Syllabus

     Course Description:

This is the first semester of a two semester sequence dealing with the properties and characterization of Earth Materials (minerals and rocks). The building blocks of Earth Materials are crystalline solids (minerals).  In this course we will investigate the basic principles that govern the construction of crystalline solids and their physical and chemical properties. This will require you to gain an understanding of crystal chemistry and crystal symmetry. You will also gain a basic understanding of how to identify crystalline solids using their physical properties and their interactions with the electromagnetic spectrum (visible light and X-rays). In the laboratory part of the course you will learn how to identify crystalline solids both at the macroscopic scale (using physical properties) and the microscopic scale using polarizing light microscopy. This understanding of the crystalline state is broadly applicable to materials science, forensic science, nanotechnology, and many other fields of science and engineering. The lecture and laboratory part of the course will be interwoven, although for administrative purposes separate grades will be given for the lecture (GEOL.3070) and the laboratory (GEOL.3090L) parts of the course.

     Communication:

For all class-related e-mails I will use your UMass Lowell Student e-mail account. Such e-mails may include, but are not limited to, change in homework assignments and due dates, changes in exam dates, changes in class schedule, etc. It is your responsibility to monitor your UMass Lowell Student e-mail account on a regular basis. “I didn’t know because I don’t ever look at my student account” is NOT an acceptable excuse for not knowing about important changes in the course.

 

The course web site is found at the URL -

 

http://faculty.uml.edu/nelson_eby/89.307/Home page.htm

 

Assignments, handouts, course schedule (which is subject to change) can be found on this site. I would suggest that you bookmark this page and check frequently for new information.

General Course Information:

 

Because this is an integrated course, laboratory-type experiences can be expected during most class meetings. Hence, attendance is mandatory for this course. Except in the case of personal illness or a death in the immediate family, the student MUST seek prior approval from the instructor for a class absence. Ski trips, hunting trips, extended weekends, an exam in another course, etc. are NOT legitimate excuses for a class absence. Any special pleading must be done before the missed class, not after. Any un-excused absence will result in a grade of zero being recorded for missed material (including exams).

 

The class is not a mecca for social media. Cell phones, iPhones, and any other type of electronic communication device are not to be used during class. The only exception is if you are using the device to look-up information directly related to the classroom activity.

 

The learner's attention is called to the definitions and regulations regarding cheating and plagiarism. The instructor shall assign a grade of zero to any portion of an exam on which he determines cheating has occurred. Likewise a grade of zero will be assigned to any portion of a laboratory exercise that has been plagiarized.

Learning Outcomes:

 

At the end of this course you should

 

1. have an understanding of how minerals are constructed from atoms and ions;
2. be able to identify minerals at the macroscopic scale;
3. be able to identify minerals using polarizing light microscopy;
4. have a basic understanding of the interaction between x-rays and crystalline materials;
5. and have an understanding of how the structure of minerals affects their behavior in the natural environment and in industrial applications.

 

     Skills:

At the end of the course you should have acquired the following skills

 

1. the ability to characterize and identify minerals based on their physical properties;
2. the ability to identify at least 50 common minerals using their physical properties;
3. and the ability to use a polarizing light microscope to characterize and identify minerals.

 

 

   Textbook:

Klein, C. and Philpotts, A. (2017) Earth Materials, 2nd Ed. Cambridge University Press. This book will be used for both Earth Materials I and Earth Materials II.

Additional Resources:

Additional materials will be handed out during the course and links to useful sites can be found on the Links page of the course web site.

     Grading Policy:

Because this is an integrated course, your grade will be based on the total course evaluations. You will receive the same grade for the lecture and laboratory. Your grade will be determined as follows:

 

Homework = 10%

Two Hour Exams @ 15% each = 30%

Laboratory Exercises = 20%

In-class Mineral Presentation = 10%

Final Exam = 30%

 

In-class Mineral Presentation – each learner will be assigned a mineral. You will be expected to learn as much as you can about your mineral – crystal structure and chemistry, physical properties, uses, and importance. You will give a 5 minute in-class presentation, using PowerPoint, on your mineral. These PowerPoint presentations will be shared with all the learners in the class and questions from the PowerPoints may appear on class exercises and/or exams.

 

Your grade is solely determined on the basis of the above evaluations. There is no opportunity to do "extra work" in order to improve your grade.

 

The Hour Exams are tentatively scheduled for October 11 and November 15. The Hour Exams will not be cumulative but the Final Exam will be inclusive.

 

My grading rubric is as follows:

Contacting the Instructor:

The instructor's Office Hours are M 1:00 PM, W 3:00 PM, and F 12:00 noon. The instructor's office is OLN 302b. Additional hours are available by appointment. If you have problems, or want to make an appointment, you can reach me either by telephone, 978-934-3907 (I have voice mail), or better yet by e-mail, Nelson_Eby@uml.edu. I log on to my e-mail account when I come in each day and thus will get your message first thing in the morning.