Astronomy 101
Syllabus
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1. Welcome to Astronomy 101
Welcome to Astronomy 101. My name is Nikki D’Onghia and I will be on your instructor. This
is a distance learning 10 week course. Through this course, teachers will be introduced to the
South Carolina State Science Standards for fourth grade. We will develop and implement ideas
to make these standards more hands on and to make learning more applicable to fourth graders.
Because there will be no face to face connections during this course, I hope to keep the lines of
communication open through Moodle. Moodle will be used to communicate with both your
instructor and fellow classmates. It will also be the port for submitting discussions, assignments,
and quizzes. Please be sure to check your Coastal Carolina email frequently as that will be
another way I will be in contact. If at any time, you have any questions or concerns, I am always
available to help.
Course Outline (tentative and subject to change)
Module 1: Earth
Module 2: Sun and Moon
Module 3: Inner Planets
Module 4: Outer Planets
Module 5: Tides
Module 6: Seasons
Module 7: Day and Night
Module 8: Telescopes
Module 9: Stars
Module 10: Course Reflection
Requirements
Participate in discussion boards and learn from others.
Complete assignments and quizzes promptly.
Delivery
This course will be completely on line. No face to face communication will take place in this
course. There will be 10 modules to complete. One module will be due per week. This module
will include readings, discussion boards, quizzes, and assignments. All classwork will be
submitted through Moodle.
Astronomy 101
Syllabus
Workload
This course requires an average of 6 hours a week to be spent completing weekly coursework.
Because of the fast pace of this course, students are required to log on to Moodle a minimum of 2
times per week and check their Coastal Carolina email daily. Logging on to both Moodle and
email ensures that you are up to date with all assignments and coursework.
Nikki D’Onghia
4th Grade Science Teacher
Myrtle Beach Intermediate School
ndonghia@horrycountyschools.net
2. Preface (optional)
I hope you are just as excited as I am to begin this journey through making astronomy more
engaging for students. We all know the importance of keeping students actively engaged in the
material. It is important that we are also actively engaged in this course despite distance learning.
Please feel free to contact me at any time. I am here to aid in your journey to becoming the best
possible teacher you can be.
3. Course Information
Course Title: Astronomy 101
Prerequisites: Fourth grade teacher in South Carolina
Description: Teachers will enhance their knowledge of fourth grade science
standards and develop multiple hands on experiences for ensure
active engagement in all lessons.
Intended Audience: Fourth grade science teachers
Program: Science education for fourth grade teachers
College: Spadoni College of Education at Coastal Carolina University
Astronomy 101
Syllabus
4. Goals and Outcomes
Course Goals
The following course goals articulate the general objectives and purpose of this course. Students
will:
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Develop ideas to maintain active engagement in astronomy exploration
Apply a variety of teaching strategies to engage a variety of learning styles
Engage in a variety of activities through hands on learning experiences
Course Outcomes
After completing this course, students will be able to:
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summarize the characteristics of Earth
explain how the rotation of Earth results in day and night
compare Earth to other objects in the solar system
illustrate the phases of the moon
compare the Earth, sun, and moon
identify and compare the inner and outer planets
explain how the tilt of Earth’s axis and the revolution around the Sun results in the
seasons of the year
explain how the rotation of Earth results in day and night
recognize the purpose of telescopes
5. Grading
Grading will include discussions and responses based on readings, quizzes, and assignments for
each of the 10 modules. Grades will be calculated by converting points to percentages as seen
below.
Astronomy 101
Syllabus
Course Assessments
All course assessments will be taken on Moodle. Please do not hesitate to contact the IT
department at Coastal Carolina University or myself if you are experiencing any technical issues
so that we can relief the problem as soon as possible.
Quizzes
Five quizzes will be administered during the 10 week course session. You will complete each
quiz online using Moodle. Each quiz will be considered open-book; you may consult all online
course materials, or even external Internet resources. You are also encouraged to collaborate
with your classmates currently enrolled in Astronomy 101, provided that you each submit your
own quiz. You will be allowed a maximum of 24 hours to complete each quiz, which must be
submitted before the deadlines posted in Moodle.
Discussions
Module discussions are designed to engage a student’s interaction with others in the course and
provide constant, helpful feedback and assistance when dealing with various issues in online
teaching and learning. Discussion postings should be courteous, thoughtful, and carefully
written.
Assignments
Assignments are activities that are due at the end of each module. There will be 10 assignments
that you will be expected to complete. The documents created can be used in real teaching
situations. You are expected to use the text and your notes to complete the assignments on time
and to the best of your ability.
Assessment
Weight
Quizzes
10% (2% each)
Discussions
20% (2% each)
Assignments
70% (7% each)
Astronomy 101
Syllabus
Grades
Grades will be calculated by converting point accumulations for each assessment using the table
below. Candidates in the M.Ed. Teaching & Learning Instructional Technology track, including
Online Teaching Endorsement program, must earn a grade of C or higher in order to apply the
credit hours toward the degree.
Score
Grade
90-100
A
86-89
B+
80-85
B
76-79
C+
70-75
C
66-69
D+
60-65
D
Incomplete
A grade of incomplete may be granted to students who have suffered serious personal illness or
critical emergency circumstances during the academic term, resulting in failure to complete all
assignments by the end of the quarter. Documentation from a physician is required and must be
attached to the petition for a temporary grade of incomplete. Please see the college catalog for
additional information.
6. Textbooks and Supplies
Required Texts
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South Carolina Science Macmillan/ McGraw-Hill
Astronomy 101
Syllabus
7. Schedule
Module 1: Earth
In Module 1/ week 1 we will discuss planet Earth and how we can appropriately use hands on
activities to keep students actively engaged in the material being taught.
Topics:
Week 1: Earth
Week 2: Sun and Moon
Week 3: Inner Planets
Week 4: Outer Planets
Week 5: Tides
Week 6: Seasons
Week 7: Day and Night
Week 8: Telescopes
Week 9: Stars
Week 10: Course Reflection
8. Course Policies
Time Management
An online course can take a considerable amount of time. As stated in welcome page, each
module requires 6 – 9 hours for readings and assignments/assessments. For this reason, it is
highly recommended that you begin each assignment early. Work on it regularly over the week
rather than waiting until the last day or two. This will allow you to have the chance to work out
problems or get help if needed.
Participation
Depending on the class activities, you are responsible for completing weekly assignments,
participating in discussion groups, and checking in to the course site on a consistent basis.
Astronomy 101
Syllabus
Faculty Initiated Drop
Please be advised that if you do not “attend” class at least once during the first week, I will drop
you from class. Since this is an online course, this requirement means that you MUST be present
in our Moodle course site during the first week and participate in the first assignment—SelfIntroduction.
Deadlines
You will always be given explicit instructions on where to send your assignments. Assignments
are usually due on a weekly basis – the exact dates will always be found in the activities. If you
wish to complete an assignment prior to the due date, you may (however, a group assignment
must be completed during the week assigned OR upon approval of every member of the group).
NO LATE SUBMISSION WILL BE ACCEPTED. PLEASE BE AWARE OF THIS POLICY
AND SUBMIT YOUR WORK ON TIME. This policy will be strictly enforced in the summer
session due to the condensed schedule.
Turnaround Time
The instructor will be monitoring the discussion board on a daily basis. Submitted assignments
will be graded and feedback will be provided within 3 days after the module is concluded. Email messages will be answered within 24 hours on weekdays and 48 hours on weekends.
Academic Integrity
Under all circumstances, students are expected to be honest in their dealings with faculty,
administrative staff, and fellow students. In speaking and/or correspondence with members of the
college community, students must give an accurate representation of the facts at hand. Students
must submit work that fairly and accurately reflects their level of accomplishment. Any work
that is not a product of the student’s own effort is considered dishonest. Students may not submit
the same work for more than one course. A student may be suspended or expelled for academic
dishonesty. Please refer to the Student Handbook for additional information regarding the policy
on academic honesty.
Academic Integrity Code
(from the Student Code of Conduct, Section III,
http://www.coastal.edu/conduct/documents/codeofconduct.pdf)
Astronomy 101
Syllabus
Statement of Community Standards:
“Coastal Carolina University is an academic community that expects the highest standards of
honesty, integrity and personal responsibility.
As members of this community, we are accountable for our actions and are committed to
creating an atmosphere of mutual respect and trust.
Honor Pledge: (required of all entering CCU students)
On my honor, I pledge:
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That I will take responsibility for my personal behavior; and
That I will actively oppose every instance of academic dishonesty as defined in the Code
of Student Conduct.
From this day forward, my signature on any University document, including tests, papers and
other work submitted for a grade is a confirmation of this honor pledge.”
Technical Supports
If you ever encounter any technology difficulties, please contact the following supports:
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Moodle and WordPress (the instructor, ndonghia@horrycountyschools.net)
General Computing Issues (ITS – Student Computing Services).
Academic Supports
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Kimbel library
Learning Assistance Centers (The Foreign Language Instructional Center (FLIC),
Mathematics Learning Center, Writing Center, and Structured Learning Assistance)
Counseling Services.
Thank you for abiding by the Course Policies.
Astronomy 101
Syllabus
9. Other Information
E-mail and Its Etiquette
Students must use their Coastal e-mail accounts for all correspondence with their professor. This
will help ensure that e-mails are secure and that Coastal staff can assist students with any e-mail
related technical problems. Coastal’s Student Computing Services (SCS) staff will not be able to
help resolve problems students may encounter with external e-mail services, such as Yahoo!
Mail, or Hotmail.
It is expected that all E-mail correspondence to the instructor will be conducted in a professional
manner. When utilizing E-mail for this class, you should:
1. include the course code, number, and section in the E-mail subject heading “EDIT
650.D1” for example,
2. address the recipient in an appropriate manner,
3. utilize proper spelling, grammar, and punctuation,
4. close with your full name.
Computing Requirements
Required Hardware
To access e-learning courses, a multimedia-class computer (PC or Mac) with Internet
connectivity is required. The minimum system configurations required to view e-learning course
content are described below.
PC
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500 MHz Pentium III
Windows 2000
128 MB RAM (512 MB recommended)
1 GB free hard disk space
56K modem (broadband recommended)
Macintosh
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400 MHz G4
OS 9.1 (OS X recommended)
128 MB RAM (512 MB recommended)
1 GB free hard disk space
56K modem (broadband recommended)
Astronomy 101
Syllabus
Required Browser
Students must have an Internet browser installed on their computers to view and interact with
online courses. Mozilla Firefox, version 1.5 or better, is recommended. Please note that browsers
may need to be further optimized if courses utilizing multimedia require any browser plug-ins or
ancillary players.
Special Services
If you have any learning disabilities or are alternatively-abled in any manner, or if you feel you
need special accommodation, please contact the Office of Student Disabilities, located in the
Student Health-Counseling Center, 204 University Boulevard. For more information, call (843)
349-2307. Disabilities must be on record with the university in order for a student to be eligible
for special dispensation.
Modification of the Syllabus and Schedule
The instructor reserves the right to modify the syllabus and schedule at any time. Notice of any
change will be E-mailed and posted as an announcement.