+ Earth Materials

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EARTH MATERIALS

Earth’s structure
Engineering & industrial geology
Forensic geoscience
Minerals
Soils
Rocks

EARTH’S STRUCTURE

Title & Description Activity More Ideas and Video
Bouncing, bending, breaking (ELI+)
Modelling the properties of the Earth’s mantle
Bouncing, bending, breaking Teaching video
Boring chocolate!
What can boreholes tell us about the Earth?
Boreholes  
Core activity (ELI+)
Piecing together evidence for the composition of the Earth’s core
Core activity  
From an orange to the whole Earth
Using an orange to model different densities of the Earth’s layers
From an orange to the whole Earth Teaching video
Video (Portuguese)
From clay balls to the structure of the Earth (ELI+)
A discussion of how physics can be used to probe Earth’s structure
From clay balls to the structure of the Earth Teaching video
Extension
Journey to the centre of the Earth - on a toilet roll
Just how thin is the crust we live on?
Journey to centre of Earth Teaching video
Shadowlands
Simulating the effect of the Earth’s core on earthquake waves
Effect of Earth’s core on earthquake waves  

ENGINEERING & INDUSTRIAL GEOLOGY

Title & Description Activity More Ideas and Video
Fracking: Recipe for the perfect fracking fluid
Make your own fluid to fracture hydraulically (frack) methane-bearing shale
Fracking fluid recipe  
Make a mini lime kiln and discover limelight
Investigating the results of heating limestone
Make a mini lime kiln; discover limelight  
Make and use your own Plaster of Paris
Investigate a large-scale industrial process in a boiling tube
Make and use your own Plaster of Paris  
Smelter on a stick (ELI+)
Smelting iron ore to iron on a gas burner
Iron ore smelting  
Testing rocks 1 - bouncing back
Testing the strength of rocks
Rock strength - bouncing back  
Testing rocks 2 - ‘Splat!’
A simple way of testing the plasticity of clay
Plasticity of clay - Splat!  
Testing rocks 3 - that shrinking feeling
Investigating shrinkage in clay as it dries out
Shrinking clay  
What is it made of?
Relate each mineral or rock to the everyday object containing it.
What is it made of?  

FORENSIC GEOSCIENCE

Title & Description Activity More Ideas and Video
Innocent until proven guilty (ELI+)
Using forensic geoscience to solve the crime
Forensic geoscience  

MINERALS

Title & Description Activity More Ideas and Video
Calcium carbonate question - ‘I’m pure calcium carbonate’
A discussion focussed on common misconceptions about calcium carbonate
Calcium carbonate misconceptions  
‘Crystallisation’ in a pudding dish
Simulating the formation and growth of crystal lattices
‘Crystallisation’ in a pudding dish Teaching video
Essential Minerals for the Green Revolution - 1 Lithium
An element which is pulling more than its weight in the world
Essential minerals - Lithium  
Essential Minerals for the Green Revolution - 2 Copper
An element for which the demand is increasing rapidly
Essential minerals - Copper  
Essential Minerals for the Green Revolution - 3 Rare Earth Elements
Vital components in modern technology
Essential minerals - Rare Earth Elements  
Essential Minerals for the Green Revolution - 4 Graphite
From a pencil to the electric car!
Essential minerals - Graphite  
Essential Minerals for the Green Revolution - 5 Cobalt
Mined by children
Essential minerals - Cobalt  
Essential Minerals for the Green Revolution - 6 “The Three Ts”
Tin, Tungsten and Tantalum
Essential minerals - Tin, Tungsten, Tantalum  
Essential Minerals for the Green Revolution - 7 Gold
An essential mineral - or is it?
Essential minerals - Gold  
Essential Minerals for the Green Revolution - 8 Critical Minerals
Essential mineral - critical mineral: what is the difference?
Essential minerals - Critical minerals  
Eureka! - detecting ore the Archimedes way
Measuring density using a stick, string, a ruler, a bucket and a bottle of water
Eureka! - detecting ore the Archimedes way  
Gold prospectors
Panning for ‘gold’ in river sediment
Gold panning Teaching video
Identifying minerals - use your sense(s)!
Minerals in the dark: identifying minerals when the lights fail
Identifying minerals  
Jigging
Using density to separate different materials
Jigging Teaching video
Mineral expert 1
Beginning to identify minerals - introducing colour, habit, lustre, cleavage
Mineral expert 1 Teaching video
Mineral expert 2
Identifying minerals using ‘action’ tests - streak, density, hardness, acid test
Mineral expert 2 Teaching video
Mineral expert 3 (ELI+)
The mineral foundations of everyday life
Mineral expert 3  
Mineral expert 4 - Recycle your mobile phone
Why should I recycle my mobile (cell) phone?
Mineral expert 4  
Mineral or not?
Discussion about what is a mineral and what is not
Mineral or not?  
Picturing Minerals-1
Visualise and draw minerals from a verbal description
Picturing Minerals-1  
Picturing Minerals-2
Visualise and draw minerals from a verbal description
Picturing Minerals-2  
Rocks to eat?
How we get the elements we need to stay healthy
Rocks to eat?  
Salt of the Earth
Who can make the biggest salt crystal?
Salt of the Earth Extension
What am I made of? (ELI+)
A comparison between the chemistry of the human body and the rest of the Earth
What am I made of?  

SOILS

Title & Description Activity More Ideas and Video
Darwin’s ‘big soil idea’
Can you work out how Charles Darwin ‘disovered’ how soil formed?
Darwin’s ‘big soil idea’ Video
Is there life in this soil sample?
Questions to consolidate pupil understanding of soil-formation
Life in soil?  
Make your own soil
Investigating the type and origin of the ingredients of soil
Make your own soil Teaching video
Soil doughnuts
Sorting out soils
Soil doughnuts Teaching video
Soil layers puzzle
Make your own soil profile and investigate others
Soil layers puzzle  
Soil water shake test
Investigate the components of soil
Soil water shake test Teaching video
Permeability of soil - ‘The great soil race’
Investigating the properties of different soils by pouring water on them
Permeability of soils Teaching video
Extension from Sri Lanka
Where on Earth is no soil found?
A ‘deep question’ discussion about soil-formation
Where on Earth is no foil found?  
Why does soil get washed away?
Investigating why some farmers lose their soil through erosion whilst others do not
Why does soil get washed away? Teaching video

ROCKS

Title & Description Activity More Ideas and Video
Building Stones 1 - a resource for several ELI activities
Use a key to identify many different attractive-looking rocks
Building stones (6.6MB) Teaching video
Building Stones 2 - Igneous rocks
What are the differences between igneous rocks commonly used as building stones?
Igneous building stones  
Building Stones 3 - Sedimentary rocks
How do the sedimentary rocks used for building stones differ?
Sedimentary building stones  
Building Stones 4 - Metamorphic rocks
What are the differences between metamorphic rocks commonly used as building stones?
Metamorphic building stones Video (16+)
Does my rock hold water and will water flow through it?
Investigating the differences between porosity and permeability
Porosity-permeability Teaching Video
Teaching video (ages 7 to 11 years)
Geological postcards 1 - granite and chalk
Picture postcard puzzles
Postcards - granite and chalk Teaching Video
‘Global’ postcards - granite and chalk
Geological postcards 2 - sandstone and limestone
Picture postcard puzzles
Postcards - sandstone and limestone Teaching Video
‘Global’ postcards - sandstone, limestone
Make your own rock
Investigating how loose sediment may be stuck together to form a ‘rock’
Make your own rock Teaching video
Extension
Modelling for rocks: what’s hidden inside - and why?
Investigating the permeability of rocks and how they let water, oil and gas flow through
Modelling for rocks Teaching Video
Extension
Picturing igneous rocks - 1
Visualise and draw igneous rocks from a verbal description
Picturing igneous rocks 1  
Picturing igneous rocks - 2
Visualise and draw igneous rocks from a verbal description
Picturing igneous rocks 2  
Picturing metamorphic rocks
Visualise and draw metamorphic rocks from a verbal description
Picturing metamorphic rocks  
Roadstone - which rock?
Investigating the best rock type for the wearing course of roads
Roadstone - which rock?  
Rock around your school
Investigating the building materials around your school and in your area
Rock around school Teaching Video
Teaching video (ages 5 to 9)
Rock detective - rocky clues to the past
Investigating your local rocks to find out how they formed
Rock detective Teaching Video
Teaching video (ages 7 to 11 years)
Rocks from the big screen
Indoor preparation for outdoor field work, using a picture and specimens
Rocks from the big screen  
Rock grain cut out
How can you tell which grains come from which rock?
Rock grain cut out  
Rock is a time capsule – a message from the past
Bringing to life the extraordinary stories of ordinary rocks
Rock is a time capsule  
‘Rockery 1’ - rock game
Model different characteristics of rocks - with your pupils
Rock game  
‘Rockery 2’ - rock cycle game
Model the stages of the rock cycle - with your pupils
Rock cycle game Rock cycle song
Rocky play-park; design your own
Telling the stories of rocks for everyone
Rocky play-park  
Space within - the porosity of rocks
Investigating the amount of pore space between the ‘grains’ of a model ‘rock’
Space within - the porosity of rocks Extension
What was it like to be there - in the rocky world?
Bringing the formation of solid rock to life - by imagining yourself there when it formed
What was it like to be there Teaching video
Extension
Will my gravestone last?
Testing scientific ideas in a graveyard
Gravestones Teaching videos