed near the top of the Class News webpage instead of
(or in addition to) Astrobiology Magazine.
- Examine, read, and explore the following websites:
. . SpaceWeather.com
. . NASA/JPL's CNEO FAQs
Center of Near Earth Object Studies
. .
NASA's Planetary Defense faq website.
Mar 18:
- Written HW #2 due Friday March 27
- Review Chapters 4-6
- Explore the website:
SpaceWeather.com
Mar 13-17:
- Finish reading Chapter 7
- Reminder: Written HW #2 due FRIDAY March 27. You will need to upload your
homework onto Blackboard. You only need to do Part 1 (multiple choice)
and Part 3 (Astrobiology Magazine). Only news articles published
after Feb 16, 2020 are allowed.
.......
- Start reading Chapter 7.
- For Written Homeowrk #2, in addition to Astrobiology Magazine,
you can also use the website for the homework:
"Astrobiology at NASA"
Life in the Universe: News & Discoveries.
But the article must be recent - published no earlier than 2020 Feb 16.
.......
- Please note the typo and correction for Written HW #2:
Only news articles published
after Feb 16, 2020 are allowed.
Also note the change in due date: Wednesday March 25, at 11 am.
- Read Chapter 6.
- Continue to read articles from Astrobiology Magazine and from
"Astrobiology at NASA" Life in the Universe: News & Discoveries
Mar 11:
- Read Chapter 5.
+ Written Assignment #2
(due Friday Mar 26)
:
-- Part 1: Textbook Multiple Choice Questions:
. Ch 4 # 35, 38
. Ch 5 # 28, 29, 31, 33, 35
. Ch 6 # 33, 36, 39
. Ch 7 # 25
. Ch 10 # 31
-- Part 3: Astrobiology Magazine
Read several recent articles from Astrobiology Magazine
published after
2020 Feb 16.
Choose your favorite, then in one paragraph
summarize the article and state the key results. Explain why the article is
important.
In a second paragraph, state what made the article interesting to you.
Be sure to give the title, URL, author, date, etc.
As usual, proper college-level English is required.
SKIP PART 2: SKIP PART 2:
-- Part 2: Quantitative Problem Chapter 5 #50 (p 196) "Cellular Energy".
** Fully explain and show all work. **
Note: If you steal/copy any part of your answer from any website
or on-line source (e.g. a blog, Facebook, Wikipedia, or any other source like
Yahoo Answers, Cramster, Course Hero, Koofers, SparkNotes, Homework Helper,
Slader, CheatHouse, and especially Chegg.com), or you submit the
answer to a similar homework from another course, such cheating will
result in an automatic "F" for the assignment, forfeiture of any extra credit
points, and a letter grade deduction in the course grade.
Any evidence of cheating will be reported to the Judicial Procedures Office.
CSU Executive Order 1006 mandates faculty to report all incidents to the Center
for Student Rights and Responsibilities. The Univesity Policy states:
"...cheating or plagiarism ... make the offender liable to penalties explicit in
Section 41301 of Title 5, California Code of Regulations as follows:
Expulsion, Suspension, and Probation of Students. Following procedures consonant
with due process established pursuant to Section 41304, any student of a campus
may be expelled, suspended, placed on probation..."
Old Homework Assignments:
Mar 4:
- Study for Exam #1.
- Fill out ParSCORE Enrollment scantron form (see Class News)
*Think of this as a homework assignment, not a suggestion.*
Mar 2:
- Read Ch 7 Section 7.2 p 250-252
- The answers for Homework #1 are posted on the Class News page.
- Exam #1 is on Friday March 6. This will be a multiple choice exam, 50
questions, closed-book. See the Class News web page for more info.
- Fill out your name, Red ID, Test Form, Exam #, etc., on your ParSCORE
Student Enrollment form (the larger pink scantron) *before* the start of
class (best to do this a few days before the exam).
You may lose points on the exam if do not do this homework assignment.
See the Study Guide for details and additional information.
- Read the instructions for the
exam (this is the cover sheet on a previous year's exam, so the
date is not applicable)
Feb 26:
- Read Chapter 4, with special attention to section 4.3, 4.4, and 4.6.
- Exam #1 is on Friday March 6 (next Friday). This will be a multiple
choice exam, 50 questions, closed-book.
You will need a ParSCORE Student Enrollment form (the larger pink
scantron form).
See the Class News web page for more info.
Feb 21:
- Begin reading Ch 4.
- Begin studing for Exam #1 on Friday March 6. This will be a multiple choice
exam, 50 questions, closed-book. You will need a ParSCORE Student
Enrollment form (the larger pink scantron).
- Check out NASA's
Exoplanet Exploration Interactives
website, especially the
Alien Safari
and Extreme Planet Makeover sections.
(You will need Flash enabled.)
Feb 20:
- Review Ch 1,2,3,10,11
- Reminder: Watch the "NBC Learn"
Science Behind the News: Extrasolar Planets,
and also the TED talk
A needle in countless haystacks: Finding habitable worlds
Feb 18:
- Review Ch 3.
- Continue reading Chapter 10.
- Continue to read recent news articles in Astrobiology Magazine.
Feb 14:
- Review Ch 1,2,3, and 11.
- Begin reading Chapter 10.
- Watch the "NBC Learn" video clip Science Behind the News:
Extrasolar Planets
- Watch this ~5 minute TED video on
A needle in countless haystacks: Finding habitable worlds
(you might need to click the YouTube link)
Feb 12:
- Reminder: Written HW #1 due Friday.
There will be four folders on the desk in the front of the classroom
to put your homework into. Please place your homework into one of these four
piles, based on the first letter of your last name: (A-E), (F-K), (L-R),
and (S-Z). This helps me grade the homework quicker, so you can get them back
quicker.
- Continue to study Chapter 3.
Feb 10:
- Read the rest of Chapter 11.
- Reminder: Written HW #1 due Friday at the start of class. See Class News
page for hints.
- Because of on-going problems at Astrobiology Magazine, you can use two
other websites to get the news stories:
NASA's "Exoplanet Exploration News"
and also "Astrobiology at NASA: Life in the Universe: News & Discoveries".
See the Class News website for the URL links.
Feb 7:
- Review Chapter 3.
- Written HW #1 due next Friday.
Remember: the homework is worth 20% of your grade, and there are only a
few homework assignments all semester. Each one is a big part of your grade
so please use appropriate care and effort on the assignment so you do
well in the course.
For any math problems, please show all work: the answer alone will get no
credit. Fully explain in detail what you are doing and why.
Be particularly careful about units.
Warning: Do not plagiarize or copy from any website!
Use your own words. If you copy more than 4 words in a row from someone
else's work without quotes, then you may be plagiarizing that work.
It does not matter if it is from a textbook, a web page,
class notes, a blog, facebook, wikipedia, or any other source like
Yahoo Answers, Cramster, Course Hero, Koofers, SparkNotes, Homework Helper,
Slader, CheatHouse, and especially Chegg.
Plagiarism is cheating AND stealing.
If you commit plagiarism you will automatically fail this assignment,
lose a letter grade in the course, forfeit all extra credit points,
and be reported to the Center For Student Rights and Responsibilities.
(See more info at the Course Information and Policy web pages).
Feb 5:
- Finish reading Ch 3.
- Read in the textbook: "Gravitational Tugs: The Doppler Method" in Ch 11
(pages 383-385).
Feb 3:
- Continue reading Chapter 3 of the textbook.
- Continue to read articles and explore the Astrobiology Magazine website.
Jan 31:
- Continue reading Chapter 3 of the textbook. It is a long and dense chapter,
so give yourself plenty of time. It is by far the most important chapter
for the first exam. (You can skip the "Movie Madness" sections.)
- Written Assignment #1 (due Fri Feb 14):
PART I. Multiple Choice: Ch 1 #11,14,17 ; Ch 2 #36,38 ; Ch 3 #35,39,40 ;
Ch 11 #38. Just listing the letter choice is okay - no need to write
out the question.
PART II. Chapter 3 Quantitative Problem #58 "Moon to Stars"
(on page 102). Be sure to show all work.
PART III. Read several recent articles from Astrobiology Magazine.
Choose your favorite one, then present (a) a brief (half page or so) summary
and (b) explain why you chose this particular article and why you think
it is interesting.
Give the full name, date, and URL of the article.
These must be recent articles
published March 2019 or later; no articles earlier than this
are acceptable.
Parts I and II are worth 20% and 30%, Part III is worth 50%.
The length should be 2-3 typed pages. The spacing and margins and fonts
are your choice - just make sure the text is not difficult to read.
Be sure to use proper college-level English: grammar and spelling
are important. You can collaborate with others, but you must submit your
own independent work.
All work must be typed, and please don't forget to staple your pages
together.
Jan 29:
- Finish reading Chapter 2.
- Begin reading Chapter 3 of the textbook.
- Read a few articles from Astrobiology Magazine.
Jan 27:
- Begin reading Chapter 2 of the textbook.
Focus on Section 2.3 and figure 2.6 (parallax).
Read, but don't be too concerned about Kepler's laws, Newton's laws, or
the law of gravity.
- Explore the Astrobiology Magazine website. Read a few recent news
articles. The stories are short and highlight recent exciting discoveries.
Jan 24:
- Finish reading Chapter 1 of the textbook
(Get a head start, begin reading Chapter 2 of the textbook)
Jan 22:
- Read and thoroughly and understand the class rules - see the class webpages
and syllabus.
- Begin reading Chapter 1 in the textbook.
- Explore, read, and bookmark the class web site. Learn what's
available to help you with this course like the Class News,
Astrobiology Sites, Critical Thinking, and Class
Information links. Download the first set of class notes.
- Flip through the entire textbook to get an idea of what you are going to
learn this semester.