Battlefield version of Ch. 3 mini-quiz is UP.

You can now put your web browser and internet service through the wringer with the Battlefield version of the Ch. 3 mini-quiz. It is available in Webcourses.

Remember: if your web browser experiences a crash or your internet service goes out of service in the middle of your Exam 1 on Monday, you are S.O.L. There is nothing I can do to help you.

So use the Battlefield version of the Ch. 3 mini-quiz, and be ultra-paranoid about your web browser and internet connection.

Bonus points opportunity before Exam 1 next Monday.

Exam 1 is coming up, Monday, Sept. 21, as published in class materials on first day of classes.

To help you study, I am activating a bonus points discussion area, "BONUS: Create a good multiple choice question for Exam 1, Sept. 21 (Monday)," in Webcourses. If it is good enough to use on the exam, I will award you two bonus points, so make it a good one.

Here are the methods:

1. Write a good multiple choice question on a topic from chapters 2-4. Be creative.
2. Use an asterisk * to indicate which option, A, B, C, D or E is correct.
3. Include a chapter and page number where a classmate can study up and find the answer.
4. You can also refer to the problem solving manual if it is where you got inspired.

I will read and comment -- even tell you to go back to the drawing board if necessary. Keepers will be on the exam and get you 2 bonus points. I might keep one question, might keep a handful.

You won't know which are the keepers, though, so study all of the questions. This will also help you get your mind up to speed and sharp and there will be at least one question on the exam that you will know COLD.

In the Discussion area there is an example question I created, and it will give you an idea of how to type in your question.

GO GO GO

What a nice crescent moon this morning PLUS Orion and Sirius!

Did you see the crescent moon this morning just before sunrise?

1. crescent moon, on its back at nearly zero degrees tilt
2. Orion, higher up and to the right, similar to the photo below
3. Sirius the Dog Star, brightest star in the sky, between the crescent moon and Orion and slightly below the line between them.

And Orion is a good constellation to know, because it is

1. beautiful and
2. easy to spot with the belt of three bright stars, almost as easy as the Big Dipper

Here is a lovely photo from AstoBob in Minnesota, showing late August sunrise, with Orion just before dawn. If only we had clear skies like that here in Florida!!!



We call the hottest days of summer the "dog days" because the Dog Star Sirius is right behind the sun, rising with the sun but invisible to us, from mid-July and continuing for a few weeks. Those are some hot weeks, though not coinciding with the peak of hurricane season. DANG!

It is interesting to work out the three-dimensional motion of this Earth-Moon-Sun-constellation system to see why the moon lies on its back. Baseline reason: we are right up close to the autumnal equinox.

Sunup time today

Your new learning module is UP.

The Week 4 learning module is now ready. The new mini-quiz for chapter 4 is part of the learning module. Look for the coffee cup icon on the Webcourses home page.

Learning module for week 3 is now UP.

Welcome back to classes after a nice weekend.

This week's learning module is now UP. Look for the coffee cup icon on the home page in Webcourses. You will find:

1. the concept guide for chapter 3
2. a mini-quiz to trot you through some of the chapter 3 essentials
3. a link to the discussions area "Questions concerning motion, from chapters 2-4" in case you get stuck.

Remember: these are not the only study activities you should work with. They are only the starting point. In an online class like this, you have the responsibility of keeping up and being an aggressive learner.

About midterm exams

You can take your midterm exams from any computer on the internet: home, on campus, anywhere there is an internet service. Heck, we even had someone a few summers ago taking exams from the Philippine Islands! SWEEET

The main requirement: You must have a rock solid internet connection and a totally reliable computer. You do not want the connection to flake out in the middle of a midterm -- because there is nothing I can do to help. If your computer flakes out and loses your test, it cannot be recovered, and your grade on that exam goes down the wazoo.

To head off troubles like that, I usually set up a special version of the chapter 3 mini-quiz that works like a midterm, so that you can try it out under "battlefield conditions." That will be next week with the learning module for chapter 3. You'll be able to torture any computer you like with the battlefield version of the chapter 3 mini-quiz, to make doubly sure that your computer is swift and sure on its feet. Then you can be confident of your computer.