GLG 309 – Mineralogy: Introduction to Earth Materials
Fall 2011
GENERAL INFORMATION
Class Time:
Credit hours:
Instructor:
Classroom:
Office:
Phone:
e-mail:
Office hours:
TTH 12:45-2:00pm
lecture (3) and lab (1)
Thomas Hoisch
12-223
12-227
3-1904
thomas.hoisch@nau.edu
MW10:00-11:30
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 rocks. 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. The course will also familiarize you with common minerals and their properties.
TEXTBOOKS (required)
1. Mineralogy, 2nd Ed., by D. Perkins. Prentice Hall, New Jersey
2. Introduction to Optical Mineralogy, 3rd ed., by W.D. Nesse. Oxford University Press, New York
CLASS POLICIES


Exams: For the lecture portion of the course, there are two midterm exams and a final exam. For the laboratory
portion of the course, a midterm and final are scheduled. Exams will cover material presented in class and in the
text and will not be cumulative. The final exam for the lecture is comprehensive. The midterm for the lab
covers symmetry and hand specimen identification. The final exam for the lab covers optics, crystal structures,
and hand specimen identification. Students absent from an exam must present a written excuse documenting a
situation beyond their control. Students who know in advance that they cannot be present for an exam must
make arrangements prior to the exam for the absence to be excused. At faculty discretion, individuals with
excused absences from exams will either have all other exams count proportionally more or a makeup exam
will be given. Laboratory exams will be held during normal laboratory hours.
Grading: Final grades will be based on assignments and exams associated with the lectures and laboratories,
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
Exams (2)
Final

(10%)
(30%)
(25%)
LABORATORY
Exercises (11)
Midterm
Final
(15%)
(8%)
(12%)
Cheating. Cheating is a serious violation of the Student Code of Conduct, as described in published university
policy statements (see attached in the section titled Academic Integrity). Disciplinary action will be taken
against students found to be cheating in accordance with university policies.



Office Hours. Please come in for help in understanding the readings, lectures and assignments or for other
course-related assistance but also respect office hours. If you cannot make scheduled office hours, you can
make an appointment by calling or speaking to me after or before class, or by sending me an e-mail.
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 user-friendly. Early departures and
late arrivals disrupt lectures and are witnessed by all!
Questions during class are encouraged. Questions help me to recognize those areas needing more explanation
and to expand on things that may be special interest to people.
UNIVERSITY CLASSROOM POLICIES
Students should read the university academic policies and Classroom Management Statement that are attached.
GENERAL COURSE OUTLINE
We will follow the general course outline given below on the attached page. The relevant chapters in the textbooks
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 specific 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. We may not get to the topics listed at the end of the outline!
Conceptual framework
1.
Understand:
a. External crystal shape and symmetry.
b. Atomic structures, chemical bonding, and how these relate to mineral properties.
c. How minerals are classified.
d. How mineral properties can be used to identify minerals (e.g. symmetry, X-ray diffraction, optical
properties, etc.).
e. Mineral chemistry, including solid solution and graphical representation.
Practical skills
1.
2.
3.
Gain sufficient familiarity with hand-sample mineral identification to be able to:
a. Determine physical properties needed to identify minerals.
b. Distinguish between silicates, nonsilicates, and native elements
c. Distinguish the major groups of silicate minerals (silica minerals/quartz, feldspars, olivine,
pyroxene, amphibole, micas, other sheet silicates)
Gain sufficient familiarity with the petrographic microscope to be able to:
a. Identify mineral unknowns
b. Determine routine optical properties (e.g. optic sign, 2V, relief, color, and pleochroism) to aid
mineral identification
Gain experience with problem-solving and 3-dimensional visualization using stereonets and computer
software.
COURSE CALENDAR – TENTATIVE AND SUBJECT TO CHANGE
Week Date Lecture
Reading
Lab schedule
1
Aug
29
2
Sept.
5
3
Sept.
12
4
Sept.
19
5
Sept.
26
6
Oct. 3
7
Oct.
10
Introduction.
Hand sample mineral
identification (runs two
weeks)
Mineral identification of hand specimens
The concept of a lattice and description of
crystal structures
Perkins, chs. 2,
3, 9, 10, 11, 12
Symmetry I
Macroscopic symmetries: crystal morphology
Symmetry II
Stereographic projection
Light and color
Symmetry III (Shape)
Lecture test 1 on Chs. 2,3,9,10,11 and 12:
Thursday 10/6.
Optics I
Refractometry
Nesse, Chs. 1-8
Isotropic optics
Mineral identification
using XRD (from Klein,
1989)
Lab midterm
8
Oct.
17
Anisotropic optics
9
Oct.
24
Uniaxial and biaxial optics
10
Oct.
31
11
Nov.
7
Elements, bonding, simple structures, and ionic
radii
Optics IV
12
Nov.
14
Graphical representation of composition.
Optics V
13
Nov.
22
Lecture test 2 on optical mineralogy:
Tuesday Nov. 15. No class on Thursday Nov.
10 (Veteran’s Day holiday).
14
Nov.
28
Optics II
Identification of minerals in thin section.
Optics III
Solid solutions
Crystal structures
Perkins Chs. 1,
13, 14
Silica minerals and feldspars
Thanksgiving holiday: Nov. 24-25.
15
Dec. 5
Ortho and ring silicates
Chain silicates
16
Dec.
12
Sheet silicates
Final, Tues. Dec. 13, 12:30-2:30 pm
Lab Final
NORTHERN ARIZONA UNIVERSITY
POLICY STATEMENTS
SAFE ENVIRONMENT POLICY
NAU’s Safe Working and Learning Environment Policy seeks to prohibit discrimination and promote the safety of all individuals within the
university. The goal of this policy is to prevent the occurrence of discrimination on the basis of sex, race, color, age, national origin, religion,
sexual orientation, disability, or veteran status and to prevent sexual harassment, sexual assault or retaliation by anyone at this university.
You may obtain a copy of this policy from the college dean’s office. If you have concerns about this policy, it is important that you contact the
departmental chair, dean’s office, the Office of Student Life (928-523-5181), the academic ombudsperson (928-523-9368), or NAU’s Office of
Affirmative Action (928-523-3312).
STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES
If you have a documented disability, you can arrange for accommodations by contacting the office of Disability Support Services (DSS) at 928523-8773 (voice), 928-523-6906 (TTY). In order for your individual needs to be met, you are required to provide DSS with disability related
documentation and are encouraged to provide it at least eight weeks prior to the time you wish to receive accommodations. You must register
with DSS each semester you are enrolled at NAU and wish to use accommodations.
Faculty are not authorized to provide a student with disability related accommodations without prior approval from DSS. Students who have
registered with DSS are encouraged to notify their instructors a minimum of two weeks in advance to ensure accommodations. Otherwise, the
provision of accommodations may be delayed.
Concerns or questions regarding disability related accommodations can be brought to the attention of DSS or the Affirmative Action Office.
INSTITUTIONAL REVIEW BOARD
Any study involving observation of or interaction with human subjects that originates at NAU—including a course project, report, or research
paper—must be reviewed and approved by the Institutional Review Board (IRB) for the protection of human subjects in research and researchrelated activities.
The IRB meets once each month. Proposals must be submitted for review at least fifteen working days before the monthly meeting. You should
consult with your course instructor early in the course to ascertain if your project needs to be reviewed by the IRB and/or to secure information or
appropriate forms and procedures for the IRB review. Your instructor and department chair or college dean must sign the application for
approval by the IRB. The IRB categorizes projects into three levels depending on the nature of the project: exempt from further review,
expedited review, or full board review. If the IRB certifies that a project is exempt from further review, you need not resubmit the project for
continuing IRB review as long as there are no modifications in the exempted procedures.
A copy of the IRB Policy and Procedures Manual is available in each department’s administrative office and each college dean’s office. If you
have questions, contact Melanie Birck, Office of Grant and Contract Services, at 928-523-8288.
ACADEMIC INTEGRITY
The university takes an extremely serious view of violations of academic integrity. As members of the academic community, NAU’s
administration, faculty, staff and students are dedicated to promoting an atmosphere of honesty and are committed to maintaining the academic
integrity essential to the education process. Inherent in this commitment is the belief that academic dishonesty in all forms violates the basic
principles of integrity and impedes learning. Students are therefore responsible for conducting themselves in an academically honest manner.
Individual students and faculty members are responsible for identifying instances of academic dishonesty. Faculty members then recommend
penalties to the department chair or college dean in keeping with the severity of the violation. The complete policy on academic integrity is in
Appendix F of NAU’s Student Handbook.
ACADEMIC CONTACT HOUR POLICY
The Arizona Board of Regents Academic Contact Hour Policy (ABOR Handbook, 2-206, Academic Credit) states: “an hour of work is the
equivalent of 50 minutes of class time…at least 15 contact hours of recitation, lecture, discussion, testing or evaluation, seminar, or colloquium as
well as a minimum of 30 hours of student homework is required for each unit of credit.”
The reasonable interpretation of this policy is that for every credit hour, a student should expect, on average, to do a minimum of two additional
hours of work per week; e.g., preparation, homework, studying.
CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT STATEMENT
Membership in the academic community places a special obligation on all members 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.
It is the responsibility of each student to behave in a manner which does not interrupt or disrupt the delivery of education by
faculty members or receipt of education by students, within or outside the classroom. The determination of whether such
interruption or disruption has occurred has to be made by the faculty member at the time the behavior occurs. It becomes the
responsibility of the individual faculty member to maintain and enforce the standards of behavior acceptable to preserving an
atmosphere for teaching and learning in accordance with University regulations and the course syllabus.
At a minimum, students will be warned if their behavior is evaluated by the faculty member as disruptive. Serious disruptions, as
determined by the faculty member, may result in immediate removal of the student from the instructional environment. Significant
and/or continued violations may result in an administrative withdrawal from the class. Additional responses by the faculty
member to disruptive behavior may include a range of actions from discussing the disruptive behavior with the student to referral
to the appropriate academic unit and/or the Office of Student Life for administrative review, with a view to implement corrective
action up to and including suspension or expulsion.