This course is designed to teach basic concepts in physical science for people with little prior knowledge of the subject. This course is typically taken by people who are English majors who may write about science, education majors who will teach science, and other students from a broad range of disciplines wishing to fulfill the core area A requirement.
For the many education majors in this course, remember, before you can
teach science, you must first know science. Therefore the purpose
of this course is for you to learn science. The activities we do
in this course are geared to help you learn science. Please keep in mind
this is a content course and not a teaching methods course. The education
department offers a science methods course for elementary education majors
to learn how to teach the knowledge you acquire in this course. You
may find that many of the activities done in this class can be tailored
to teach elementary school students if that is your chosen profession,
but the purpose of this course is to enhance your science knowledge so
that you are educated in the subject.
The final exam will not be given early so make your travel plans accordingly.
The only exception is that students from the 8:30 section may choose to
take the exam on Thursday May 2 during the time that the 10:30 section
takes their exam. All exams will be closed book. The final
exam will be comprehensive.
An “A” reflects a level of performance which is “distinctly superior”
to that shown by the majority of students in a course. “A students”
show a level of commitment to scholarship equal to that shown by the instructor;
they often research a topic beyond that required by any assignment.
“A students” are consistently prepared for every class period, keenly engaged
in the conduct of the course, and always seeking implications to the content
of a course beyond that offered by the text or by a lecture example.
They are usually the first to ask questions in class and their comments
always demonstrate more than a superficial appreciation of a topic.
Usually, “A students” have a unique aptitude for the material that they
study and have mature time management skills such that they never cram
for exams or need additional time to complete an assignment. Because they
carry these skills and attitudes with them to other courses, “A students”
usually earn the top grades in other courses. Needless-to-say, “A
students” always earn the highest grades on examinations and papers. Because
of the high standards demanded of these
students, “A’s” are earned by a small fraction of course participants
A “B” is the result of consistently above average academic performance. A “B” may in fact reflect “superior” achievement but is not quite the equal of the very best in a class. “B students” may earn the highest grade on an several exams or papers, but do not do so consistently as other demands, including other courses, may compete with their scholarship to produce inconsistent performance
A “C” results from consistently average work, or from highly variable work (periods of inferior achievement in addition to superior achievement). “C” grades often result from mere memorization of course content without an appreciation of the implications of the subject matter or an unwillingness to examine the subject in depth. Consequently, “C students” may be able to recognize a term or concept but may not be able to explain it or place it in its proper context. “C’s” are often the result when individuals cannot effectively manage the demands of their day such that they are driven from deadline to deadline. In addition, “C students” may give infrequent, but clear indication that they are disinterested in class discussions, lectures or even in the discipline itself.
A “D” reflects consistently below average work. While the “D student” may have performed passing work, usually she or he has never risen above average performance and may show significant periods of unacceptable performance. “D’s” are the product of many factors, including low motivation, poor aptitude, maladaptive scholarship behaviors, and or significant competition by other factors and activities for the student’s time and attention. ““D’s” might result from factors such as illness or family emergencies which are beyond the student’s ability to control; however, “D students” usually seek help only after irreparable damage has been done to their overall performance in a class.
“F’s” reflect failure to learn an appreciable amount in a course.
There are many causes of this failure including poor preparation, lack
of maturity, low scholastic aptitude, etc. “F’s” result when an instructor
cannot, in conscience, certify that a student showed mastery of a subject
beyond that level demonstrated by an uninformed lay person. Because
of our liberal course withdrawal policies, “F’s” are usually rare, but
occasionally some individuals receive one because their disinterest is
so profound that they do not know or care about their impending failure
until weeks following the last date to withdraw from a course.
Makeup exams will not be given after the test is given. If you know in advance you will miss a midterm exam, consult with me immediately and arrangements can be made. However, this must be discussed immediately and is at the discretion of the instructor. The final exam must be taken according to the exam schedule, except in cases of serious illness or emergency.
Incompletes will only be given in cases of serious illness or extended emergency and must be discussed with me as soon as possible. An incomplete will not be given as a substitute for dropping the course.
Every effort will be made to score exams and assignments fairly and consistently. Any request for regrading must be made in writing within one week of the time the work was handed back. The original, unmodified, document must accompany the request.
You should remember that Concordia College is committed to the highest standards of academic integrity. Cheating in any form will not be tolerated. Cheating (stealing answers on an exam), plagiary (representing someone else's work as your own), and "dry-labbing" (falsification of data on a lab write-up) are very easy to detect. A student also cheats when they consult other students when completing an assignment they were specifically instructed not to do so. In this course, you are strongly encouraged to work together on homework assignments. Therefore, cheating is defined as copying or using any part of another person's work that is to be turned in where the work itself is graded. Discussing exams with anyone whose paper has not yet been turned in is also considered cheating. If you have any questions about whether an action would be considered cheating, please discuss it with the professor in advance.
Every violation of academic integrity is taken very seriously. Any act of academic dishonesty will result in at least zero points for the assignment or exam in question, which will not be dropped as the lowest score when calculating a final grade. I reserve the right to fail a student for the course who cheats regardless of the importance of the assignment or exam in the determination of the final grade. The offending student will be referred to the Academic Dean for disciplinary action who may impose additional penalties, including course failure, suspension, or dismissal from the college;
Because I cannot ensure an environment of integrity by myself, I expect
you to behave as a partner in creating and maintaining such an environment.
Failing to report integrity violations is itself a violation of academic
integrity and will be treated as such. Do note that all concerns about
academic integrity are treated confidentially.