University of Arkansas  Fort Smith
5210 Grand Avenue
P. O. Box 3649
Fort Smith, AR 729133649
4797887000
General Syllabus
GEOL 2311 Minerals and Rocks Laboratory
Credit Hours: 1
Lecture Hours:
Laboratory Hours: 2 hours
Prerequisite: GEOL 1253/1251 Physical Geology/Lab or PHSC 2653/2651 Earth
Science/Lab.
Corequisite: GEOL 2313 Minerals and Rocks
Effective Semester: Fall 2011
I.
Course Information
A. Catalog Description
Laboratory analysis and identification of solid materials that make up the Earth's
crust including minerals, rocks, and sediments. Major topics include rock and
mineral composition, texture, and structure, including geologic environments of
formation. Rock and mineral hand specimen classification and identification
techniques are emphasized.
B. Additional Information
This is a course intended for science majors and education majors.
II.
Student Learning Outcomes
A. Subject Matter
Upon successful completion of this course, the student will be able to:
1. Define a mineral, geologically, and explain the difference between elements,
minerals, and rocks.
2. List and define mineral physical properties and describe how these properties
are used to identify materials.
3. Explain mineral classification and how minerals are classified based on
chemical composition.
4. Compare and contrast felsic and mafic silicate minerals.
5. Visualize and draw crystalline mineral structures.
6. Define the rock cycle and explain how igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic
rocks form.
7. Classify and identify igneous rocks using the QAP/FAP triangles.
8. Compare and contrast volcanic and plutonic igneous rocks.
9. Describe Bowen’s Reaction Series and explain how it is used to identify
common igneous rocks
10. Explain why weathering and erosion are crucial in the formation of
sedimentary rocks.
11. Classify and identify detrital and chemical sedimentary rocks.
12. Determine the depositional environments that identified detrital and chemical
rocks formed.
13. Compare and contrast contact and regional metamorphism.
14. Explain how foliated and non-foliated metamorphic rocks form.
15. Classify and identify foliated and non-foliated metamorphic rocks.
B. University Learning Outcomes
Minerals and Rocks enhance student abilities in the following general education
areas:
Global and Cultural Perspectives
Goal: Students will be able to reflect upon cultural differences and their
implications for interacting with people from cultures other than their own.
Objectives:
Students will be able to demonstrate the understanding or application of their
discipline in a global environment.
Students will be able to demonstrate how their discipline impacts or is impacted
by those of different cultures.
Communication Skills
Goal: Students will be able to communicate effectively with a variety of
audiences in any setting.
Objectives
tudents will be able to compose coherent documents appropriate to the intended
audience.
Students will be able to effectively communicate orally in a public setting.
Technological Skills
Goal: Students will be able to use computerized tools to efficiently access,
communicate, analyze, and evaluate electronic information.
Objectives:
Students will be able to use technology to access information.
Students will be able to use technology to effectively communicate.
Students will be able to use appropriate technology to analyze and evaluate data.
Analytical Skills
Goal: Students will use analytical/critical thinking skills to draw conclusions
and/or solve problems.
Objectives
Students will be able to access and evaluate appropriate information through
written and electronic means.
Students will be able to think critically to reach viable solutions to a problem and
be able to justify those solutions.
Ethics
Goal: Students will be able to recognize and analyze ethical dilemmas.
Objectives:
Students will be able to understand the University of Arkansas – Fort Smith
Standards of Conduct and Academic Honesty policies and be able to apply these
standards to particular fact situations.
Students will be able to apply ethical concepts and rules to determine viable
alternatives in any given situation.
Quantitative Reasoning
Goal: Students will be able to assign and use numbers, read and analyze data,
create models, draw inferences, and support conclusions based on sound
mathematical reasoning.
Objectives
Students will be able to apply appropriate mathematical models to solve
problems.
Students will be able to represent mathematical information symbolically,
visually, numerically and verbally and be able to interpret models and data in
order to draw inferences.
Students will be able to recognize the limitations of quantitative analysis.
III. Major Course Topics
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
F.
G.
Basic atomic bonding and mineral physical properties.
Rock forming silicate mineral classification: felsic and mafic minerals.
Non-silicate mineral classification and economic importance.
Optical and crystalline properties of minerals.
Plate tectonics and volcanism
Igneous rock classification and identification: aphanitic and phaneritic textures
Weathering, erosion, and depositional environments; sedimentary rock facies
and terranes
H. Sedimentary rock classification and identification.
I.
Metamorphism; orogenic events associated with plate tectonics.
J.
Metamorphic rock classification and identification: foliated vs. non-foliated
rocks.