As a general rule for all college courses, you should plan to spend an additional 3 hours of study time (outside of class time) for every one credit hour you are taking. That means, for a 3-credit course like this one, you should realistically plan to spend at least 9-12 hours per week reading, reviewing modules, and studying for and completing assessments. The course has been designed with these time constraints in mind.
Due Dates:
As a general rule, Quiz and Short Essay assessments will be due on Mondays or the first day of the school week if Monday falls on a Holiday as it does on Martin Luther King Day, Monday, January 16. The list below shows the due dates for the course so that you can mark them in your calendar. These are further explained in the Course Calendar below.
- Tuesday, January 17 – Introductory Assignment: Forum Posting
- Monday, January 23 – Assessment: Quizzes (3)
- Monday, January 30 – Assessment: Quizzes (2)
- Monday, February 6 – Assessment: Short Essay and Paper Proposal Quiz
- Monday, February 13 – Assessment: Quizzes (2)
- Monday, February 20 – Assessment: Quizzes (2)
- Monday, February 27 – Assessment: Quiz (1)
- Wednesday, March 7 – Midterm Exam
- Monday, March 19 – Assessment: Quizzes (2)
- Monday, March 26 – Assessment: Quizzes (2)
- Monday, April 2 – Assessment: Quizzes (2)
- Tuesday, April 10 – Assessment: Quizzes (2)
- Monday, April 16 – Assessment: Quizzes (2) AND Assessment: Optional Short Essay
- Tuesday, April 24 – Research Paper
- Wednesday, May 2 – Final Exam
Calendar:
This is a fast-paced course. You will be submitting assessments every week. Please plan accordingly as assessments are only open for a specific length of time.
How to use this Calendar:
- Week refers to the week of the semester. For our class, weeks begin on Mondays and end on Sundays.
- Work to Complete explains the readings or preparation you should complete that week.
- Assessments Due will list the name and due date of the graded assessments due that week,
- Tool for Assessment will show you were in OncourseCL you can complete the work or assessment. You navigate to the tools using the left-side navigation bar on our class OncourseCL site.
More information on weekly assessments can be found by clicking on the Assessment page within the modules to be completed that week. You can also download this Calendar Checklist to help to keep you on track throughout the semester. All dates are based on midnight “Indiana Time,” Eastern Standard Time.
January
| Week |
Work to Complete |
Assessments Due |
Tool for Assessment |
|---|---|---|---|
Week #1: 1/9 - 1/15 |
Welcome! Read Welcome Letter Work on Introductory Assignment Read Work through “Introduction and Principles” Module |
none | See Announcements and/or Messages Forums and Tests & Surveys Tool
|
Week #2: 1/16 - 1/22 Monday Jan 17 is MLK holiday |
Read Week #2 Announcement
Work through “Scientific Method” Module Work through “Science and Society” Module |
Complete and submit Introductory Assignment (20 points) by Tuesday, 1/17 at 11:59 PM EST. | Forums and Tests & Surveys Tool
Module Index
Module Index |
Week #3: 1/23 - 1/29
|
Read Week #3 Announcement.
Work through “Library Resources” Module Work through “Earth Science” Module |
Complete and submit the following quizzes by Monday, 1/23 at 11:59 PM EST: Assessment #2: Quiz – Introduction and Principles (15 points); and Assessment #3: Quiz – Scientific Method & Science and Society (15 points). |
Tests & Surveys Tool
Module Index
|
| Week #4: 1/30 - 2/5 | Read Week #4 Announcement.
Work on Assessment #6: Short Essay (30 points). Work on Paper Proposal Register to turnitin.com Class ID: 4647161 Password: hurryspring Work through “Plate Tectonics” Module
|
Complete and submit the following quizzes by Monday, 1/30 at 11:59 PM EST: Assessment #4: Quiz – Library Resources (15 points) |
Tests & Surveys Tool
Forums
turnitin.com website Full instructions for registration can be found under Forums > Research Project Module Index |
February
| Week |
Work to Complete |
Assessments Due |
Tool for Assessment |
|---|---|---|---|
Week #5: 2/6 - 2/12 |
Read Week #5 Announcement.
Work through “Minerals and Rocks” Module Work through “Soils” Module |
Complete and submit Assessment #6: Short Essay (30 points) by Monday, 2/6 by 11:59 PM EST. Complete and submit Paper Proposal Quiz (30 points) |
Forums and turitnin.com
Forums > Research Project & Tests & Surveys Tool Module Index
Module Index |
| Week #6: 2/13 - 2/19 |
Read Week #6 Announcement.
Work through “Other Earth Components” Module Work through “Ecosystems” Module |
Complete and submit the following quizzes by Monday, 2/13 at 11:59 PM EST: Assessment #7: Quiz - Plate Tectonics (15 points) and Assessment #8: Quiz - Minerals and Rocks (15 points). |
Tests & Surveys Tool
Module Index
Module Index
|
| Week #7: 2/20 - 2/26 | Read Week #7 Announcement. |
Complete and submit the following quizzes by Monday, 2/20 at 11:59 PM EST: Assessment #9: Quiz - Soils (15 points) and Assessment #10: Quiz - Other Earth Components (15 points). |
Tests & Surveys Tool |
March
| Week |
Work to Complete |
Assessments Due |
Tool for Assessment |
|---|---|---|---|
Week #8: 2/27 - 3/4 |
Read Week #8 Announcement. Review all previous Modules and Module quizzes in preparation for the Midterm. Module quizzes will be retracted on Friday, 3/2 at 11:59 AM. The Midterm opens on 3/2 at 12:00 PM (noon). The password is “middleearth” – minus the quotation marks. Once it opens, you will not be able to access your old quizzes. |
Complete and submit Assessment #11: Quiz - Ecosystems (15 points) by Monday, 2/27 at 11:59 PM EST
If you have scored 85% or higher on each of the Module quizzes, you may ask for permission to take the essay only version of the Midterm. You must ask for permission via an Oncourse Message by Tuesday, 2/28 at 5:00 PM EST. |
Tests & Surveys Tool |
| Week #9: 3/5 - 3/11 | Read Week #9 Announcement. Work through “Earthquakes” Module Work through “Volcanoes” Module |
Complete and submit the Midterm Exam (100 points) by Wednesday 3/7 at 11:59 PM EST. |
Tests & Surveys Tool Module Index
Module Index |
| Week #10: 3/12 - 3/25 | Spring Break - No Classes | ||
| Week #11: 3/19 - 3/25 | Read Week #11 Announcement.
Work through “Surficial Processes” Module Work through “Rivers and Floods” Module |
Complete and submit the following quizzes by Monday, 3/19 11:59 PM EST: Assessment #12: Quiz - Earthquakes (15 points) and Assessment #13: Quiz - Volcanoes (15 points). |
Tests & Surveys Tool
Module Index
Module Index |
April
| Week |
Work to Complete |
Assessments Due |
Tool for Assessment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Week #12: 3/26 - 4/1 | Read Week #12 Announcement.
Work through “Resources” Module Work through “Energy” Module
|
Complete and submit the following quizzes by Monday, 3/26 at 11:59 PM EST: Assessment #14: Quiz - Surficial Processes (15 points) and Assessment #15: Quiz - Rivers and Floods (15 points). |
Tests & Surveys Tool
Module Index
Module Index |
| Week #13: 4/2 - 4/15 | Read Week #13 Announcement.
Work through “Resources Disposal” Module Work through “Pollution” Module
|
Complete and submit the following quizzes by Monday, 4/2 at 11:59 PM EST: Assessment #16: Quiz - Resources (15 points) and Assessment #17: Quiz - Energy (15 points). |
Tests & Surveys Tool
Module Index
Module Index |
Week #14: 4-9 - 4/15 4/15 is Tax Day! |
Read Week #14 Announcement.
Work on Preparing Assessment #21: Short Essay. This is an optional essay but you must have completed Assessment #06: Short Essay to be able to submit this one. Work through “Climate Change” Module Work through “Consumption” Module. Last Module! |
Monday, April 4 – Submit the following quizzes: Assessment #19: Quiz – Pollution (15 points) Assessment #20: Quiz – Climate Change (15 points) |
Tests & Surveys Tool
Forums and turnitin.com
Module Index
|
Week #15: 4/16 - 4/22
|
Read Week #15 Announcement.
Review the results of your Paper Proposal Quiz, the Paper Guidelines (Syllabus > Research Project), and work on preparing your final draft. Remember that you can take your paper to the Writing Center for 10 points of extra credit toward the Paper points. |
Complete and submit the following quizzes by Monday, 4/16 at 11:59 PM EST: Assessment #20: Quiz - Climate Change (15 points and Assessment #22: Quiz - Consumption (15 points) Complete and submit Assessment #21: Short Essay (30 points) by Monday, 4/16 at 11:59 PM EST. (This is an optional assessment.)
If you have scored 85% or higher on each of the Module quizzes, you may ask for permission to take the essay only version of the Final. You must ask for permission via an Oncourse Message by Tuesday, 4/17 at 5:00 PM EST. |
Tests & Surveys Tool
Forums and Tests & Surveys Tool
|
| Week #16: 4/23 - 4/29 | Read Week #16 Announcement. Review all previous Modules and Module Quizzes (after the Midterm) and the Five Fundamental Concepts in preparation for the Final. These quizzes will be retracted on Friday, 4/27 at 11:59 AM. The Final opens on 4/27 at 12:00 PM (noon). The password is “grayhavens” – minus the quotation marks. Once it opens, you will not be able to access your old quizzes. |
Complete and submit the final draft of your research paper (100 points; 20 points for group participation). | turnitin.com website |
May
| Week |
Work to Complete |
Assessments Due |
Tool for Assessment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Week #17: 4/30 - 5/6 | Read Week #17 Announcement.
|
Complete and submit the Final (100 points) by Wednesday, 5/2 at 11:59 PM EST. Complete Course Evaluation |
Tests & Surveys Tool
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