Spring 2024 Course Syllabus
Course: PHYS-1317 (Section: 71, CRN: 10145)
Physical Science II 		LSCPA Logo Image
Instructor Information
Instructor Behrouz Pounaki
Email pounakib@lamarpa.edu
Phone (409) 984-6330
Office Educational I - Room: 131
Office Hours Email with questions.
Additional Contact Information Please, contacts through your LSCPA assigned email only. Email your instructor and leave him your messages on Microsoft Teams room.
Course Information
Description Course, designed for non-science majors, that surveys topics from physics, chemistry, geology, astronomy, and meteorology. May or may not include a laboratory
Required 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.

Conceptual Physical Science by Paul Hewitt, 6th ed, Pearson Addison Wesley. ISBN-13: 9780134060484. Other editions are acceptable.  The instructor will provide other supplemental information.
Additional Materials/Resources Additional materials Supplied by the instructor.
A functioning computer with a webcam is required to take all online exams and quizzes.  It is the student's responsibility to have both. Alternatively, exams may be taken at one of the computer labs on the LSCPA campus.

Required Software (available free of charge) 
Corequisites/Prerequisites PHYS 1315-01
Learning Outcomes Upon successful completion of this course, students will: . Articulate the fundamental concepts of electricity and electromagnetism, including electrostatic potential energy, electrostatic potential, potential difference, magnetic field, induction,. State the general nature of electrical forces and electrical charges, and their relationship to electrical current.  Solve problems involving the inter-relationship of electrical charges, electrical forces, and electrical fields.  including parallel and series resistance.  Describe the effects of static charge on nearby materials, Describe the components of a wave and relate those components to mechanical vibrations, sound, and decibel level. Articulate the principles of reflection, refraction, diffraction, interference and superposition of waves. Solve real-world problems involving optics, lenses, and mirrors. Study of stars, galaxies, and the universe outside our solar system. study of the sun and its solar system, including its origin.  Describe the characteristics of light and the electromagnetic spectrum.
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.
Lecture Topics Outline Week  Chapter(s)       Contents
1 & 2           8              Static and Current Electricity
3 & 4           9              Magnetism & Electromagnetic Induction
5                  8-9          Midterm  I Review & Test 
6                 10             Wave and Sound
7 & 8          11              Light
9                 10-11        Midterm II Review & Test 
10               26              Astronomy, The solar system
11               27             Star and Galaxies
12               26-27        Midterm III Review & Test 
13              16             Mixture
14              17             How Chemicals React
15&16                         Review/Final

This schedule is an idealized guide for the course. Depending on the situation, changes may be made by the instructor. The instructor reserves the right to modify the syllabus. Any changes will be announced in Microsoft Teams class and on the content folder of Blackboard, Bb, or through email.
Major Assignments Schedule Estimated dates:
The first week Synopsis 
Midterm I      Feb.9, 2024
Midterm II     March 8, 2024
Midterm III    April 12, 2024
Academic Assessment Due April 10, 2024.

This schedule is an idealized guide for the course. Depending on the situation, changes may be made by the instructor. The instructor reserves the right to modify the syllabus. Any changes will be announced in class and on the content folder of Blackboard, Bb, or through email.
Final Exam Date May 6, 2024 - 12:0 PM   Through  May 7, 2024 - 12:0 PM
Grading Scale 90 - 100=A 80 - 89=B 70 - 79=C 60 - 69=D 59 and lower = F Roundup for decimals
Determination of
Final Grade		 Homework: About ten HW Assignments 30%. One HW with the lowest grade will not be counted toward the final grades. This does not include the Academic assessment.
Quiz:  About 4 Quizzes 20%. One quiz with the lowest grade will not be considered for the final grades.
Midterm Exam: About 3 midterm exams 20%. One Midterm Exam with the lowest grade will not be counted toward the final grades.
Comprehensive Final Exam 30%. A missing final exam receives a zero.

No makeup exams, no makeup homework assignments and no makeup midterms or quizzes are given, and there are NO retake/resubmission, late submission on any midterms, quizzes, homework assignments, and the final exam. 

Exam, quizzes, homeworks that are not taken/submitted as scheduled will receive a grade of zero.

Academic Assessment is a mandatory teamwork project. The academic assessment Project is considered as one HW assignment and MUST BE submitted.
Course Policies
Instructor Policies Only students enrolled in the online class are permitted in the online classroom.
Every assignment, test, homework, etc., should be typed and submitted/posted on Blackboard as a word document.
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. You are expected to be on time for lectures and online meetings. It would be best if you did not talk to your classmates while your instructor is talking or while one of your classmates is asking a question. It is the students responsibility to have reliable computer and internet access for this course's duration. Exams and quizzes can only be taken on a laptop or desktop computer. If your laptop/desktop computer breaks for any reason during the semester, it does not excuse you from the course's requirements and deadlines. It is your responsibility to make sure all exams and assignments are completed by their due date and according to the instructions given. If uncertain about your internet access's reliability during the exams, 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 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.

Only 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 Dr. Billups at billupshm@lamarpa.edu or (409) 984-6102. Faculty should not communicate with parents. This is the institute policy.

Correspondence: It is professional to use a formal tone when emailing your instructor. All your correspondences should come from your Lamar State college assigned student email through Blackboard ONLY. 

Online class meetings: Students registering for online sections attend classes online via Microsoft Teams live on Thursdays starting at SEVEN pm.
Attending the first two weeks meetings are mandatory. Lectures and discussions are recorded and will be posted on Teams. In case you cannot attend the first two live meetings, you will need to watch the recorded session and write a synopsis later during the week and submit it attached to your next assignment. Students missing both live online sessions and synopsis will be penalized 50 points out of their next assignment.

I will not discuss your grades over the phone or by email. 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 This course is an Online Asynchronous course. When needed, there are additional online discussion meetings through Microsoft Teams that will be recorded and posted for review. Attending the live meetings is highly recommended , but not mandatory except for the first two meetings as described earlier.
Additional Information The instructor reserves the right to modify this syllabus at any time as deemed necessary. For all school holidays and information regarding Drops/withdrawals, refer to school policies. I will not discuss your grades over the phone or by email. COVID-19 Please read the information and implement the recommendations https://www.lamarpa.edu/General/Alerts/COVID-19

All exams will be given online and will require the installation of Respondus Lockdown Browser (RLB) and Respondus Monitor. It is NOT possible to take exams on a cell phone. It is the responsibility of the student to have a functioning computer, webcam, and internet in order to take exams during the scheduled period of availability for each exam. Computers in LSCPA computer labs and Student Success Center are available for use for exams.

It is student's responsibility to post assignments as word document only and assure they are posted on Blackboard properly!

If a problem develops with your computer during the course, you will need to contact LSCPA IT support.  If you have problems with Blackboard, you will need to contact the BB Tech support which is available 24x7.
Institutional Policies
MyLSCPA Be sure to check your campus email and Course Homepage using MyLSCPA campus web portal. You can also access your grades, transcripts, academic advisors, degree progress, and other services through MyLSCPA.
Academic Honesty Academic honesty is expected from all students, and dishonesty in any form will not be tolerated. Please consult the LSCPA policies (Academic Dishonesty section in the Student Handbook) for consequences of academic dishonesty.
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.
COVID 19 Information The Lamar State College Port Arthur (LSCPA) Student Code of Conduct COVID 19 Policy requires students who have been diagnosed with COVID 19 to report their condition directly to their local health department. Students should also contact their course faculty to report their quarantine status. In addition, this policy requires all students to wear face coverings when directly exposed to COVID 19 in compliance with the criteria included in the policy. For more information please refer to the COVID 19 link on the LSCPA website.
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.
HB 2504 This syllabus is part of LSCPA's efforts to comply with Texas House Bill 2504.
Mandatory Reporting of Child Abuse and Neglect As per Texas law and LSCPA policy, all LSCPA employees, including faculty, are required to report allegations or disclosures of child abuse or neglect to the designated authorities, which may include a local or state law enforcement agency or the Texas Department of Family Protective Services. For more information about mandatory reporting requirements, see LSCPA's Policy and Procedure Manual.
Title IX and Sexual Misconduct LSCPA is committed to establishing and maintaining an environment that is free from all forms of sex discrimination, including sexual harassment, sexual violence, and other forms of sexual misconduct. All LSCPA employees, including faculty, have the responsibility to report disclosures of sexual misconduct, including sexual harassment, sexual assault (including rape and acquaintance rape), domestic violence, dating violence, relationship violence, or stalking, to LSCPA's Title IX Coordinator, whose role is to coordinate the college's response to sexual misconduct. For more information about Title IX protections, faculty reporting responsibilities, options for confidential reporting, and the resources available for support visit LSCPA's Title IX website.
Clery Act Crime Reporting For more information about the Clery Act and crime reporting, see the Annual Security & Fire Safety Report and the Campus Security website.
Grievance / Complaint / Concern 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.
Department Information
General Education and Developmental Studies
Chair:Steven Zani
Email:zanisj@lamarpa.edu
Phone:(409) 984-6431