Earth Learning Idea

Earthlearningidea - progress

noreply@blogger.com (Earth Learning Idea) — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 16:38:00 +0000

One of our supporters in India demonstrated some Earthlearningideas at the 6th International Conference on hands-on-Science, at Ahemedabad, India during 27-31 October 2009.
He reports that it was much appreciated.

For our Italian readers - five more translations were added to the site today. Click here to view the page.

To see how our activities have spread across the world, click here.

Have you tried out latest new Earthlearningidea 'Craters on the Moon'? We should be pleased to receive your comments and suggestions.

Artificial glaciers help farmers in India

noreply@blogger.com (Earth Learning Idea) — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 15:17:00 +0000

To offset the disruptive irrigation effects brought on by global warming, the small village of Stakmo, India has been developing a method for creating its own artificial glaciers. The process involves diverting unused autumn and winter runoffs into specially constructed rock reservoirs that hold the water. As the weather grows colder, the collected water freezes, maintaining the supply of water until spring when it begins to melt. This innovative technique provides water to farmers during the planting season when natural glaciers still haven't thawed due to their higher elevations.
This information has been added in the 'Extension ideas' of 'Modelling for rocks: what's hidden inside - and why?'

Investigating impact craters

noreply@blogger.com (Earth Learning Idea) — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 18:02:00 +0000

Investigating the shapes and sizes of impact craters on the Moon is the latest Earthlearningidea. This activity can be used in an astronomy lesson, or in a situation where teachers wish to set pupils an investigation in which the procedures are decided by the pupils themselves, rather than following a pre-determined set of instructions. It can also be related to the effects of meteorite impacts on the Earth, past, present and future, with discussion about the possible relationship between meteorite impact and mass extinctions.

Manila Flood - 26th September 2009

noreply@blogger.com (Earth Learning Idea) — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 17:06:00 +0000

What was it like to be there - the Manila flood in the Philippines, 26th September 2009. This is an Earth science teacher's eye witness account of surviving the worst flood for more than 40 years and no-one was prepared. This experience has galvanised the teacher's commitment to educate the next generation in understanding how the Earth and its sub-systems work. He says, "With climate change becoming more evident each passing day, we really have to get our act together."
This has been published as an extension to our Earthlearningidea 'Flood through the window'.
If you have personal experiences of natural hazards, please send them to us so that everyone can understand what it is really like to live through such an event.

What is a fossil?

noreply@blogger.com (Earth Learning Idea) — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 14:41:00 +0000

Which of the following are fossils? 4000 year-old human footprint, a squirrel killed on the road, 3500 million year-old cell filaments, a petrified tree stump, the trail of a 530 million year-old trilobite, dendritic mineral growths, a beach pebble with holes bored by modern marine organisms? Find out by trying 'Fossil or not?' Earthlearningidea.

Important note - 'Make your own rock'

noreply@blogger.com (Earth Learning Idea) — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 11:31:00 +0000

Following problems with the use of plaster of Paris, we have added safety guidelines into this activity - 'Make your own rock'. Builders' cement powder is alkaline and should not be used.

Make your own rock!

noreply@blogger.com (Earth Learning Idea) — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 21:07:00 +0000

Have you tried this Earthlearningidea? 'Make your own rock' is an activity in which pupils investigate how loose sediment may be stuck together to form a 'rock'. To become hard rocks, most sediments need to be cemented together. Pupils will be able to demonstrate how 'rocks' are made by compacting and cementing loose sand, devise a fair way of testing the strength of their 'rocks' and be able to explain that the strength of the rock may depend as much on the cement that holds the particles together, as it does on the composition of the particles themselves.
Click here to access other innovative teaching ideas.

How to get drinking water

noreply@blogger.com (Earth Learning Idea) — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 09:54:00 +0000

Mary from New Mexico made the following, very good additions to our latest Earthlearningidea 'Water, water everywhere but not a drop to drink' -
"I often use this as a 'challenge' activity, where student teams compete to see who 'best' cleans the water. I offer the students a choice of possible items to filter and let them design their own filters using different layers. The biggest challenge is getting the blue food coloring out of the water. This exercise really works well with the cut off bottles as funnels. If you have a microscope, students can easily see some of the small organisms in the water and you can incubate your own by putting grass clippings in water and letting it sit."
These are positive and enhancing comments which we have published in our 'Extension Ideas'. Thank you Mary!
We shall be very pleased to receive any other suggestions to add to these to take the investigation further.

NEW Earthlearningidea - how to get drinking water

noreply@blogger.com (Earth Learning Idea) — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 11:32:00 +0000

'Water, water everywhere but not a drop to drink'. This new activity investigates how to get clean water from dirty 'pond' water. Obtaining clean water to drink is a problem in many countries of the world. Pupils plan, carry out and evaluate a complete investigation, work out the necessary equipment to carry out their investigation and then clean the pond water as best they can. They will soon realise that the water will need further processing before it is suitable to drink. At the end of this activity, they should know that 'pond' water contains suspended solids (plants, rubbish, mud), soluble contaminants that they cannot remove in the classroom, and invisibles, for example, bacteria.
This is a popular activity in the UK; do let us know how your pupils get on either by contacting us by email or by leaving a comment on this blog.
Earthlearningidea - - lots and lots of really good Earth-related activities!

Earth science out of doors

noreply@blogger.com (Earth Learning Idea) — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 16:19:00 +0000

All pupils like to be taken outside the classroom for their lessons. Have you tried this Earthlearningidea 'Earth science out of doors: preserving the evidence'? The pupils have to try to list 6 processes that are happening around them or that have happened in the last few hours. What is the evidence for these processes happening? Which of those pieces of evidence might be preserved if the area became buried? They will realise that there is a progressive loss of evidence as we go back in time. The usual geologists' approach is to use Lyell's principle 'the present is a key to the past'. This activity involves geological reasoning in reverse, i.e. trying to predict the future from the present. Concerns about global climate change have recently involved geologists in trying to predict the future from the past.
How well does this activity work with your group? Have you tried other Earthlearningideas?

Oil and gas trapped in reservoir rocks

noreply@blogger.com (Earth Learning Idea) — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 18:19:00 +0000

This activity demonstrates how oil and gas can be trapped in reservoir rocks beneath the surface - 'Trapped! Why can't oil and gas escape from their underground prison?' At the end of this activity, pupils can explain that oil and gas float on top of water because of their lower density, explain that oil and gas may become trapped underground until they reach an impermeable layer of rock and appreciate the need to control the drilling for oil and gas to avoid 'blowouts' at the surface. This could form part of a lesson on world resources or it could follow a lesson on porosity and permeability.
Please let us know how your pupils get on with this or with any of our Earthlearningideas.

Investigating the resistance of rocks

noreply@blogger.com (Earth Learning Idea) — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 15:45:00 +0000

Ask your pupils why they think some areas are hilly and others are low-lying. Such differences in relief are often caused by the relative resistance to erosion of the rocks that make up these areas - more resistant rocks usually form higher areas. Try this Earthlearningidea using some of your local rocks and let us know how you get on.
Have you tried the other Earthlearningideas about erosion? There are activities to help teach erosion by ice, water and wind and soil erosion. All these can be found by looking up 'Erosion' in our Keywords Index.

NEW Earthlearningidea - Slopes and angles of rest

noreply@blogger.com (Earth Learning Idea) — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 17:16:00 +0000

Our new Earthlearningidea is all about slopes and angles of rest - 'Sandcastles and slopes: what makes sandcastles and slopes collapse?'
Ask the pupils if they have ever built a big sandcastle. What was the steepest angle they could build the side walls of the castle? Could they make a steeper wall if the sand was dampened? Questions like these go well beyond the playground or beach. Many people have been killed by the collapse of unstable slopes of loose rock or sand. This activity investigates the factors which affect the angle at which loose materials rest before they begin to slide.
Please let us know how your pupils get on by writing a comment on this post or contacting us by email.

Top Geology Blog - well, in the top 100!

noreply@blogger.com (Earth Learning Idea) — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 16:38:00 +0000

Earth Learning Idea

Top geology blogs

Sequencing the events that form rock

noreply@blogger.com (Earth Learning Idea) — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 20:54:00 +0000

'Laying down the principles' is all about sequencing the events that form rocks using stratigraphic principles. This Earthlearningidea gives you a simple way to demonstrate complex ideas. Your pupils will soon understand 'Superposition of Strata', 'Original Horizontality', 'Lateral Continuity', 'Included fragments' and Cross-cutting Relationships'. You can also demonstrate Rock deformation' and 'Faunal Succession'. These principles are the fundamental methods used by geoscientists to sequence rocks and rock events.

Dinosaur footprints - interpretation of evidence

noreply@blogger.com (Earth Learning Idea) — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 18:34:00 +0000

What was revealed when the old buildings, shown in the diagram above, were removed? Find out when you try 'The meeting of the dinosaurs - 100 million years ago'. This Earthlearningidea is one of many about trace fossils listed on our website; search the keynote index under 'Fossils'.

noreply@blogger.com (Earth Learning Idea) — Sun, 16 Aug 2009 15:28:00 +0000

AEON EarthWISE in South Africa recently hosted some workshops at the Department of Geology, University of the Free State These workshops were a big success with 48 teachers attending. Each teacher received a science activity workbook, including 30 Earth Learning Ideas to use in their classrooms. Two ELI activities were demonstrated, 'Make your own volcano' and 'The rock cycle in wax'. The responses were excellent. Thank you again for the whole initiative of Earth Learning Idea; it is really a great resource.
The Earthlearningidea team is delighted to hear this news from South Africa. This is exactly the result we wished for when the idea was first started.

Geoitalia

noreply@blogger.com (Earth Learning Idea) — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 11:23:00 +0000

We are pleased to report that a long article about Earthlearningidea has been published in Italian in 'Geoitalia', number 26, March 2009, pages 4 - 11 The photo shows a member of the Earthlearningidea team demonstrating 'High flow, low flow?: atmosphere and ocean in a tank'. This activity demonstrates how hot, cold and particle-filled density currents flow in the atmosphere or ocean.

Trace fossil activities

noreply@blogger.com (Earth Learning Idea) — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 20:03:00 +0000

Last week's new Earthlearningidea was about making your own tracks and trails similar to those tracks and trails (trace fossils) left by animals millions of years ago. Have you tried the other Earthlearningideas about trace fossils? Click on the category 'Evolution of Life'; you could try
- A dinosaur in the yard
- Dinosaur death - did it die or what it killed?
- How to weigh a dinosaur
- The meeting of the dinosaurs - 100 million years ago.
All of these activities use trace fossils.

Making your own 'fossil' trails

noreply@blogger.com (Earth Learning Idea) — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 17:00:00 +0000

'Trail-making; making your own "fossil" animal trails' is our latest Earthlearningidea.
First of all your pupils need to do some 'trail-thinking' by asking themselves why would the animal have been on the sand, in which direction was it moving, how would it have been moving, how fast, how deep would the trail be, would it have been straight, would the animal have rested and how could the trail become fossilised?
When pupils have completed this activity, they will be able to describe how animals of the past might have moved, use their descriptions to make appropriate trail marks in damp sand and explain how the trails they have made give information on how the animals moved in the past.
Of course, they can make many types of trails from those left by trilobites to those of dinosaurs.
We should be very pleased to receive your pupils' ideas and photos of their trails, if possible.

Earthquake through the window

noreply@blogger.com (Earth Learning Idea) — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 18:04:00 +0000

This Earthlearningidea is one of our 'thought' experiments. Ask your pupils to imagine what it would be like if they could watch an earthquake happening outside their building. Give them some prompt questions as follows:-
- What would they see?
- What would be happening to the ground?
- What would be happening to the buildings and trees?
- What would people be doing?
- What would it be like inside their building?
- How would they feel?
- What would they do?
- What would they tell their friends to do?
- What do they think caused the earthquake?
- Can they predict when the next earthquake will happen?
Please send us the best of their stories and we will publish them. Maybe they have some true stories to tell?

How to weigh a dinosaur

noreply@blogger.com (Earth Learning Idea) — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 10:24:00 +0000

Dinosaurs sometimes left footprints in wet mud or sand which hardened to leave trace fossils. We can work out how heavy the dinosaur was, if we can compare the footprint with the mark made by a known weight in the classroom. The relationship between pressure, force and area can be used to estimate the mass of a two-legged dinosaur from the area and depth of one of its fossilised footprints. Click here to download the activity.
Trace fossils can give very valuable information on the lifestyles and environment of the organisms that created them.
The photo above shows a footprint from a large dinosaur. An impression would have to be taken of this for it to be used for this Earthlearningidea.

Earthtrek gravestone project

noreply@blogger.com (Earth Learning Idea) — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 19:17:00 +0000

EarthTrek is a global citizen science programme, launched on 1st July this year. One of the projects that people are being asked to become involved in is the measurement of the weathering of marble gravestones; click here for more details.
Note - the measurement of the lead letters can be done with a tyre depth gauge if a micrometer is not available. Participants could also look to see if there is any difference in the weathering of one side of the stone from the other side; this may indicate the influence of the prevailing wind. In the U.K. the latitude and longitude of the site can be found on Ordnance Survey maps so you don't need GPS.
The weathering rates of gravestones are an indication of changes in the acidity of rainfall between locations and over time. The acidity is affected by air pollution and other factors, and could be used as a measure of changes in climate and pollution levels.
'Weathering - rocks breaking up and breaking down' is the Earthlearningidea activity concerned with the various ways rocks are weathered.

New Earthlearningidea - Make your own oil and gas reservoir

noreply@blogger.com (Earth Learning Idea) — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 19:21:00 +0000

Ask pupils how they think oil and gas are found in their natural state. Do oil and gas deposits lie in great underground lakes, on the sea bed or within the pore spaces of the rocks? Find out by downloading our new Earthlearningidea 'Make your own oil and gas reservoir'.

Earth Learning Idea

Earthlearningidea - progress

Artificial glaciers help farmers in India

Investigating impact craters

Manila Flood - 26th September 2009

What is a fossil?

Important note - 'Make your own rock'

Make your own rock!

How to get drinking water

NEW Earthlearningidea - how to get drinking water

Earth science out of doors

Oil and gas trapped in reservoir rocks

Investigating the resistance of rocks

NEW Earthlearningidea - Slopes and angles of rest

Top Geology Blog - well, in the top 100!

Sequencing the events that form rock

Dinosaur footprints - interpretation of evidence

Geoitalia

Trace fossil activities

Making your own 'fossil' trails

Earthquake through the window

How to weigh a dinosaur

Earthtrek gravestone project

More readers' comments

New Earthlearningidea - Make your own oil and gas reservoir