Welcome to PHYS 240!
San Francisco State University, Fall 2021
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Basic Info
Basic Info
Instructor: Dr. Charli Sakari (call me Charli, Dr. Sakari, or Professor Sakari)
Email: sakaricm@sfsu.edu (preferred contact method)
Office Hours: via Zoom (TBD)
NOTE: Our full syllabus will be posted on iLearn!
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
About Me
About Me
Welcome everyone! I am Charli Sakari (she/her/hers), a professor in the Physics & Astronomy department.
I'm originally from Springfield, Oregon. I got my BA from Whitman College in Walla Walla, WA and my PhD from the University of Victoria in British Columbia (Canada). Before coming here to SFSU I was a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Washington, in Seattle.
My research focuses on the chemical compositions of stars and using this information to understand the formation of the elements, star clusters, and galaxies like the Milky Way. I'm excited to get discuss parts of my research with you in this class! Why did I choose to become an astronomer? Honestly, one major reason was Star Trek! I always loved math and astronomy, but was scared of physics. However, as I took more courses I gained confidence and realized that physics was actually fun.
My cat Tux (shown above) may also make some appearances in our class! He's not a huge fan of physics, but he does like attention. :-)
I look forward to meeting you and getting to know you!
My Teaching Philosophy!
My Teaching Philosophy!
My general philosophy is about learning, growing, and explaining rather than getting "correct" answers. In science we rarely ever know what the "answer" is... In fact, there may not even be an answer at all! I hope that this course can be a safe space for you to challenge yourself without worrying about your final grade.
Your peers can be a valuable asset for your learning and growth, particularly since we all come from different backgrounds. Our different perspectives give each of us different insights into physics. We will have regular collaborative activities that will enable us to learn from each other, give and receive constructive feedback, and support each other.
I have built some flexibility into our due dates and I will be very generous with extensions, so that you can fit this class into your schedule. All you need to do is ask!
I want you to have a voice in this class, and I want to help you see yourself as a scientist.
I will give you choices in this course so that you can explore and develop your own interests and passions. We'll have lots of interesting applications of the physics concepts in the class, including astronomy, engineering, climate change, and more!
Our Community Agreements
Our Community Agreements
On the first day of class we will discuss our community agreements, which are things we all (including me) agree to do and not do!
In the meantime, here are some of my basic expectations for the course.
What you can expect of me:
In our Zoom sessions, I will provide opportunities for active learning through polls, chat activities, and breakout room activities. I will also monitor the chat regularly for questions. (If I miss a question, don't hesitate to speak up!)
For our asynchronous material, I will provide you with videos, quizzes, and activities that are specifically designed to get you thinking about concepts, and to help work through common misconceptions.
I will do my best to reply promptly to your emails. (Be sure to include PHYS 240 in the subject line!) I will reply within 24 hours (often much sooner) on weekdays; on weekends I may take a bit longer, but don't worry, I will respond!
I will support you in your interests and goals. If you want to pursue something unusual for a project, let me know! Want to know more about a specific topic? I can try to help find additional resources. Want to submit a video presentation instead of a written report? Let's make it work!
All of you have busy lives, and I will respect your valuable time by clearing communicating deadlines ahead of time. Most weeks will have a regular schedule. Need an extension on something? Just ask, and we will work together to find a time that works.
The grader and I will do our best to promptly grade your assignments, so that you have a clear idea of your grade. If you have any questions about your grade, feel free to ask me!
What I will expect of you:
Come to our synchronous Zoom sessions (if possible) and participate in poll questions, discussions, and Breakout Room activities. If you cannot attend Zoom sessions, do check out the recording!
For our asynchronous sessions, watch the videos, do the assigned quizzes, and participate in a collaborative activity.
Try to stay on top of your weekly activities, reflections, and assignments. There are a lot of small activities, so it's easy to lose track, but it will be much easier for you to try to keep up with the suggested due dates. A good rule of thumb is that in a 3 unit course you should be spending about 9 hours per week on the course.
Talk to me! Come to office hours to ask for help, to ask questions about your grade, or just to chat about physics or life in general. If you can't come to the scheduled office hours, you can also email me and we can find a separate time to chat.
Push yourself and lean into your discomfort! Physics is hard, but it's also beautiful, intriguing, mysterious, and foundational for all our majors.
Be honest about your learning! I want you all to succeed, and success is based on more than a grade. Be honest about what you understand and don't understand, because I really want to know what you all are thinking. Your honest answers to questions are helpful feedback for me!
Course Goals
Course Goals
This course will explore the physics of fluids and light. By the end of this course, students will be able to
Explain the general principles of how particles behave in macroscopic situations
Describe how the properties of various materials (solids, liquids, and gases) change with temperature
Relate the basic properties of waves to sound and light
Discuss how these physics concepts emerge in various fields, including astronomy, climate science, biology and medicine, and engineering.
Image from Unsplash.com
Our course will be broken into three sections (see the full schedule in our official syllabus on iLearn):
Weeks 1-6: Fluids and Thermodynamics
Weeks 7-16: Light, Waves, Optics
Weeks 17: Modern Physics Introduction
Course Format
Course Format
This course is a bichronous course. This means that we will have a live Zoom session together once a week, on Mondays. The rest of the week will be devoted to videos, quizzes, collaborative activities, homework, and reflections that you can do at your own pace!
Our first class will be Aug. 23, 2021 at 11 am! The Zoom link will be available on iLearn.
There are a number of introductory activities for you to do before class, so make sure you log in a few days before.
Can't make it to class? That's okay, all classes will be recorded and will be posted on iLearn (see below). However, if you can attend the synchronous sessions I would encourage you to do so. This is an excellent time to connect with me and with your peers. You also might want to form study groups with your peers!
All course materials and links will be available on our helpful SFSU Learning Management System, iLearn: https://ilearn.sfsu.edu/
We'll be utilizing a textbook and a homework system:
Textbook: Physics for Scientists and Engineers, by Serway & Jewett (10th ed.) Make sure you can access the textbook by our first class!
Homework system: WebAssign (course linking info will be posted on iLearn).
On our iLearn page there are helpful tricks and tips on accessing and using WebAssign!
Advice for Success (from me and from previous students!)
Advice for Success (from me and from previous students!)
There are a lot of small weekly activities in our course, as you'll see in iLearn, but here is some quick advice to help you succeed in this course! This advice comes from me and from students who took this class in Fall 2020 and Spring 2021. (You'll be able to see more specific advice on iLearn.)
Although many activities can be submitted late, try to stay on top on the weekly assignments. They are meant to help you understand, process, and reinforce the learning, so it's good to do them in order.
Come to office hours with any questions or concerns you may have! Getting to know your professor and asking questions are always a good thing.
Reach out to your peers! Discussion forums, asynchronous group activities, labs, or synchronous breakout rooms are a good opportunity to connect with your peers and form study groups. This is definitely hard at first, but it can really pay off.
Reach out to me (your professor) if you need any extensions or support. I want you to succeed, and we can find a way to make it work!
Image from Unsplash.com
Week 1 Tasks
Week 1 Tasks
Here's a step-by-step guide for what to do for our first week of class! Important dates are bolded. I also have a video on iLearn where I walk you through all these steps.
Browse through our iLearn page! Introduce yourself in the glossary and take the Getting to Know You quiz. (Please do this by Aug. 23)
Watch the introductory video where I walk through our iLearn page and our regular weekly schedule.
Check out the advice from your peers (students from Spring 2021)
Get access to your textbook and read through Ch. 14.1 on "pressure." (Please do this by Aug. 23)
Join our first class meeting on Zoom (Aug. 23)
Reflect on your goals for the semester (by Aug. 27)
Watch the asynchronous videos, take the quizzes, and work through the collaborative activity (by Aug. 29)
Work through your first homework assignment on WebAssign (by Aug. 29)
Write a brief reflection post about your week (by Aug. 29)
Contact Me!
Contact Me!
Feel free to reach out to me with questions.
You can ask in the Questions Forum (see the top of our iLearn page). This Forum is a great place to look for answers to your questions. Posting a question helps your peers to know the answer too! I'll do my best to respond to your questions as soon as I can. This is a good place to look for any common questions you might have.
You can also email me at any time, at sakaricm@sfsu.edu! Be sure to include PHYS 240 in the subject line. I will do my best to respond to your emails within 24 hours on weekdays. If you email on the weekend I may not respond until Monday.
Also, come to Zoom office hours! Come to ask questions about homework, chat about physics or life, or to just get to know each other better!
Want an extension on an assignment? If you need an extension on an assignment, let me know via email or request an extension in WebAssign. I encourage us all to stick to the posted deadlines, since it’ll help us all stay on track with the course, but I will grant you extensions! It doesn't hurt to ask! :-)
Support for You!
Support for You!
Our official syllabus on iLearn has links to many helpful campus resources! Here's just a quick summary:
For iLearn questions or technical support, contact the iLearn Helpdesk
The Tutoring and Academic Support Center (TASC) is a new university-wide center that supports the academic success of all San Francisco State students.
The Learning Assistance Center (LAC), a faculty-run peer tutoring center, serves SF State students and faculty by providing skills-based tutoring across disciplines, professional development, and teaching support.
The Counseling and Psychological Service provides psychological counseling to students and consultation services to the University community.
The Disability Programs and Resource Center (DPRC) works with students and employees with disabilities to ensure all aspects of life on campus including academics, events and employment are accessible.
In case you are looking for an emergency shelter or a place to rest on campus visit the Basic Needs site.
For resources intended to address food insecurity needs for students, visit the Gator Groceries site. Students are also encouraged to sign up for Gator Grub Alerts.
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