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If you have any Earth Science related news items that have could be included in this section please email details here.
New resource material: Tedbury Camp Quarry
Tedbury Camp Quarry is an important geological site that is located in the
eastern Mendip Hills, near Frome in
The Royal Society Summer Exhibition takes place between 30th June and 4th July at the Royal Society in London. Swansea University Glaceology Group have an exhibit in the exhibition.
New GCSE Geology Specification sent to QCA for approval
The new WJEC Geology GCSE specification has recently been submitted to the
Qualifications and Curriculum Authority for approval. The content has been
completely re-written with a series of new emphases, but retaining much of the
detail of the previous specification. Meanwhile the assessment contains some
innovative approaches, including elements of on-line assessment. More can be
revealed when QCA approval has been secured - but meanwhile, GCSE Geology is
safe and well, but has evolved and will continue into the future.
WJEC Geology GCSE Working Group:
Date Saturday 26th April
Location – Science Learning Centre (Keele University)
Outcomes – Discussion and production of teaching/support materials on:
- Earth materials and resources
- Climate change
- New WJEC GCSE Geology Specification
- A new geology map/poster development by the BGS
Cost – Funded by ESTA and open to all ESTA members
If you would like to be involved contact the project leader - Pete Loader (peteloader@yahoo.co.uk)
Dear Colleague
Once again I have been asked by ESTA Council to arrange another POST 16 workshop for A level Geology Teachers. This year we again hope to involve colleagues who are more concerned with Geology at GCSE.
This will be the 4rd workshop and we have chosen a different date this time to hopefully attract more/different participation. Our success is all down to those colleagues who give up their time for a day in order to produce something we previously agree will help geology teachers in their delivery of the subject. This year we are suggesting that rather than the grand projects (that somehow never get finished after the workshop) that we should concentrate on smaller and more manageable materials that they can be completed on a day. Of course, finishing or trialling a larger project previously started would also be acceptable. The results are to be published in TES, on the GEOTREX website and latterly on CD for distribution to members. Some productions may also involved cooperation with other geological organisations; GeolSoc, the Geologist Association and BGS.
The date for the workshop is Saturday 26th April at the Science Learning Centre at Keele Universities.
The focus has not been decided. However, we hope that both OCR and WJEC members will be involved in producing resource materials for our new specifications; particularly on Earth materials and or Climate change.
In addition we have 2 other areas for which material would be useful.
1. There is a new WJEC GCSE Geology specification soon to be ratified by QCA, in which assessment is to be “on-screen” (including a controlled assessed practical exam). This will be outlined at the workshop.
2. A new geology map/poster development by the BGS on Past Environments and Changing Climates (title to be decided) is in the pipeline for later this year. It will be free to all schools and may even become a free inset in a national newspaper). BGS would like comment on the development so far and to develop a number of exercises/assessments relating to the poster for use in schools at all levels. I have seen a first draft and it will be excellent for teaching and something you will want.
If you are interested in coming to this event (free of charge - reasonable expenses paid) and producing something worthwhile in a day that we can all use then.....
PLEASE e-mail me and tell me what you feel you would like to be involved with/produce/what we should do (or not) etc. (my suggestions would be as above but are not exclusive). After your responses I will provide a list of workshops for which you can sign up.
Previous events were fun and a good way to meet other like-minded geology teachers from across the geological education spectrum.
Regards
Pete Loader
The National Association for Environmental Education (NAEE) is the network of environmental teachers and lecturers, and all those responsible for the delivery of environmental education and sustainable development in our schools. The Association works with a range of partner groups and national and local government. They produce the termly 40-page journalEnvironmentalEducation which is available to members.
The address is www.naee.org.uk
Ecton Hill Field Studies Association have re-opened the Ecton Hill mine site as a scheduled monument and an educational resource. The website is at: http://www.ectonhillfsa.org.uk.
A summary of the new conditions of use is given here:
"Subject to compliance with any other stated terms and conditions of use related to specific content, BGS gives non-exclusive permission to reproduce free of charge:
for personal, academic, educational, non-commercial research or other non-commercial uses and subject to appropriate acknowledgement. "
Full terms of use, including the acknowledgements that must be used are on the website at: http://www.bgs.ac.uk/about/copyright/published.html
The BGS digital geological map data (DIGMapGB) at the 1:625k scale are now available for download in certain formats for educational use.
See http://www.bgs.ac.uk/products/digitalmaps/data_625k.html for links to the downloads and information about the terms of use.
The information on the BGS website about copyright for educational use of photos at:
http://www.bgs.ac.uk/scripts/photoarchive/check.cfm
conflicts with what has been said above, but is out of date and the up-to date policy is at:
http://www.bgs.ac.uk/about/copyright/published.html
Earthlearningidea is a voluntary initiative to bring a new Earth learning idea to Earth science educators across the world every week during 2008, the International Year of Planet Earth. The ideas are aimed primarily at classrooms with few or no resources and at pre-service teacher educators (to reach wide audiences). Global discussion around each idea is encouraged through a blog. Four ideas are being posted monthly from September to December 2007 and one activity per week during 2008 and beyond. The Earth learning idea refrain is:
ˇ an Earth science teaching idea every week;
ˇ at minimal cost, with minimal resources;
ˇ for teacher educators and teachers of Earth science through school-level science or geography;
ˇ an online discussion around every idea;
ˇ to develop a global network.
Interested educators from around the world subscribe free of charge and receive email updates when new items appear on the website. A list of supporters offering geoscience or educational expertise, is posted on the website. A separate list of those who have offered moral support is also maintained.
ˇ The initiative, being run by Chris King, Peter Kennett and Elizabeth Devon from the UK, was suggested in March 2007
ˇ The wiki (free website) and blog became live in May 2007
ˇ The first activity, a sample of what is to come, was posted in June 2007. It is ‘Quake shake – will my home collapse? When an earthquake strikes – investigate why some buildings survive and others do not’
ˇ The Spanish translation of ‘Quake shake’ (kindly translated free of charge by José Sellés Martínez (Pepe) of Aulagea, a service for teachers and learners of the Department of Geology of the University of Buenos Aires) was added to the website soon afterwards.
ˇ Additional ‘Quake shake’ ideas and comments generated through the blog have also been posted on the website.
ˇ The first monthly activity, ‘When will it blow? – predicting eruptions. How a simple tiltmeter can demonstrate the bulging of a volcano before eruption’ was posted in English and Spanish with an accompanying video on 1st September 2007 - generating some valuable blog comments.
For those of you concerned about the future of GCSE Geology, following recent
discussions with WJEC - the current situation is summarised in a note, approved
by the WJEC, and attached and pasted below. Please can you pass on the good news
that it looks very much as though there is a future for GCSE geology, based on
the attached/pasted notes. Your views on the discussions outlined in the notes
will be most welcome.
We will keep you informed as progress is made.
Chris King
................
More information can be found on the Secondary Education page.
International Polar Year is a large scientific project in both the Arctic and Antarctic regions which will run for the next 24 months. More information can be found on the IPY website at www.ipy.org
The National Trust has published 2 leaflets on their policies on Geological conservation and on the collecting of geological specimens that can be downloaded here: National Trust Geological Policy and National Trust Geological Collecting Policy.
This includes a brand new geological map, book and DVD. The map provides
the first all-in-one geological map of the area and is at 1:25 000 scale.
The accompanying book describes the geology very simply for the layman,
outlining the 600 million years of geological history that have shaped
Charnwood Forest into what we see today, together with chapters on the
minerals of Charnwood Forest, the history of aggregate extraction and the
building stones.
The rich diversity of geology is described in the
booklet through a
series of illustrated walks.
The DVD has been made specifically for A level students
and free copies will be sent to all schools teaching A level geology. It is
hoped it will also appeal to undergraduates and the interested
amateur.
A new website with information about
this can be found at:
http://www.bgs.ac.uk/leicester/home.html
Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study
The Scottish Executive has contracted the National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER) to conduct the latest Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study 2007. TIMSS is a worldwide research project, taking place every four years and providing data about trends in mathematics and science achievement over time. It assesses the knowledge and skills of students aged 9-10 and 13-14 in over 60 countries, and collects extensive background information about the quantity, quality, and content of teaching, which can be used to make comparisons between participating countries. Findings from the survey are used to inform education policy and to improve teaching and learning in maths and science for pupils around the world. Participating schools will also receive a summary of attitudinal data for their pupils, and certificates recognising their contribution to the study. Schools across Scotland will shortly receive letters inviting them to take part.
For more information about the study in Scotland, contact Mark Bailey at the NFER:
Tel: 01753 637335
E-mail: m.bailey@nfer.ac.uk
Past Issues of Teaching Earth Sciences Online
Past issues of Teaching Earth Sciences, as far back as volume 26.3 (2001), can now be found in the Magazine section of the website and all of this material is downloadable; like GEOTREX, the past issues are password protected. For login details, see Teaching Earth Sciences volume 31.3, page 7. There is also a Table of Contents within the Magazine section to enable you to locate particular articles.
