This is an introductory course to astronomy, with more emphasis on active thinking than memorizing facts. The main points of this course are (1) a general understanding of astronomy, (2) what can be observed in the sky, (3) the Solar System.

Lectures: The lectures cover the material in the textbook from a different perspective. Students are expected to attend and make an effort to actively participate.

Discipline: The lecture arriving late to lecture will lose credit. Students talking or causing noise or disturbance in class will be asked to leave.

Homework: There is no homework assigned in this class. However, students will be asked to read the appropriate chapters of textbook.

Home Page: The course comes with a neatly maintained home page. Students need to check it regularly, including the links.

Quizzes: Students will be given short quizzes during every lecture. The questions will be based on that day's lecture. No advance preparation is necessary, except when assigned reading is due. For each and every class students need a scantron # 16485.

Tests:

• One one-hour test is given during the semester, on June 14, Thursday (during class time).
• Each student must pass another exam that consists of a large number of basic multiple choice questions. The questions and the correct answers are given out in advance. The test is offered 3 times during the semester, and can be repeated until passed. Passing level is 90%, but once a student passed, the score does not count into the grade. A student who does not pass this test will fail the course. The test is offered after each regular test, and in addition on June 7, Thursday, 7:30 pm; on June 18, Monday, 7:30 pm and on June 25, Monday, 7:30 pm, in Lewis Hall 101.
• The two hour final exam on June 27, Wednesday, 1:00 pm is comprehensive. This test cannot be rescheduled, so make sure you do not buy an early flight ticket!

Use of textbooks is allowed during the tests only if there are no handwritten notes in the book. No textbooks during pass/fail tests. All students are required to show a picture ID.

Laboratory: All students must take the laboratory. One excused missed lab can be made up; no more labs will be excused. If you miss three labs, you must withdraw or else fail the course. Lab grades are awarded on the basis of the lab reports turned in by the students.

Absences: Missed quizzes, tests and labs cannot be made up (except for one lab when an excuse is present). Each student will be given, in the beginning of the semester, one quiz worth of free credit to compensate for medical emergencies or other excusable absences. Given the accelerated nature of the summer course, students must withdraw rather than miss more than three classes.

Students with disabilities: All reasonable measures will be taken to accommodate any special needs. Inform the instructor in advance of any such need during lecture, discussion, laboratory or tests. Affected students are responsible for requesting special accomodition in time. However, no extra time can be offered for the in-class quizzes (in case this causes a severe problem, individual remedies might be considered).

Late enrollment: Students who do not attend the first week but enroll later will lose the quiz credit for the missed classes.

Important notes:

(1) Anyone missing three or more labs will fail the course, whatever his/her points would be otherwise!

(2) Anyone failing the "pass and fail" test will fail the course, whatever his/her points would be otherwise!