Table of contentsUnique number:
35300
Course number: FS 301
Description: Galileo, with his demonstration of the truth
of the Copernican theory by means of astronomical sightings, has
been described as the man who "gave rise to the greatest
scandal in Christendom." His affair did not conclude with
his condemnation by the church in 1633, but has been the subject
of historians, scientists, poets, novelists, and playwrights for
over 300 years. We will examine the evidence from various viewpoints
to decide for ourselves the validity of the judgment against Galileo.
Prerequisite: This course is restricted to first-semester
freshmen. The course contains a substantial writing component
and fulfills part of the basic education requirement in writing.
Course Objectives
Days: Tuesday and/or Thursday.
Time: 9:00 to 11 AM (most meetings will be 9-9:50 AM on both days, but occasionally we will meet from 9:00 to 10:45 AM on either Tuesday or Thursday. These dates will be announced in class and placed on the website.
Place: RML 15.216B (unless announced otherwise)
Third Hour Activities: In addition to the regular classes, there will be 13 sessions of other activities. Three of these sessions will be: a library workshop, a time management workshop, and a session with the Undergraduate Writing Center.
The Library Workshop is scheduled for 19 October (room to be announced). The dates, times and locations of the Time Management Workshops and Undergraduate Writing Center workshops (and some of the Third Hour Activities) will be listed on the Freshman Seminar website.
In addition to these three sessions that are required of all Freshman Seminar students, ten additional Third Hour Activities are required to complete the course work assigned by the University for Freshman Seminars.Name: Dr.
Mary Kay Hemenway
Office: RLM
13.126
Office hours: Monday 2:30 - 3:30 PM or by appointment
Phone: 471-1309
E-mail: marykay@astro.as.utexas.edu
Preparation: I expect you to come to class prepared.
Reading the textbook: Because many topics presented in this course will be brand new to you, it may help you to preview the upcoming class by reading the material assigned. A more careful reading is recommended after class. You should study your class notes in the evening to make sure everything is clear.
Study Habits: Study wisely and ask for help if you need it. It will be easier if you keep up on a daily basis. Digest the material one class at a time. If you have questions, please see me. Please ask for help if you need it.
Writing Assignments: Since this is a substantial writing component course, much of the grade will be determined from your assignments. Papers are to be produced on a word processor double-spaced in a 12-point font and margins of 1.25 inches. Citations and bibliography, when appropriate, are to appear on additional pages and not to be embedded in the text.
You will submit six short papers (one page each, based on six of the ten "third hour" activities you attend). All papers are to be summitted, and returned through, the Blackboard site. The Digital Drop box is located under Tools. Please name each paper with your last name plus an underscore character plus the number of the paper (from 1-6); for example, kepler_1.doc would be Johnny Kepler's first paper in this class. Each paper will be returned to you with comments. The last short paper is due on 7 October. On the last Tuesday of class (2 December), you will submit proof of attendance for the other three third hour activities plus the Writing Workshop and Time Management Workshop (e.g. date, name of session , and signature of presenter - if possible).
Each paper should include three items: name and description of the activity, your impression of the activity, and the value of the activity for you. In all writing, you should clearly state your main points, present evidence to support your points, make smooth transitions, and have a conclusion which logically flows from the paper. To do this in one page, you must be clear and concise, choose appropriate words without a lot of trite phrases and jargon. Avoid mechanical errors. Papers concerning the activities required of everyone (the Library workshop, the Time Management Workshop, and the Writing workshop) are not permitted topics for short paper. The lecture given by your instructor for other Freshman Seminar students is not a permitted topic for this assignment.
On 16 November, the term paper (an original 8-10 page paper on Galileo) is due. You must submit the topic for this paper for approval in advance by the instructor on or before 19 October and a rough draft (including a statement of thesis, and brief list of references) of it on 2 November.
Other Assignment:
On 2 December, you will submit a list of all third hour activities you attended, including a list of those about which you wrote papers, the Libary, Time Management, and Writing Center workshops, and the four other events. Please submit some sort of proof for the four other events, e.g. signature of presenter or program.
There are none. Grades are assigned on a point basis.
Announcements will be made in class concerning how many participation
points may be earned for class participation and the special class
activities. 30 24 4 4 14 24 100Exams
Grading system
class participation including THREE required Third Hour Activities
writing assignments
on SIX Third Hour Activities
rough draft of term paper
attendance
at additional FOUR Third Hour Activities
special class activity
term paper
TOTAL
Grading scale used for final grades:
|
A |
100% - 90% |
|
B |
89% - 80% |
|
C |
79% - 70% |
|
D |
69% - 65% |
|
F |
64% or below |
Please notify me of any modification/adaptation you may require to accommodate a disability-related need. You will be requested to provide documentation to the Dean of Students' Office in order that the most appropriate accommodations can be determined. Specialized services are available on campus through Services for Students with Disabilities. The University of Texas at Austin provides upon request appropriate academic accommodations for qualified students with disabilities. For more information, contact the Office of the Dean of Students at 471-6259, 471-4641 TTY.
Regular attendance is required. For grading purposes, you may have up to two unexcused absences.
Freshmen may be dropped from a course following two unexcused absences.
It is the policy of The University of Texas at Austin that the student must notify each instructor at least fourteen days prior to the classes scheduled on dates he or she will be absent to observe a religious holy day. For religious holidays that fall within the first two weeks of the semester, the notice should be given on the first day of the semester. The student may not be penalized for these excused absences but the instructor may appropriately respond if the student fails to complete satisfactorily the missed assignment or examination within a reasonable time after the excused absence.
Scholastic dishonesty will not be tolerated and will be prosecuted to the fullest extent. You are expected to have read and understood the current issue of General Information Catalog, published by the Registrar's Office, for information about procedures and about what constitutes scholastic dishonesty.
The times of the following events vary
throughout the semester and are especially affected by our move
from Daylight Savings Time on October 31. Call 471-5007 for further
information and updates. (The phone message is updated weekly.)
Fall Semester 2004
Originated 20 August 2004
Last modified on 20 August 2004