Faculty:
M. Darby Dyar
217 Kendade Hall, Mount Holyoke College
538-3073 or 538-3220
mdyar@mtholyoke.edu or mddyar@amherst.edu

Modifications to the course schedule will be made on the web site; be sure to check it frequently for changes.

Class meets 8:35-9:50, Tuesday and Thursday mornings, 203 Kendade Hall.

What I expect of you in this class:

Be professional and participate actively in the course.
Do the reading.
Bring calculators to class every day. You will use them.
Do the reading.
Keep up with the work.
Do the reading.
Know the syllabus and be aware of important dates.
Do the reading.
Get help promptly if you need it.
Do the reading.
Seek me out if we can help you with problems of any kind, or if you just want to talk!
Do the reading.

Attendance:

You do not want to miss this class! If you have to be absent, please contact Darby via e-mail or telephone before the class to let her know where you are. Your assessment in this class will be based largely on your participation in class on exercises and discussions, so it's absolutely necessary for you to attend every class.

Weekly Assignments:

Weekly readings will be posted below as we progress through the year.
This link has a set of nice papers describing tips on how to read scientific writing.

Assessment:

Assessments in this course will be based on the following:
60% on participation and weekly write-ups as part of in-class discussions and exercises
20% on an in-class presentation and discussion that you will lead
20% on the written report of your presentation

Student projects:

Click here for the guidelines of the paper. For ideas, check out the Mars articles on this website:
http://www.soest.hawaii.edu/PSRdiscoveries/Archive/Contents.html
I've also compiled a bibliography of some recent articles about Mars.
Other resources for science fiction and fictional accounts of Mars:
http://www.scifan.com/themes/themes.asp?TH_themeid=2

Some examples of term papers from previous years can be found here...note that this was a 300 level class, so there was a somewhat greater expectation...
Kay Achenbach 2002
Solomon Granor 2002

Click here for a list of past student presentations:
Here's our list of what makes a good and bad presentation.

Ever-Changing Schedule:

Sept. 6. Introduction
Introduction
Mars Exploration Rover video

Sept. 11, 13, 18, and 20. History of Mars Exploration
READING: The Planet Mars, by William
student presentations
discussion of what makes a good presentation

Sept. 27 and Oct. 2. Missions to Mars
Mars 1-7 USSR (Alex and Asmaah)
Mariner 3,4,6,7,8,9 US (Britta , Laura, Elana)
Phobos 1 & 2, Mars Polar Lander, Mars Climate Orbiter (Julia and Jillian)
Mars Pathfinder (Lizzie and Daisy)
Mars Exploration Rover (Caroline and Elisa)
Write a 2-3 page summary paper about your missions (jointly), due Oct. 2

October 4, 11, and 16.  Sending people to Mars
Read: Safe on Mars and Can People Go to Mars?
Read and be prepared to discuss BOTH the handout and Safe on Mars
Hand in at start of class Oct. 11: 2 page single-spaced write-up on one of the two readings
HAND-OUT on Paper-writing tips

Oct. 18, 23, and 25.  The Case for Mars Exploration by Humans, and Terraforming...
READING: "The Case for Mars", Zubrin and Wagner (Free Press)
Hand in at start of class on Oct. 23: 2 page write-up of something you find interesting
On October 25, we will finish with Zubrin, watch a brief movie, and discuss the final project.

Oct. 30. Research Papers
guest lecture by Sarah Oekler, MHC Scxience Librarian
discussion of paper topics
Hand in at start of class Oct 30: Learning Styles Inventory worksheet

Nov. 1, 6, 8, 13, 15: Mars Meteorites
class on Nov. 1 will be a hands-on lecture from Darby about minerals and meteorites
Other good meteorites links include these: 1, 2
Nov. 6: I'll talk about minerals and we'll do an in-class exercise
Nov. 8 and 13 will be student presentations on chapters as noted below
Due Nov. 8 (I postponed this to Thursday; sorry for the problems with the web site):
1-page outline of final paper project
You will be reading chapters from the Mars Meteorite Compendium

Everyone read: I. Introduction, and Appendix I
Note the following issues when reading your chapter:
1. How do we know these rocks come from Mars?
2. How do the rocks get from Mars to Earth?
3. In what ways are all the martian meteorites chemically similar?
4. What's the total weight of martian samples we now have for study?

Other reading assigned as follows (let Darby know if your name doesn't appear below):
III. Lafayette Elisa
IV: Governador Valadares  Laura
VIII. ALHA 77005 Julia
VI. Zagami Daisy
VII. Chassigny Jillian
IX. EETA 79001 Britta
VIII. ALHA 77005 Lizzie
XV. Los Angeles and XIX. NWA 817 Caroline
IX. EETA 79001  Elana
XII. QUE94201  Asmaah
V. Shergotty  Alex

Study questions (be prepared to answer these for your rock!):
1. Where did it land, and how long has it been on Earth?
2. What minerals does it contain?
3. What rock type is it (look under the title on the first page)?
4. How old is it?
5. What isotopes were used to obtain this age?
6. What is its exposure age?
7. Anything else significant about this sample?

Nov. 20 and 27: Current Mars Missions: Mars Science Laboratory
we'll just watch the movie on Nov. 20 -- you don't have to read the book until the 2nd Tuesday
read book by Steve Squyres (aavailable at Odyssey Bookstore)
NO writing assignment for this book -- just participate in discussion!

Nov. 29 and Dec. 4 : Landing Sites for Mars Science Laboratory
Hand in: a 1-2 page discussion paper with both your names on it explaining why your site is the best (due Nov. 29)! Please come to class prepared to give a short presentation to defend why your site should be selected. HINT: there are already Powerpoint files on the web site for each site -- you'll want to modify them of course!)

Here is the list of sites and their assignments:
South and West Meridiani: Lizzie and Julia
Nilli Fossae Trough: Daisy and Asmaah
Jezero Crater: Caroline and Elisa
Holden Crater: Jillian and Britta
Mawrth Vallis: Elana and Laura
Terby Crater: Alex

Here are some resources to look at:
Landing Site Selection Web Site
Note especially the workshop presentations (there have been TWO landing site workshops -- be sure to look at both), the criteria for the landing sites, and the eventual votes (listed at the end of the "Workshop presentations for the 2nd workshop). I think you'll find this assignment very interesting! We won't know the actual landing site until some time in 2008...talk about your open-ended assignment!

Dec. 6, 11: Student Presentations: aim for a 10 minute presentation on whatever your final paper is about.
Final papers are due Dec. 6 -- I don't want you worrying about them in the last week of classes.

Requisites of a Good Discussion
The single most important fact to remember is that the class discussion is a cooperative effort--a collective good. Good discussions are not at the expense of someone else, and are susceptible to the problems of free riders. It is important to treat all comments with respect. If there is a point of disagreement, you have an obligation to raise it--but its purpose should be to assist the discussion, not to score points. This is an extraordinarily important point. Any other attitude will lead to the disintegration of the class. A few other points:

First, to have a good discussion, the participants must listen carefully to each other. Your colleagues have much to say, they generally are insightful, and their point of view deserves careful attention. You should respond directly to their comments.

Second, be precise in what you say. If there is ambiguity in the discussion, ask that it stop in order to clarify a muddled point. Definitions are important, and you should expect to be able to give them when necessary.

Third, be concise in your statements. This does not mean that you should necessarily limit your comments to one or two sentences. It does, however, mean that you should not ramble or develop peripheral points at great length. There is one outstanding characteristic of oral discussion: people begin to think about what you have said in your first or second sentences, which means that they are listening less attentively to any subsequent sentences. If you do not make your point early, it will not have the force or impact that you desire. You should therefore always try to have your conclusion up front--working inductively to a conclusion very rarely works.

Fourth, do not be intimidated by the prospect of having to speak in a class of twenty people. There is plenty of time for everyone to say what she thinks. Moreover, your evaluations will be based on what you say, not on how much you say. Do not fall into the trap of thinking that to do well in the course you need to hold the floor for a very long period of time.

Fifth, and this is most important, you should be prepared to make an argument and not just drop comments where they seem appropriate. Essentially reactive statements serve a useful clarifying purpose, but they do not constitute an argument. The best way to build an oral argument is to have one prepared before class that can be presented very quickly, and then to use the discussion as a foil for amplifying your basic argument. Do not think that you can "build" an argument while the class is running. The conversation is too fast, too complex, and too unorganized for you to figure out what you want to say while you are saying it. The class is extremely demanding in this respect, but its difficulty is matched by its rewards: having made a solid argument in a group discussion, with helpful and constructive criticisms from others is one of the most exhilarating experiences you can have in a classroom.

Finally, do not attempt to intimidate or dominate. This is not an exercise in debate or public speaking. Extended monologues, orations, and harangues are to be avoided, and will be negatively evaluated. Remember, however, that the primary responsibility for preventing such misfortunes remains in your hands--either to not do them yourself, or to gently remind others to avoid them.