Required
Theories of the World from Antiquity to the Copernican Revolution
by M. J. Crowe
ISBN 0-486-41444-2 paperback
Newton to Einstein ( the trail of light) by R. Baierlein
ISBN 0-521-41171-8 paperback
Recommended but not required
Siderius Nuncius by Galileo Galilei translated by Albert van
Helden
Relativity, the Special and General Theory by Albert Einstein
This is a graduate credit distant-learning physics course for study at home. The course is intended for in-service science teachers where they can use this knowledge in the classroom to show their students the relevance of science in their lives. The level is suitable for K6-K12 teachers with a minimum knowledge of mathematics. This course can be used for re-certification, endorsement credit, and can be used in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Masters of Arts in Physics Education degree at UVa.
WebAssign is a web-based homework and exam delivery, collection, grading, and recording service available to teachers and students. You will be given a user number and ID for you to log on to the system. Once you are logged on you have access to your homework assignments and/ or exams, etc. You may also ask any questions using WebAssign. You will submit your answers to any homework or exam using WebAssign. As a example, you may visit the WebAssign site by typing http://www.webassign.net/ and type in "demo" for username, institution, and password. We recommend that you use Internet Explorer or Netscape version 4.0 or later with a 28.8 Kbps modem or better. You will be given your own username and password after signing up for the course.
For the ancients, observing the motions of the objects in the heavens was an everynight experience. This is more difficult for us, because night skies are less clear and usually well lit. To reconnect your self with at least one of the celestial objects, each of you will keep a journal with the following observations. Record the date of each observation and the time to the nearest 15 minutes.
Sun: AT LEAST TWICE A WEEK THROUGHOUT THE SEMESTER. Measure the angle of the sun above the horizon around noontime. Make a graph in your journal showing this angle plotted against date during the semester.
Celestial groups: To collect the above data, you may form groups of three or fewer students. You may use students in your classroom to help. The data you record in your journal must be taken by you or your students. You may also wrok with another teacher to form a group. Your own journal should include all the observations described above whether recorded by you or another member of your group. We will discuss on the videotapes how to make the above measurements. Your journal should describe the method you used.
You must contact me before homework or an exam is due if you can not make it on time. Excuses without penalty are permitted only for illness, family illness, or death, religious holidays. Late homework submissions without a valid excuse as summarized above will be allowed with a penalty. Work not turned in or tests not taken will receive a zero (0 pts), far worse than a failing grade.
There will be regular homework exercises worth 35% of the final
grade.
A midterm exam will be given worth 20%
The Celestial Journal is worth 10%
A final exam is worth 30%
Listserve participation is worth 5%.
Honor System: I trust every student in this course to fully comply
with all of the provisions of the UVA honor system. In addition to
pledging that you have neither received nor given aid while taking your
exam, your electronic signature also affirms that you have not accessed
any notes, study outlines, problem sets, old exams, answer keys, or the
textbook while taking an exam and that you have not obtained any
answers from another students exam. All alleged honor violations
brought to my attention will be forwarded to the Honor Committee. If,
in my judgment, it is beyond a reasonable doubt that a student has
committed an honor violation with regard to a given exam,
that student will receive an immediate grade of 'F' for that exam,
irrespective of any subsequent action taken by the Honor Committee.
All UVa. Students' are bound by the UVa Honor code. Please familiarize yourself with it in the University of Virginia Graduate Record Catalog. In accordance with the U. Va. honor code, a student normally writes on the exam that they neither gave or received aid and sign it. It is not possible for the student to sign the exam, since it is submitted electronically. As a substitute procedure, the last question on the exam will be in effect " I pledge that I took the exam in compliance with the honor code". The student must answer that question yes or no. You are expected to make arrangements with your supervisor, principal, or superintendent, to proctor your exam. Ground rules and policy for proctoring the exam will be given to you and the proctor.
A proctor can be a supervisor, principal, superintendent, Department Chair, or professional colleague. No relatives, in-laws, spouses or social friends are allowed to be proctors. It is the proctor's responsibility to assure me you took the exam according to the given instructions and that you abided by the UVa honor code. The proctor does not have to be present during the entire time you are taking the exam. Before taking any exam you will email me your proctor's name, professional relationship with you, title, email address, telephone, and snail mail address if no email is available. I will email the proctor and give him/her the instructions for you to take the exam. After you have submitted the exam electronically, your proctor will email me to inform me that you took the exam according to the honor system.