Catalog Description: Introduction to minerals as naturally occurring chemical compounds in terms of bonding, crystal chemistry, crystallographic and optical properties, and mode of occurrence. Emphasis on megascopic identification techniques.

 

Course Overview: Minerals are the building blocks of rocks and soils and are the smallest scale geologic features that we examine directly. The study of minerals is therefore central to all disciplines in geology. The focus of this course is the chemical processes of mineral formation (and destruction) and how recognizing minerals and understanding the processes that form them help us solve geologic problems. This approach should add depth to every other earth science course you take!  By the end of the course students will:
-be competent in mineral identification
-understand the structure of minerals and how this bears on their physical properties
-be familiar with the composition of rock forming minerals
-understand the factors that govern mineral formation
-know the geologic environments of common mineral occurrence
-understand the link between mineral chemistry and geologic processes

 

Course Structure: Lecture meetings will consist mostly of formal lectures with some in-class problem solving sessions. Some early and late labs will introduce techniques, otherwise labs through the bulk of the semester will involve identifying a set of mineral samples and reviewing them in preparation for lab quizzes that will be taken outside of class time (hand-written 3 x 5 inch cards can be used on the quizzes).

 

Required Text: Johnsen, O., 2000, Minerals of the World, Princeton University Press, ISBN: 0-691-09537-X

The "textbook" is really a field guide that is quite a bit more scientific than the others.  Additional readings will be assigned from conventional texts.

Other Materials: 10x hand lens (preferably a triplet, see Brennan for ordering information), and 3 x 5 inch cards to record mineral data for reference and quizzes

Office Hours: Formal office hours will be M 10-12, W 11-12, Th 2-3, & F 1-2, but please feel free to swing by my office any time, or set up an appointment.

Attendance: Daily attendance is essential.  Please communicate with me if you are sick or have another reason for an excused absence.

Grading: There will be two midterm exams and a final exam.  There will also be in-class and homework assignments.  There will be six lab quizzes which will be taken outside of regular class time.  Grading will be based on a conventional scale: A=90-100%; B=80-89.9%; C=70-79.9%; D=60-69.9%; F=<60%. A curve may be applied to some exams at the instructor’s discretion, but don’t count on it.  The weighting of coursework will be as follows:

Semester Project: You will begin a full-year project in this course.  The project will be a full-year study of an igneous or metamorphic rock of your choice.  You can bring your own rock or use one of several appropriate for study provided y your professor.  A paper will be due on the project at the end of the semester.

Field Trip: There will be an early fall weekend field trip to the Black Hills.  This trip will not be a pure mineralogy trip, but will provide some context for both mineralogy and petrology.  The dates for the trip will be set in the second class meeting.

Cheating: Don’t do it!  No credit can be given for a dishonest assignment. At the discretion of the instructor, a student caught engaging in any form of academic dishonesty may be: (a) Given a zero for that assignment; (b) Allowed to rewrite and resubmit the assignment for credit; (c) Assigned a reduced grade for the course; (d) Dropped from the course; or (e) Failed in the course.  Your professor leans toward option-e.

 

Freedom in Learning: Under Board of Regents and University policy student academic performance may be evaluated solely on an academic basis, not on opinions or conduct in matters unrelated to academic standards. Students should be free to take reasoned exception to the data or views offered in any course of study and to reserve judgment about matters of opinion, but they are responsible for learning the content of any course of study for which they are enrolled. Students who believe that an academic evaluation reflects prejudiced or capricious consideration of student opinions or conduct unrelated to academic standards should contact the dean of the college or school that offers the class to initiate a review of the evaluation.

 

Disabilities: Any student who feels s/he may need academic accommodations or access accommodations based on the impact of a documented disability should contact and register with Disability Services during the first week of class. Disability Services is the official office to assist students through the process of disability verification and coordination of appropriate and reasonable accommodations. Students currently registered with Disability Services must obtain a new accommodation memo each semester.  [Ernetta L. Fox, Director, Disability Services, Room 119 Service Center 677-6389, www.usd.edu/ds, dservices@usd.edu]

 

Course Evaluation: You will have an opportunity to evaluate the course and the instructor using the IDEA Diagnostic Form at the end of the semester.

Schedule