UCC/UGC/ECCC
Proposal for Course Change
FAST TRACK (Select if this will be a fast track item. Refer to Fast Track Policy for
eligibility)
If the changes included in this proposal are significant, attach copies of original and proposed
syllabi in approved university format.
1. Course subject and number: GLG 309
2. Units:
See upper and lower division undergraduate course definitions.
3. College:
CEFNS
5. Current Student Learning Outcomes of the
course.
4. Academic Unit:
4
Geology
Show the proposed changes in this column (if
applicable). Bold the proposed changes in this
column to differentiate from what is not
changing, and Bold with strikethrough what is
being deleted. (Resources & Examples for
Developing Course Learning Outcomes)
This course is designed to give you a fundamental
background in the chemistry of minerals, including how
atoms are coordinated and bonded in minerals, how they
are arranged to form crystal structures, and how this is
reflected in the external form, chemical composition, and
physical properties of the crystals. This course will also
familiarize you with common minerals and their properties,
and to give you the tools you need to increase your
understanding of earth materials.
Effective Fall 2012
This course is designed to give you a fundamental
background in the chemistry of minerals, including
how atoms are coordinated and bonded in minerals,
how they are arranged to form crystal structures, and
how this is reflected in the external form, chemical
composition, and physical properties of the crystals.
This course will also familiarize you with common
minerals and their properties, and to give you the
tools you need to increase your understanding of
earth materials.
Upon successful completion of the course, you will
be able to:
 Use physical properties to identify minerals in
hand samples
 Classify minerals based on chemistry and
structure
 Understand variations in mineral chemistry, the
chemical rules that dictate mineral structures,
and how to use graphical methods to quantify
and interpret mineral chemistry
 Describe how mineral chemistry and structure
control physical and optical properties
 Operate a polarizing microscope and use optical
properties (e.g. relief, cleavage, pleochroism,
interference colors and extinction) to identify
minerals in thin sections


Recognize and describe various igneous,
sedimentary, and metamorphic rocks
Make interpretations about environments of
formation using assemblages and textures of
minerals and rocks
6. Current title, description and units. Cut and
paste, in its entirety, from the current on-line
academic catalog*
http://catalog.nau.edu/Catalog/.
Show the proposed changes in this column
Bold the proposed changes in this column to
differentiate from what is not changing, and
Bold with strikethrough what is being deleted.
GLG 309 MINERALOGY: INTRODUCTION
TO EARTH MATERIALS (4)
Description: Overview of the origin, occurrence,
and chemical and physical properties of
common rock-forming minerals; mineral
determination using hand specimen,
microscopic, and other analytical methods.
Letter grade only. Course fee required.
Units: 4
Prerequisite: GLG 101 or (GLG 100 or 110 or
112 w/ B or better) and GLG 103 or (GLG 100L
or 110L or 112L w/ B or better) and CHM 151
and 151L and (MAT 125 or Math Placement
Test Results (ALEKS/MATHA 50+; MATHC 50+;
PLACE 55+)) & CUM GPA 2.5 or better
GLG 309 MINERALOGY: INTRODUCTION
TO EARTH MATERIALS (4)
Description: Overview of the origin, occurrence,
and chemical and physical properties of
common rock-forming minerals; mineral
determination using hand specimen,
microscopic, and other analytical methods.
Letter grade only. Course fee required.
Units: 4
Prerequisite: GLG 101 or (GLG 100 or 110 or
112 w/ B or better) and GLG 103 or (GLG 100L
or 110L or 112L w/ B or better) and CHM 151
and 151L and (MAT 125 or Math Placement
Test Results (ALEKS/MATHA 50+; MATHC 50+;
PLACE 55+)) & CUM GPA 2.5 or better
*if there has been a previously approved UCC/UGC/ECCC change since the last catalog year, please copy the approved
text from the proposal form into this field.
7. Justification for course change.
These changes are in conjunction with our revised undergraduate degree sub plans. Students
in the Applied Geology Emphasis will not take GLG315 so some of that content was added to
GLG309. These changes also reflect a modernization of this course to be more aligned with
content commonly covered in Geology programs at other Universities.
8. Effective BEGINNING of what term and year?
See effective dates calendar.
Fall 2016
IN THE FOLLOWING SECTION, COMPLETE ONLY WHAT IS CHANGING
CURRENT
Current course subject and number:
PROPOSED
Proposed course subject and number:
Current number of units:
Proposed number of units:
Current short course title:
Proposed short course title (max 30
characters):
EARTH MATERIALS
Proposed long course title (max 100
characters):
MINERALOGY: INTRO EARTH MATLS
Current long course title:
Effective Fall 2012
MINERALOGY: INTRODUCTION TO EARTH
MATERIALS
Current grading option:
letter grade
pass/fail
or both
Current repeat for additional units:
EARTH MATERIALS
Current max number of units:
Proposed max number of units:
Current prerequisite:
Proposed prerequisite (include rationale in the
justification):
Current co-requisite:
Proposed co-requisite (include rationale in the
justification):
Current co-convene with:
Proposed co-convene with:
Current cross list with:
Proposed cross list with:
Proposed grading option:
letter grade
pass/fail
or both
Proposed repeat for additional units:
9. Is this course in any plan (major, minor, or certificate) or sub plan (emphasis)? Yes
No
If yes, describe the impact. If applicable, include evidence of notification to and/or response
from each impacted academic unit.
Geology; B.S., Environmental Science; B.S. (elective), Microbiology; B.S. (elective)
See attached notice to: BIO (PENDING)
10. Is there a related plan or sub plan change proposal being submitted?
If no, explain
Yes
11. Does this course include combined lecture and lab components?
Yes
If yes, include the units specific to each component in the course description above.
No
No
Answer 12-15 for UCC/ECCC only:
12. Is this course an approved Liberal Studies or Diversity course?
If yes, select all that apply.
Liberal Studies
Diversity
13. Do you want to remove the Liberal Studies or Diversity designation?
If yes, select all that apply.
Liberal Studies
Diversity
Yes
No
Both
Yes
No
14. Is this course listed in the Course Equivalency Guide?
Yes
No
15. Is this course a Shared Unique Numbering (SUN) course?
Yes
No
FLAGSTAFF MOUNTAIN CAMPUS
Effective Fall 2012
Both
Scott Galland
Reviewed by Curriculum Process Associate
3/12/2015
Date
Approvals:
Department Chair/Unit Head (if appropriate)
Date
Chair of college curriculum committee
Date
Dean of college
Date
For Committee use only:
UCC/UGC Approval
Approved as submitted:
Approved as modified:
Date
Yes
Yes
No
No
EXTENDED CAMPUSES
Reviewed by Curriculum Process Associate
Date
Approvals:
Academic Unit Head
Date
Division Curriculum Committee (Yuma, Yavapai, or Personalized Learning)
Date
Division Administrator in Extended Campuses (Yuma, Yavapai, or Personalized
Learning)
Date
Faculty Chair of Extended Campuses Curriculum Committee (Yuma, Yavapai, or
Personalized Learning)
Date
Effective Fall 2012
Chief Academic Officer; Extended Campuses (or Designee)
Approved as submitted:
Approved as modified:
Yes
Yes
Date
No
No
CURRENT SYLLABUS
GLG 309 –Mineralogy: Introduction to Earth Materials
Fall 2013
Carrie Brugger-Schorr
School of Earth Sciences and Environmental Sustainability, Geology Program
Office: Building 12, Room 219
Phone: 523-2740
Email: carrie.brugger@nau.edu
Class Time:
Credit hours:
Classroom:
Office hours:
TTH 11:10-12:25pm
lecture (3) and lab (1)
Building 12, Lecture in room 223 and Lab in room 224
Monday 12:45-1:45pm
Tuesday 9:30-10:30am
Thursday 12:45-1:45pm
By appointment
TEXTBOOK (required)
Introduction to Mineralogy, 2nd edition, by W.D. Nesse. Oxford University Press, New York
PREREQUISITES
In order to be enrolled in this course you must have met the requirements for admission into the
Geology program, which consists of passing the following courses with a grade of C or better: CHM
151 and CHM 151L, MAT 125 or 136, GLG 101 and 103 (or GLG 112 and GLG112 with a B or
better), and having a GPA of 2.5 or better.
COREQUISITE
Students must also enroll in one section of the lab, GLG309L.
COURSE GOALS & OBJECTIVES
Minerals are the basic building blocks of earth materials. This course is designed to give you a
fundamental background in the chemistry of minerals, including how atoms are coordinated and
bonded in minerals, how they are arranged to form crystal structures, and how this is reflected in the
external form, chemical composition, and physical properties of the crystals. This course will also
familiarize you with common minerals and their properties, and to give you the tools you need to
increase your understanding of earth materials.
CLASS POLICIES
 Speak up! If you have a question, the chances are good that many of your peers have a similar
question! Questions help me recognize areas that need more explanation.
 Office Hours. Please come in for help in understanding the readings, lectures and assignments
or for other course-related assistance. In addition to scheduled office hours you can also make an
appointment by calling or e-mailing me.
 Attendance is required for all lectures and labs
Effective Fall 2012







Spelling. Proper spelling of all mineral names and technical terms is required.
Class Discipline. Please be respectful of your peers by arriving promptly and remaining for the
entire class (except in the case of illness). This particular classroom is not particularly userfriendly. Early departures and late arrivals disrupt lectures and are witnessed by all!
Exams:
o For the lecture portion of the course, there are two midterm exams (October 3 and
November 7) and a final exam during finals week. For the laboratory portion of the course
there will also be a midterm and a final, which are held during normal laboratory hours. The
first two lecture exams will cover material presented in class and in the text and will not be
cumulative. The final exam for the lecture is comprehensive.
o If it becomes necessary to take any of the exams early, you must consult with the
instructors at least a week in advance.
o There are no make-up exams. If you miss the exam you will get a zero!
Quizzes. Quizzes on current reading assignments, lecture material, definitions, chemical
formulas, etc. may be given during any scheduled class time without prior warning or they may be
announced. No make-ups for quizzes, however, your lowest quiz score will be dropped. The goal
of the quizzes is to make sure you stay up to date and you study daily. In addition, they are an
opportunity for you to see sample test questions before the actual test.
Cheating. Cheating is a serious violation of the Student Code of Conduct, as described in the
NAU policy statements (see below). Disciplinary action will be taken against students found to be
cheating in accordance with university policies. Cheating on a test will result in a zero.
NAU Policy Statements: http://www4.nau.edu/avpaa/UCCPolicy/plcystmt.html
Grading: Final grades will be determined according to the following percentages. Grading will
generally follow A = 90-100%, B = 80-89%, C = 70-79%, D = 50-69%, F =< 50%, but scores on
exams may be weighted (curved).
Lecture
Homework & Quizzes
Exams (2)
Final

(15%)
(22%)
(18%)
Laboratory
Exercises (11)
Homework (4)
(22%)
(5%)
Midterm
(8%)
Final
(10%)
Late Work. Homework is due at the beginning of class. Assignments turned in at the end of class
(or later) will automatically lose 10% per day.
GENERAL COURSE OUTLINE
We will follow the general course outline given on the following page. The relevant chapters in the
textbook are indicated in the outline. The purpose of this outline is to give you a broad overview of the
course structure and the relationship between the lectures, lab exercises, and textbook. Although
weekly topics are given, we may not cover the material exactly as outlined, so you will have to come
to class to be sure to know what is being covered at what time.
Effective Fall 2012
COURSE CALENDAR – TENTATIVE AND SUBJECT TO CHANGE
Week
Date
Lecture
Reading
1
Aug
29
Introduction
Chapter 1
Sept.
3, 5
Physical Properties of Minerals
2
3
4
5
6
Sept.
10,
12
Sept.
17,
19
Sept.
24,
26
Oct.
1, 3
NO LAB first 2
weeks
Crystallography (symmetry, point groups,
crystal systems, miller indices)
Introduction to Optics
Refractometry, retardation, birefringence
interference color chart, pleochroism,
extinction, sign of elongation
Chapter 6
Chapter 2 (pages
11-30, 44-46)
8
9
10
11
Oct.
8, 10
Oct.
15,
17
Oct.
22,
24
Oct.
29,
31
Nov.
5, 7
Uniaxial optics (indicatrix, interference
figures, optic sign)
Chapter 7 (pages
(136-152, 175-180)
Optics I:
Introduction to
Optics
Chapter 7 (pages
152-158, 161-175)
Optics II:
Plane Polarized
Light
Optics III:
Cross Polarized
Light
Optics IV:
Uniaxial Minerals
Crystal chemistry, atoms, bonds
Crystal structure, coordination, Paulings
Rules
Lecture Test 2 Thursday 11/7
Solid solution, substitution, mineral
formulas
14
Nov.
26
Thanksgiving holiday: Nov. 28-29
15
Dec.
3, 5
Silicates
16
Dec.
10
Systematic Mineralogy
13
Crystal Growth, Twinning
Final Exam, Wed. Dec. 18, 10:00-12:00
Effective Fall 2012
Crystallography II
(Shape)
Chapter 7 (pages
158 -161)
Biaxial optics (indicatrix, interference
figures, optic sign)
Nov.
12,
14
Nov.
19,
21
12
Physical Properties
of Minerals
Crystallography I
(Block Symmetry)
Lecture Test 1 Thursday 10/3
7
Lab schedule
Chapter 3
Lab Midterm
Chapter 4
Optics V:
Biaxial Minerals
Chapter 5
Minerals in Rocks (2
week lab)
Chapter 11
Chapters 16, 15, 14,
13, 12 (read the
intro and skim the
text for all of these)
Crystal Structures
Lab Final
PROPOSED SYLLABUS
GLG 309 –Earth Materials
Fall 2016
GENERAL INFORMATION
Class Time:
TTH 11:10-12:25pm, plus lab (2:20-5:20 Mon, Tues, or Wed)
Credit Hours: 3 credits for lecture, 1 credit for lab
Classroom:
Building 12, Lecture in room 223 and Lab in room 224
Department:
Geology Program, School of Earth Sciences and Environmental Sustainability
College of Engineering, Forestry, and Natural Sciences
Instructor:
Carrie Brugger-Schorr, Ph.D.
Office:
Building 12, Room 213
Phone:
523-2740
Email:
carrie.brugger@nau.edu
Office hours:
Monday 1:00-2:00pm
Tuesday 1:00-2:00pm
Thursday 2:30-3:30pm
By appointment
COURSE PREREQUISITES
To be enrolled in this course you must meet the requirements for admission into the Geology
program, which consists of passing the following courses with a grade of C or better: CHM 151 and
CHM 151L, MAT 125 or 136, GLG 101 and 103 (or GLG 112 and GLG112 with a B or better), and
having a GPA of 2.5 or better.
COREQUISITE: Students must also enroll in one section of the lab, GLG309L.
COURSE DESCRIPTION
Earth Materials is a general term for all the substances that make up the Earth. In this course you will
learn about the solid materials of the Earth—rocks and minerals. This course is designed to give you
a fundamental background in the chemistry of minerals, including how atoms are coordinated and
bonded in minerals, how they are arranged to form crystal structures, and how this is reflected in the
chemical composition, physical properties, and optical properties of the crystals. You will also learn
how minerals are classified and how to identify common rock forming minerals in hand samples and
thin sections. This course will also provide you will an understanding of how these minerals constitute
common rocks in different environments.
STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES
Upon successful completion of the course, you will be able to:
 Use physical properties to identify minerals in hand samples
 Classify minerals based on chemistry and structure
 Understand variations in mineral chemistry, the chemical rules that dictate mineral structures, and
how to use graphical methods to quantify and interpret mineral chemistry
 Describe how mineral chemistry and structure control physical and optical properties
 Operate a polarizing microscope and use optical properties (e.g. relief, cleavage, pleochroism,
interference colors and extinction) to identify minerals in thin sections
 Recognize and describe various igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic rocks
 Make interpretations about environments of formation using assemblages and textures of minerals
and rocks
COURSE STRUCTURE
The lecture portion of this course will meet for 75 minutes twice a week. Please come to lecture
Effective Fall 2012
prepared to take notes, participate in demonstrations, and take part in discussions with your
classmates. Lab will meet every week (except where noted on the outline below) and you are
expected to attend the entire three hour lab. Each lab may have a short introduction, but the majority
of time will be spent completing laboratory exercises designed to help you learn the tools and skills
needed to identify and classify minerals and rocks.
TEXTBOOKS & SUPPLIES
Mineralogy, 3rd edition, by Dexter Perkins. Prentice Hall. (Required)
Simon & Schuster’s Guide to Rocks and Minerals, Museum of Natural History. (Recommended)
10x Hand Lens (Required)
(Emergency Textbook Loan Program: Eligible students can apply for assistance with acquisition of
textbooks for the semester. More information at: http://nau.edu/LEADS-Center/Textbook-LoanProgram/)
GRADING SYSTEM AND ASSESSMENT OF LEARNING OUTCOMES
Final grades will be determined according to the following percentages:
A = 90-100%, B = 80-89%, C = 70-79%, D = 50-69%, F =< 50%.
Your overall grade in this course will be a combination of lecture and lab:
LECTURE
LABORATORY
Homework & Quizzes (20%)
Exercises (10) (20%)
Midterm Exams (2) (22%)
Midterm
(10%)
Final
(18%)
Final
(10%)
CLASS POLICIES
 Speak up! If you have a question, the chances are good that many of your peers have a similar
question! Questions help us recognize areas that need more explanation.
 Office Hours. Please come in for help in understanding the readings, lectures and assignments
or for other course-related assistance. In addition to scheduled office hours you can also make an
appointment by calling or e-mailing your instructor.
 Spelling. Proper spelling of all mineral names and technical terms is required.
 Attendance is required for all lectures and labs. Absences will affect your grade!
 Class Discipline. Please be respectful of your peers by arriving promptly and remaining for the
entire class (except in the case of illness). This particular classroom is not particularly userfriendly. Early departures and late arrivals disrupt lectures and are witnessed by all!
 Quizzes. Quizzes on current reading assignments, lecture material, definitions, chemical
formulas, etc. may be given during any scheduled class time without prior warning or they may be
announced. No make-ups for quizzes, however, your lowest quiz score will be dropped. The goal
of the quizzes is to make sure you stay up to date and you study daily. In addition, they are an
opportunity for you to see sample test questions before the actual test.
 Laboratory Exercises. All labs are due at the beginning of lab the following week (unless noted
otherwise). Your worst lab score will be dropped, but only if all lab exercises are turned in on time
(i.e., at the beginning of lab).
 Exams:
o For the lecture portion of the course, there are two midterm exams (October 8th and
November 19th) and a final exam during finals week. For the laboratory portion of the course
there will also be a midterm and a final, which are held during normal laboratory hours (see
course outline below for dates). The first two lecture exams will cover material presented in
class and in the text and will not be cumulative. The final exam for the lecture is
comprehensive.
o If it becomes necessary to take any of the exams early, you must consult with the instructors at
Effective Fall 2012


least a week in advance.
o There are no make-up exams. If you miss the exam you will get a zero!
Cheating. Cheating is a serious violation of the Student Code of Conduct, as described in the
NAU policy statements (see below). Disciplinary action will be taken against students found to be
cheating in accordance with university policies. Cheating on a test will result in a zero. I expect
and encourage you to help each other out, however, all of the products that you turn in must
reflect your own work and be stated in your own words. Plagiarism of another student’s work
will result in a zero on the assignment.
Late Work.
o Lecture homework is due at the beginning of class. Assignments turned in at the end of lecture
(or later) will automatically lose 20% per day.
o Lab exercises turned in before 5pm on the next day will be subject to a 20% penalty. Labs
submitted 2 days late before 5pm will lose 50%. Labs submitted after that point will not be
accepted.
NAU POLICY STATEMENTS
Safe Environment Policy
NAU’s Safe Working and Learning Environment Policy prohibits sexual harassment and assault, and
discrimination and harassment on the basis of sex, race, color, age, national origin, religion, sexual
orientation, gender identity, disability, or veteran status by anyone at this university. Retaliation of any
kind as a result of making a complaint under the policy or participating in an investigation is also
prohibited. The Director of the Office of Affirmative Action & Equal Opportunity (AA/EO) serves as the
university’s compliance officer for affirmative action, civil rights, and Title IX, and is the ADA/504
Coordinator. AA/EO also assists with religious accommodations. You may obtain a copy of this policy
from the college dean’s office or from the NAU’s Affirmative Action website nau.edu/diversity/. If you
have questions or concerns about this policy, it is important that you contact the departmental chair,
dean’s office, the Office of Student Life (928-523-5181), or NAU’s Office of Affirmative Action (928)
523-3312 (voice), (928) 523-9977 (fax), (928) 523-1006 (TTD) or aaeo@nau.edu.
Students with Disabilities
If you have a documented disability, you can arrange for accommodations by contacting Disability
Resources (DR) at 523-8773 (voice) or 523-6906 (TTY), dr@nau.edu (e-mail) or 928-523-8747 (fax).
Students needing academic accommodations are required to register with DR and provide required
disability related documentation. Although you may request an accommodation at any time, in order
for DR to best meet your individual needs, you are urged to register and submit necessary
documentation (www.nau.edu/dr) 8 weeks prior to the time you wish to receive accommodations. DR
is strongly committed to the needs of student with disabilities and the promotion of Universal Design.
Concerns or questions related to the accessibility of programs and facilities at NAU may be brought to
the attention of DR or the Office of Affirmative Action and Equal Opportunity (523-3312).
Academic Contact Hour Policy
Based on the Arizona Board of Regents Academic Contact Hour Policy (ABOR Handbook, 2 -224),
for every unit of credit, a student should expect, on average, to do a minimum of three hours of work
per week, including but not limited to class time, preparation, homework, studying.
Academic Integrity
Integrity is expected of every member of the NAU community in all academic undertakings. Integrity
entails a firm adherence to a set of values, and the values most essential to an academic community
are grounded in honesty with respect to all intellectual efforts of oneself and others. Academic
integrity is expected not only in formal coursework situations, but also in all University relationships
and interactions connected to the educational process, including the use of University resources. An
Effective Fall 2012
NAU student’s submission of work is an implicit declaration that the work is the student’s own. All
outside assistance should be acknowledged, and the student’s academic contribution truthfully
reported at all times. In addition, NAU students have a right to expect academic integrity from each of
their peers. Individual students and faculty members are responsible for identifying potential
violations of the university’s academic integrity policy Instances of potential violations are adjudicated
using the process found in the university Academic Integrity Policy.
Research Integrity
The Responsible Conduct of Research policy is intended to ensure that NAU personnel including
NAU students engaged in research are adequately trained in the basic principles of ethics in
research. Additionally, this policy assists NAU in meeting the RCR training and compliance
requirements of the National Science Foundation (NSF)-The America COMPETES Act (Creating
Opportunities to Meaningfully Promote Excellence in Technology, Education and Science); 42 U.S.C
18620-1, Section 7009, and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) policy on the instruction of the
RCR (NOT-OD-10-019; “Update on the Requirement for Instruction in the Responsible Conduct of
Research”). For more information on the policy and the training activities required for personnel and
students conducting research, at NAU, visit: http://nau.edu/Research/Compliance/Research-Integrity/.
Sensitive Course Materials
University education aims to expand student understanding and awareness. Thus, it necessarily
involves engagement with a wide range of information, ideas, and creative representations. In the
course of college studies, students can expect to encounter-and critically appraise-materials that may
differ from and perhaps challenge familiar understandings, ideas, and beliefs. Students are
encouraged to discuss these matters with faculty.
Classroom Disruption Policy
Membership in the academic community places a special obligation on all participants to preserve an
atmosphere conducive to a safe and positive learning environment. Part of that obligation implies the
responsibility of each member of the NAU community to maintain an environment in which the
behavior of any individual is not disruptive. Instructors have the authority and the responsibility to
manage their classes in accordance with University regulations. Instructors have the right and
obligation to confront disruptive behavior thereby promoting and enforcing standards of behavior
necessary for maintaining an atmosphere conducive to teaching and learning. Instructors are
responsible for establishing, communicating, and enforcing reasonable expectation and rules of
classroom behavior. These expectations are to be communicated to students in the syllabus and in
class discussions and activities at the outset of the course. Each student is responsible for behaving
in a manner that supports a positive learning environment and that does not interrupt nor disrupt the
delivery of education by instructors or receipt of education by students, within or outside a class. The
complete classroom disruption policy is in Appendices of NAU’s Student Handbook.
Effective Summer 2014
Approved UCC-1/28/14
Approved UGC-2/12/14
GENERAL COURSE OUTLINE
We will follow the general course outline given on the following page. The relevant chapters and
pages in the textbook are indicated in the outline. The purpose of this outline is to give you a broad
overview of the course structure and the relationship between the lectures, lab exercises, and
textbook. Although weekly topics are given, we may not cover the material exactly as outlined, so you
will have to come to class to be sure to know what is being covered at what time.
Effective Fall 2012
COURSE CALENDAR
Week
Date
Lecture
1
Sept.
1, 3
Introduction to minerals
Physical properties of minerals
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
Sept.
8, 10
Sept.
15,
17
Sept.
22,
24
Sept
29,
Oct. 1
Oct.
6, 8
Oct.
13,
15
Oct.
20,
22
Oct.
27,
29
Introduction to Optics: nature of light,
mineral-light interactions
Chap 3 (pages 4463)
Chap 4 (pages 6479, 85-87)
Properties in cross-polarized light
Introduction to mineral chemistry
Chap 1 (pages 5-24)
Mineral structures, coordination
Lecture Test 1 Thursday 10/8
Chap 13 (pages
276-292)
Chemical classification of minerals
Physical Properties
of Minerals (2 week
lab)
Optics I:
Introduction to
Optics
Optics II:
Plane Polarized
Light
Optics III:
Cross Polarized
Light
Crystal Structures
Lab Midterm
Mineral formulas, chemical variation in
minerals (solid solution, substitution)
Introduction to binary & ternary diagrams
Chap 13 (pages
292-296)
Minerals in Thin
Sections (2 week
lab)
Chap 2 (pages 2643)
Textures
Silicate structures
Nov.
3, 5
Nucleation, crystal growth, twinning,
defects
11
Nov.
10,
12
Mineral-rock associations
12
Nov.
17,
19
13
Nov.
24
14
Dec.
1, 3
Sedimentary rocks and minerals,
sedimentary environments, weathering,
diagenesis
Dec.
8, 10
Metamorphic rocks and minerals,
metamorphic environments, naming
metamorphic rocks
Lecture Test 2 Thursday 11/19
Mineral classification
and mineral-rock
associations
Chapter 5
Igneous Minerals &
Rocks
Igneous rocks and minerals, igneous
environments, naming igneous rocks
Thanksgiving holiday: Nov. 26-27
Chapter 6
No Lab
Thanksgiving week
Metamorphic
Minerals & Rocks
Chapter 7
Important dates regarding adding/dropping classes:
 9/10/15 - last day to add/drop without a fee or petition
 10/30/15 - last day to drop class with “W” and without petition and late fee
Effective Fall 2012
Lab schedule
Chap 1 (pages 3-4)
Properties in plane-polarized light
10
15
Reading (Perkins)
Lab Final