Fall 2021 Course Syllabus Course: PHYS-1115- Section: 72 Physical Science I Laboratory

Instructor Information
Instructor	Behrouz Pounaki
E-mail	pounakib@lamarpa.edu
Phone	(409) 984-6437
Office	Location: Madison Monroe Education - Room: 227 Hours: M, W 11:00 am to 2:00 pm TUE, THU 9:30 am to 11:00 am F 11:00 am to Noon
COVID 19 Information	The Lamar State College Port Arthur (LSCPA) Student Code of Conduct COVID 19 Policy requires students who have been exposed to COVID 19 or diagnosed with COVID 19 to report their condition on the COVID 19 Notification Form (available via a link on the Student Code of Conduct COVID19 webpage). This information will be provided to the Dean of Student Services. In addition, this policy requires all students to wear face coverings in compliance with the criteria included in the policy. For more information please refer to the COVID 19 link on the LSCPA website.
Course Information
Description	Course, designed for non-science majors, that surveys topics from physics, chemistry, geology, astronomy, and meteorology.
Prerequisites	Basic skill competency in reading, writing, and math. Learn how to use Blackboard and Microsoft Teams.
Learning Outcomes	CSLO 1: Develop techniques to set up and perform experiments, collect data from those experiments, and formulate conclusions from an experiment (PSLO 1, 2, 3) measured by the formal Lab Report. CSLO 2: Demonstrate the collection, analysis, and reporting of data using the scientific method (PSLO 1, 2) measured by the formal Lab Report. CSLO 3: Record experimental work completely and accurately in laboratory notebooks, and communicate experimental results clearly in written reports (PSLO 1, 2, 3, 4) measured by the formal Lab Report. PHYS 1115 Physical Science Laboratory I (lab) Course, designed for non-science majors, that surveys topics from physics, chemistry, geology, astronomy, and meteorology. Develop techniques to perform experiments using lab setups and/or use lab simulators. Perform data collection and conclude from the experiments. Using scientific methods, do the experiments, data collection, report the results, and perform analysis. The experiment should be reported scientifically as a written laboratory report which will be measured and assessed.
Core Objectives	* Communication skills: Students will demonstrate effective written, oral, and visual communication. * Critical Thinking Skills: Students will engage in creative and/or innovative thinking, and/or inquiry, analysis, evaluation, synthesis of information, organizing concepts, and constructing solutions. * Empirical and Quantitative Skills: Students will demonstrate applications of scientific and mathematical concepts. * Teamwork: Students will demonstrate the ability to work effectively with others to support a shared purpose or goal and consider different points of view.
Program Student Learning Outcomes	PSLO ALPHA (LSCPA): Reading skills - Demonstrates comprehension of content-area reading material. PSLO 1: Critical Thinking Skills – Uses creative thinking, innovation, inquiry, analysis, evaluation, and synthesis of information. PSLO 2: Communication Skills – Demonstrates effective development, interpretation, and expression of ideas through written, oral, and/or visual communication. PSLO 3: Empirical and Quantitative Skills – Applies the manipulation and/or analysis of numerical data or observable facts resulting in informed conclusions. PSLO 4: Teamwork Skills- Shows the ability to consider different points of view and work effectively with others to support a shared purpose or goal.
Textbooks	Textbook Purchasing Statement: A student attending Lamar State College Port Arthur is not under any obligation to purchase a textbook from the college-affiliated bookstore. The same textbook may also be available from an independent retailer, including an online retailer. In addition to the textbook used in the lecture course, the instructor will furnish the class with lab report handouts.
Lecture Topics Outline	Your instructor will not discuss your grades over the phone or by email.      Only students enrolled in the online class are permitted in the online classroom. Every assignment should be typed and submitted/posted on Blackboard. NO submission or posting of any type via email or as a hard copy or printed version will be accepted. You are expected to be courteous towards the instructor and your classmates. It is the students’ responsibility to have reliable computer and internet access for the duration of this course. If your laptop/desktop computer breaks for any reason during the semester, it does not excuse you from the requirements and deadlines of the course. It is your responsibility to make sure all assignments are completed by their due date and according to the instructions given. If uncertain about the reliability of your internet access during the semester, then use the computers at the library. SafeAssign app on Blackboard examines all the assignments for any plagiarism. Matching of 20% or more will lead to a zero “0” grade ( 1st offense) and failure of the course (2nd offense) for all the parties involved. It is the student’s responsibility to prevent any failure of this kind by all means. College-assigned email accounts will be used to deliver official college correspondence. Each individual is responsible for information sent and received via the email account. Your instructor will not accept any correspondence by any other person via your college email account. This includes your parents/guardians. Parents/guardians of early college or dual credit students are requested please to contact the related department and person at the college. Your instructor will not communicate with your parents. The instructor reserves the right to modify this syllabus at any time as deemed necessary. Students will be informed of the modification through Blackboard course content as soon as possible. We, at the LSCPA, are committed to continuously improve our quality of instruction and serving our students better.
Major Assignments Schedule	There is an average of one laboratory assignment for each week, according to the lecture topic outline as follow: How to write a lab report Lab safety Measurement Chapter(s) Contents 1     Patterns of Motion & Equilibrium: 2 Newton's Laws of Motion: 3 Momentum & Energy 4 Gravity 5 Fluid Mechanics 6 Thermal Energy 7 Heat Transfer 12 Atoms and the Periodic Table 13 The Atomic Nucleus 14 Elements of Chemistry 15 Atomic Bonding For Face-to-Face lab courses, we mostly have hands-on experiment lab projects. For online lab courses, we mostly have lab projects base on the use of simulators. Students of each course need to experiment and turn in about least 12 lab reports to be qualified for the final grades. There are no exams or quizzes. There is one Lab project as Academic Assessment which is considered as one lab report as well.
Final Exam Date	December 6, 2021 - 12:0 AM
Grading Scale	90 - 100 = A 80 - 89 = B 70 - 79 = C 60 - 69 = D 59 and lower = F
Determination of Final Grade	Your grade is the mean value of your graded projects/reports. Project reports 100% Laboratory courses and their grades are independent of the lecture course. No grades are dropped, and any uncompleted assignment will be averaged in with a grade of zero “0”. No makeup lab project is given, and there is NO retakes/resubmission on any assignment. Late assignments will not be accepted and will result in a grade of zero. Laboratory courses and their grades are independent of the lecture course. Lecture and Lab grades are NOT combined. You will use online simulators For each laboratory experiment. Lab assignments will be posted on Blackboard. The instructor will furnish you with a lab report template and guidelines.
Course Policies
Instructor Policies	Your instructor will not discuss your grades over the phone or by email.      Only students enrolled in the online class are permitted in the online classroom. Every assignment should be typed and submitted/posted on Blackboard. NO submission or posting of any type via email or as a hard copy or printed version will be accepted. You are expected to be courteous towards the instructor and your classmates. It is the students’ responsibility to have reliable computer and internet access for the duration of this course. If your laptop/desktop computer breaks for any reason during the semester, it does not excuse you from the requirements and deadlines of the course. It is your responsibility to make sure all assignments are completed by their due date and according to the instructions given. If uncertain about the reliability of your internet access during the semester, then use the computers at the library. SafeAssign app on Blackboard examines all the assignments for any plagiarism. Matching of 20% or more will lead to a zero “0” grade ( 1st offense) and failure of the course (2nd offense) for all the parties involved. It is the student’s responsibility to prevent any failure of this kind by all means. College-assigned email accounts will be used to deliver official college correspondence. Each individual is responsible for information sent and received via the email account. Your instructor will not accept any correspondence by any other person via your college email account. This includes your parents/guardians. Parents/guardians of early college or dual credit students are requested please to contact the related department and person at the college. Your instructor will not communicate with your parents. The instructor reserves the right to modify this syllabus at any time as deemed necessary. Students will be informed of the modification through Blackboard course content as soon as possible. We, at the LSCPA, are committed to continuously improve our quality of instruction and serving our students better.
Attendance Policy	Students registered in Face to face lab sections need to be present for each session. Students in online lab sections mostly have virtual laboratories, using free-access academic-oriented laboratory simulators. Turning in your lab report by the due date is considered as your attendance—zero grade for a late assignment. Right after the due date and time Blackboard assignment will be inaccessible to students leading to a zero mark in that particular project. Students cannot and should not post any part of their lab projects via email.
Academic Honesty	Academic honesty is expected from all students, and dishonesty in any form will not be tolerated. Please consult the LSC-PA policies (Section IX, subsection A, in the Faculty Handbook) for consequences of academic dishonesty.
Facility Policies	No food or tobacco products are allowed in the classroom. Only students enrolled in the course are allowed in the classroom, except by special instructor permission. Use of electronic devices is prohibited.
Important Information
ADA Considerations	The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is a federal anti-discrimination statute that provides comprehensive civil rights for persons with disabilities. Among other things, this legislation requires that all students with disabilities be guaranteed a learning environment that provides for reasonable accommodation of their disabilities. If you believe you have a disability requiring an accommodation, please contact the the Office for Disability Services Coordinator, Room 231, in the Madison Monroe Building. The phone number is (409) 984-6241.
MyLSCPA	Be sure to check your campus E-mail and Course Homepage using MyLSCPA campus web portal (My.LamarPA.edu). When you've logged in, click the email icon in the upper right-hand corner to check email, or click on the "My Courses" tab to get to your Course Homepage. Click the link to your course and review the information presented. It is important that you check your email and Course Homepage regularly. You can also access your grades, transcripts, and determine who your academic advisor is by using MyLSCPA.
Other	For the laboratory, you will learn more about how to take safety precautions in your daily life and in the labs, how to write a lab report, and how to use online simulators/in the lab experiments to have a better understanding of the subject and the physical world around you. You will receive instructions for the lab assignments each week. I will furnish you with a lab report template and guidelines along with the instructions. Each student must write up their own Lab and Do not makeup data. Sharing images or documents are also an instance of academic dishonesty, resulting in a grade of zero for that assignment. Grades for the previous assignments will be voided if found academic dishonesty. Repeated instances of academic dishonesty will result in a course grade of "F" and other possible additional academic penalties. 6. Email policy: See specific instructions in the Content folder of Blackboard (BB). 7. See more specific instructions in the content folder of Blackboard. 8. The instructor reserves the right to modify the syllabus.
HB 2504	This syllabus is part of LSC-PA's efforts to comply with Texas House Bill 2504.
Department	General Education and Developmental Studies Chair: Dr. Michelle Davis E-mail: davisml1@lamarpa.edu Phone: (409) 984-6341 If you have a grievance, complaint, or concern about this course that has not been resolved through discussion with the Instructor, please consult the Department Chair.