teaching EARTH SCIENCES - ESTA · Journal of the EARTH SCIENCE TEACHERS’ ASSOCIATION ... welcomed in digital form on disk or as email attachments: ... dRe our ce s (in clud i gES

Journal of the EARTH SCIENCE TEACHERS’ ASSOCIATION

Volume 28 ● Number 2, 2003 ● ISSN 0957-8005

Outgoing Editor

Roger Trend writes...

Incoming Editor Cally

Oldershaw writes...

Can you believe

everything you read?

What some science

textbooks say about

Earth Science

The Building Stones

Talk and Walk

Sunday Worship

at the Temple

of Mammon

Earth Science

Teachers’ Association

36th Annual

General Meeting

Award of Honorary

Life Membership of

ESTA to Cathie Brooks

ESTA Council

Post-16 Geology –

the future?

News and Views

Reviews

Cash For Research:

The P. T. Carr Award

www.esta-uk.org

teaching

EARTHSCIENCES

WHERE IS PEST?

PEST is printed as the

centre 4 pages in

Teaching Earth Sciences.

Teaching Earth Sciences: Guide for Authors

The Editor welcomes articles of any length and nature and on any topic related to

Earth science education from cradle to grave. Please inspect back copies of TES,

from Issue 26(3) onwards, to become familiar with the journal house-style.

Three paper copies of major articles are requested. Please use double line spac-

ing and A4 paper and please use SI units throughout, except where this is inappro-

priate (in which case please include a conversion table). The first paragraph of each

major article should not have a subheading but should either introduce the reader

to the context of the article or should provide an overview to stimulate interest. This

is not an abstract in the formal sense. Subsequent paragraphs should be grouped

under sub-headings.

Text

Please also supply the full text on disk or as an email attachment: Microsoft Word

is the most convenient, but any widely-used wordprocessor is acceptable.

Figures, tables and photographs must be referenced in the text.

References

Please use the following examples as models

(1) ArticlesMayer, V. (1995) Using the Earth system for integrating the science curriculum.

Science Education, 79(4), pp. 375-391.

(2) BooksMcPhee, J. (1986 ) Rising from the Plains. New York: Fraux, Giroux & Strauss.

(3) Chapters in booksDuschl, R.A. & Smith, M.J. (2001) Earth Science. In Jere Brophy (ed), Subject-

Specific Instructional Methods and Activities, Advances in Research on Teaching. Volume 8,

pp. 269-290. Amsterdam: Elsevier Science.

Figures

Prepared artwork must be of high quality and submitted on paper and disk. Hand-

drawn and hand-labelled diagrams are not normally acceptable, although in some

circumstances this is appropriate. Each figure must be submitted as a separate file.

Each figure must have a caption.

Photographs

Please submit colour or black-and-white photographs as originals. They are also

welcomed in digital form on disk or as email attachments: .jpeg format is to be pre-

ferred. Please use one file for each photograph, to be at 300dpi. Each photograph

must have a caption.

Copyright

There are no copyright restrictions on original material published in Teaching Earth

Sciences if it is required for use in the classroom or lecture room. Copyright mate-

rial reproduced in TES by permission of other publications rests with the original

publisher. Permission must be sought from the Editor to reproduce original mate-

rial from Teaching Earth Sciences in other publications and appropriate acknowl-

edgement must be given.

All articles submitted should be original unless indicted otherwise and should

contain the author’s full name, title and address (and email address where relevant).

They should be sent to the Editor,

Cally Oldershaw

Tel: 07796 942361

Email: [email protected]

To Advertise in

teachingEARTHSCIENCES

Telephone

Ian Ray 0161 486 0326

Journal of the EARTH SCIENCE TEACHERS’ ASSOCIATIONVolume 26 ● Number 4, 2001 ● ISSN 0957-8005

Your PresidentIntroduced Martin Whiteley

Thinking Geology:Activities to DevelopThinking Skills inGeology Teaching

Recovering theLeaning Tower of PisaEarth ScienceActivities andDemonstrations:Earthquakes

Response to theHouse of CommonsScience and

Technology Committeeinquiry into theScience Curriculum for14 - 19 year olds

Setting up a localgroup - West WalesGeology Teachers’Network

Highlights from thepost-16 ‘bring andshare’ session at theESTA Conference,Kingston 2001

ESTA Conferenceupdate

Book Reviews

Websearch

News and Resources

arth Scienceacharth Scienceachwww.esta-uk.org

teachingEARTH

SCIENCES



Creationism andEvolution: Questions in theClassroomInstitute of BiologyChemistry on theHigh StreetPeter KennettEarth ScienceActivities andDemonstrations:Fossils and TimeMike Tuke

Beyond Petroleum:Business and The Environment inthe 21st Century John

Browne

Using Foam Rubber inan Aquarium ToSimulate Plate-Tectonic And Glacial

PhenomenaJohn WheelerDorset and EastDevon Coast: World Heritage SiteESTA ConferenceUpdate

New ESTA MembersWebsearchNews and Resources

(including ESTA AGM)

arth Scienceachers’ Asso

arth Scienceachers’ Assowww.esta-uk.org


TEACHING EARTH SCIENCES ● Volume 28 ● Number 2, 2003

3 www.esta-uk.org

teaching

EARTHSCIENCESTeaching Earth Sciences is published quarterly bythe Earth Science Teachers’ Association. ESTAaims to encourage and support the teaching ofEarth Sciences, whether as a single subject or aspart of science or geography courses.

Full membership is £25.00; student and retiredmembership £12.50.

Registered Charity No. 1005331

Editor

Cally OldershawTel: 07796 942361Email: [email protected]

Advertising

Ian Ray5 Gathill CloseCheadle HulmeCheadleCheshire SK8 6SJTel: 0161 486 0326Email: [email protected]

Reviews Editor

Dr. Denis BatesInstitute of Geography and Earth SciencesUniversity of WalesAberystwythDyfed SY23 3DBTel: 01970 622639Email: [email protected]

Council Officers

President

Martin WhiteleyTel: 01234 354859Email: [email protected]

Chairman

Geraint OwenDepartment of GeographyUniversity of SwanseaSingleton Park, Swansea SA2 8PPEmail: [email protected]

Secretary

Susan BealeLow Row, Hesket Newmarket, Wigton, Cumbria CA7 8JUEmail: [email protected]

Membership Secretary

Owain ThomasPO Box 10, NarberthPembrokeshire SA67 7YEEmail: [email protected]

Treasurer

Maggie WilliamsEmail: [email protected]

Contributions to future issues of Teaching EarthSciences will be welcomed and should beaddressed to the Editor.

Opinions and comments in this issue are thepersonal views of the authors and do notnecessarily represent the views of the Association.

Designed by Character DesignHighridge, Wrigglebrook Lane, KingsthorneHereford HR2 8AW

Front cover

Band of the (darker) blue granite Azul Bahia, and (lighter) blue

sandstone Azul Macauba, foot of escalator in the Main Dome,

Trafford Centre, Manchester

PHOTO: CHRISTOPHER STUBBS FROM THE BOOKLET ‘STONES OF THE TRAFFORD CENTRE’ BY

FRED BROADHURST. COPYRIGHT. THE TRAFFORD CENTRE, MANCHESTER 2003

Visit our website at www.esta-uk.org

CONTENTS

4 ESTA Chair

Geraint Owen

5 ESTA President

Martin Whiteley

6 Outgoing Editor


6 Incoming Editor

Cally Oldershaw writes...

7 Post-16 Geology – The future?

8 Can you believe everything you read?

What some science textbooks say about

Earth Science

Chris King, Alastair Fleming, Peter Kennett andDavid Thompson

14 The Building Stones talk and walk

Fred Broadhurst

16 Sunday Worship at the Temple of Mammon

Peter Kennett

17 Earth Science Teachers’ Association

36th Annual General Meeting

23 ESTA Council

23 Award of Honorary Life Membership of ESTA

to Cathie Brooks

24 New ESTA Members

25 News and Views

29 ESTA Diary

30 Reviews

31 Cash For Research: The P. T. Carr Award



Outgoing Editor


Incoming Editor Cally

Oldershaw writes ...

Can you believe

everything you read?

What some science

textbooks say about

Earth Science

The Building Stones

Talk and Walk

Sunday Worship

at the Temple

of Mammon

Earth Science

Teachers’ Association

36th Annual

General Meeting

Award of Honorary

Life Membership of

ESTA to Cathie Brooks

ESTA Council

Post-16 Geology –

the future?

News and Views

Reviews

Cash For Research:

The P. T. Carr Award

www.esta-uk.org

teaching

EARTHSCIENCES

4


www.esta-uk.org

From the ESTA Chair, October 2003A personal view of the ESTA Annual Course and Conference

at the University of Manchester, September 2003

My image of Manchester has always been one

of misty, drizzly rain falling on drab,

straight, flat terraced streets and austere,

overbearing, pretentious Victorian buildings. Has,

that is, until I attended the ESTA Annual Course and

Conference in Manchester in September. It’s amazing

what a difference a weekend can make! My revised

image is now of a sunny city with tastefully and lov-

ingly restored nineteenth century buildings, friendly

people and a vibrant environment of culture and

learning. The Conference was at once stimulating,

instructive, informative and enjoy-

able, as I’m sure everyone else who

was there will agree. So if you

weren’t able to make it to Man-

chester, start preparing now for the

2004 Conference, which for the

first time takes ESTA north of the

border, to Edinburgh.

You will be able to read plenty

more about the events and activi-

ties at the Manchester Conference

elsewhere in Teaching Earth Sciences,

but I’d like to summarise my expe-

rience of the event. The annual

ESTA Course and Conference

provides a wonderful mix of lec-

tures, workshops, practical activi-

ties and fieldwork sessions, that

enable those of us teaching Earth

sciences to update ourselves on

changes to scientific knowledge

and understanding, gain new ideas

for how to convey difficult con-

cepts and subject areas, pick up

practical teaching tips and exercises, examine the

geology and Earth science of new areas, and discuss

issues of interest and concern.

The Manchester Conference more than adequate-

ly satisfied these expectations. For me, it began on

Friday evening with a talk from vivacious TV presen-

ter Anna Grayson about The Earth and Citizenship, in

which Anna ably demonstrated how people can be

turned on to Earth science when it is presented in

lively, dynamic and imaginative ways, and how some

of these approaches are being introduced through

new curricula.

Saturday was based in teaching rooms the Earth

Sciences Department at Manchester University,

including their alarmingly steeply raked lecture the-

atre (from which my neck has now just about recov-

ered, thank you!). It began with an excellent welcom-

ing lecture from Richard Pattrick, Head of Depart-

ment, entitled Geology at the Interface, in which he

demonstrated how, in diversifying from traditional

geology to modern Earth science, the subject now sits

at the interfaces between many disciplines and

encompasses such diverse spheres as geobacteria, con-

taminated land and water, planetary geology, comput-

er modelling and instrumentation.

From that lecture I flitted through fascinating

exhibits, displays and sales stands on my way to Fred

Broadhurst’s inspiring workshop on

the decorative building stones used

in paving and walling at the Trafford

Centre. Unfortunately I was not able

to join in the tour of the shopping

centre on Sunday, but it was wonder-

ful to hear and see Fred’s summary

of the history of use of building and

decorative stones, and to see such

beautiful materials used to fantastic

effect. From there it was back

through the exhibits, parting with

more money, to a demonstration and

talk from Ernie Rutter on earth-

quakes. This was a superb overview,

with useful case studies, including

the 2002 Manchester earthquake

swarm, a wonderfully simple practi-

cal demonstration of the slip-stick

mechanism for producing earth-

quakes, and some spectacular web

aids for visualising earthquake distri-

bution and seismic wave paths.

At lunchtime I took a lightning

tour of the new extension to the Manchester Muse-

um, across the road from the Earth Sciences Depart-

ment, and parted with more money at the displays

before attending a workshop on catastrophic volcano

collapse with Ray Burgess. Ray gave a clear, concise

overview of this spectacular potential hazard, which

has featured on TV and in the media recently, and

kept us tied firmly to the ground by considering the

scientific merit of arguments for and against this

being a serious hazard. There was plenty here to use

to improve lectures and lessons. More displays, bat-

tling with the coffee machines, parting with more

money, and back to the neck-wrenching lecture the-

atre (but sitting higher up this time!) for the third of

the Keynote Lectures, given by Stephen Edwards,

from Greenwich University, on interactions between

“My impression of

Manchester has been

radically revised, my

mind spinning with

thoughts of interfaces,

citizenship, beautiful

building stones, British

earthquakes, catastrophic

volcano collapse, climate

change, mega-tsunamis,

and geology as the

essential cement in

Earth systems science”


5 www.esta-uk.org

Manchester Conference 2003

The 36th Annual Course and Conference, hosted by

the University of Manchester Department of Earth

Sciences in conjunction with Manchester Museum,

was held on 12-14th September 2003. Attendees

were able to benefit from INSET courses for Key

Stage 1/2, 3/4 or post-16 levels on the first day, before

adjourning for dinner and an entertaining lecture by

broadcaster and presenter, Anna Grayson.

On Saturday we were treated to a number of inter-

esting and thought-provoking lectures, demonstra-

tions and practicals, principally delivered by staff

from the local Earth Science Department. Through-

out the day there were also opportunities to tour

around the refurbished Manchester Museum, now

surely one of the finest educational resources in NW

England. A brief AGM and excellent Conference

dinner provided a solid foundation for prolonged

support of the bar afterwards!

The weather on Sunday was magnificent, matched

only by the scenery of the Peak District. Several field

trips rounded off the Conference and each served to

remind us why we choose to be geologists. This was

learning in its most attractive form.

Our thanks go to Paul Selden and his tireless

Committee for their excellent organisation and to all

those who contributed to the programme. ESTA’s

Course and Conference seems to go from strength to

strength, so roll-on Edinburgh 2004!

Martin Whiteley,

ESTA President

volcanoes and the atmosphere. This was an excellent

presentation with excellent content, and by focussing

on Earth systems and the interfaces between the

geosphere, hydrosphere, atmosphere and biosphere,

Stephen brought us full circle back to Richard Pat-

trick’s theme of geology playing a pivotal role by being

at the interfaces of many key issues in science today.

After a full day of workshops and talks, it might

have seemed a bit much to expect people to stay

around for ESTA’s business meetings, but most did.

This was excellent news, because, although not as

glamorous as the subject workshops, the business

meetings are vitally important to the health of the

Association, and it was great to see so many people

staying on for the Annual General Meeting and con-

tributing to the Open Forum session.

So it was that I returned along Oxford Road to the

Hall of Residence, a distance that seemed to have at

least doubled since I had walked the other way in the

morning: my impression of Manchester has been radi-

cally revised, my mind spinning with thoughts of inter-

faces, citizenship, beautiful building stones, British

earthquakes, catastrophic volcano collapse, climate

change, mega-tsunamis, and geology as the essential

cement in Earth systems science. All in all, an inspiring

and enjoyable day, ensuring that the relaxation of the

Conference Dinner and the late opening at the bar were

well deserved.

So that’s what I got out of the ESTA Conference in

Manchester. It was efficiently and effectively organised

by Paul Selden and his team, and hosted by Richard Pat-

trick and his Department; many thanks to all of them,

and to Peter Kennett for ensuring effective communica-

tion between the organisers and ESTA Council. I’m

quite sure that what I’ve gained from being at the Con-

ference will help to improve my teaching, and I’m

already looking forward to next year’s conference in

Edinburgh. The trek across (for me) two national bor-

ders will take me to a city of world-famous geology,

which played a key role in the development of geologi-

cal ideas. The Conference will take the best aspects of

past Conferences and tailor them to the fantastic facili-

ties of the location. The base will be Heriot-Watt Uni-

versity, fieldwork will include such venerable sites as

Arthur’s Seat, and other attractions will include the

Scottish base of the British Geological Survey, the

National Museums of Scotland and Dynamic Earth. I

hope to see even more members next year taking advan-

tage of one of the jewels in ESTA’s crown, the Annual

Course and Conference.

Geraint Owen

ESTA Chair

6


www.esta-uk.org

Outgoing Editor Roger Trend writes...

“I want to welcome Cally to the TES Editorship

most warmly and I wish her well in this most satisfy-

ing of jobs. It is great for ESTA that such an experi-

enced colleague has agreed to take on this important

job and I am sure that we can look forward to stimu-

lating, informative and highly-readable issues of TES

over the next few years.

To ESTA members and other TES readers I would

like to pass my sincere thanks for your cooperation

over the past 4 years while I have been Editor. It has

been a most rewarding job and members of ESTA

Council in particular have been thoroughly support-

ive and encouraging throughout that time”.

Regards Cally,

Roger

First, a big “Thank you” to Roger, for taking the

time at the ESTA Annual Conference in Man-

chester, to talk me through just what being the

Editor might entail and giving me a long list of useful

hints, tips and comments on the way things work!

I thoroughly enjoyed the ESTA Conference, the

sheer enthusiasm of all those present does result in a

sort of buzz – and it is a great opportunity to share ideas

and pick up the latest news. There were some super lec-

tures, I hope several of which will be published in the

TES in due course.

The Guest Lecture on the Friday evening “The

Earth and Citizenship” was given by Anna Grayson.

Anna gave a fabulous talk, introducing the science cur-

riculum “21st Century Science” for which she has

been a consultant and writer, and giving us a taster of

the fascinating facts, great fun and learning about

Earth science that the teachers and the children have

in store for them.

You may remember Anna from the very successful

BBC television series “The Essential Guide to Rocks”.

Anna was both the presenter and the series consultant

and has been involved with many other radio and TV

productions. Anna was recently honoured by the Geo-

logical Society, with the prestigious R H Worth award

for encouragement in broadcast media of amateur geol-

ogy. Thank you Anna.

As I am your new editor, you may wish to know just

a little background. Why was I at the conference, what

is my interest in Earth Science?

I was at the conference, officially, as the Education

and Parliamentary Liaison Officer of the Geological

Society. I looked after their exhibition stand, giving out

free posters (to brighten every classroom or office wall),

biros and information sheets on Earth science topics. I

gave out 50 sets (10 in each set) of the information

sheets (in smart blue folders) and gave all attendees the

opportunity to complete a request form for more

copies. The first task I had when I got back to the office

in London was to arrange for more than 2,000 copies to

be sent out to fulfil those requests.

The information sheets to which I refer are the Earth

in Our Hands Series published by the Geological Soci-

ety, written by me and generally referred to as the

EIOH. Ten titles have been published in the series; cov-

ering topics such as Volcanoes, Earthquakes, Flooding,

Coastal Erosion, Landslides, Radon, Tsunamis, Conta-

minated Land, Landfill and Waste, and Groundwater -

um, actually, if my maths is correct, that is the full list of

ten. As each topic was published, they were distributed

via the TES. If you do not have all ten, do contact the

Geological Society for further copies.

There are a further three topics in the pipe-line. I have

written Aggregates, Marine Aggregates and Geoconser-

vation. Aggregates and Marine Aggregates can be down-

loaded from the Geological Society website

(www.geolsoc.org.uk) type EIOH in the search box.

Writing the EIOH has only been a very small part of

my work for the Society. Parliamentary Liaison has

entailed regular visits to the House of Commons and

the House of Lords, increasing my understanding of

how parliament works, the roles of parliament and gov-

ernment and the processes and procedures. Replying to

government consultations and building up a knowledge

of who does what, where and why has enabled me to

gain a better understanding of what is going on in the

political scene.

Initially, I was concentrating mainly on environmen-

tal issues, but over the last few years, the rate of change

in science education and the policy decisions being

made have really taken my interest. There is just so

much happening at the moment for example; the pos-

sible changes to the exam system, from GCSE and A

Levels to a Baccalureate Award (more about this in later

Incoming Editor Cally Oldershaw writes...


7 www.esta-uk.org

issues of TES); curriculum development; funding

opportunities for developing new, interesting and cre-

ative ways of involving students (from primary to

Higher and Further Education (HE/FE)); Continuing

Professional Development (CPD) for teachers and

technicians – it is a very exciting time to be involved in

science education.

My background before becoming the Editor, very

briefly – After my Geology degree at University College

London (UCL), I worked at the Geological Museum

and then the Natural History Museum, initially as an

Exhibition Scientist and later as the Curator of Gem-

stones. I was involved with the development of exhibi-

tions, writing science books and working with the

collections. I taught children and adults in both the for-

mal environment of the Museum classrooms and in

more informal surroundings in the Museum galleries

and on field trips both in the UK and abroad. Nowa-

days, most of my teaching is within adult education. I

am an examiner for the Gemmological Association of

Great Britain and the British examiner for the Euro-

pean examinations in gemmology (FEEG).

Now that I am Editor – both you and I have the

opportunity to learn a great deal more about Teaching

Earth Science – by sharing information, using the TES

to tell others about something new for example a new

website or a useful tip, or something to try out in the

classroom, or even to chat about in the staff room, office

and with friends.

I am sure there are opinions or comments that you

can add, to help others, any interesting news or any par-

ticular views? Your active participation will be greatly

valued, so do drop me an email – I will use feedback

from you, the reader, to make your journal even more

useful and interesting and relevant to you.

Ed

[email protected]

Post-16 Geology – The future?After some years of decline, is heartening to be able to report a

modest increase in last year’s A-level entries, as the recent fig-

ures show.

Year A-level entry1998 21061999 19952000 17802001 17362002 17402003 1809

So, congratulations to all ESTA members who have worked to

increase the sizes of their A-level groups recently, and more con-

gratulations to those who have begun new A-level geology

groups. However, clearly this is no time for complacency, and we

must all do our best to draw people into A-level geology wher-

ever possible.

We must also ‘keep our eye on the ball’ and, as Cathie Brooks

emphasised in her ‘Honorary Life Member of ESTA’ accep-

tance speech at the ESTA Conference in Manchester in Sep-

tember, the ‘ball’ to ‘watch’ now is the baccalaureate ball. If an

English baccalaureate is introduced (and a Welsh version is

being trialled at the moment) then we must ensure that it

strengthens the place of Geology/Earth science in the post-16

curriculum, rather than weakens it.

For this reason, ESTA Council has discussed:

a) keeping a watching brief on baccalaureate developments,

so that

b) when the time is right, we can form a working party to

make syllabus recommendations and fight the Geolo-

gy/Earth science corner.

We hope that those keeping a watching brief will be able to

research baccalaureate developments on the continent and in

Wales and keep an eye on 14 - 19 curriculum developments in

the UK on behalf of ESTA. Those joining a working party,

when it is set up, would need to meet to prepare strategies and

syllabus recommendations. This will help us to join the bac-

calaureate bandwagon at the beginning, rather than desperately

trying to climb aboard when it is too late.

So, if you would be willing to help ESTA by being involved

in either keeping a watching brief or in joining a working party,

please contact:

Chris King

Department of Education

Keele University

ST5 5BG

01782 584437

[email protected].

8


www.esta-uk.org

Can you believe everything you read? What some science textbooks say about Earth Science

CHRIS KING, ALASTAIR FLEMING, PETER KENNETT AND DAVID THOMPSON

The survey of secondary science textbooks conducted by ESTA and the Earth Science Education

Unit (King et al, 2002) revealed an inadequate coverage of the Earth science content of the

National Curriculum for Science and a very high error level.

This article gives some of the worst examples of

errors, with comment, before summarising the

major findings of the report. The report raises

serious concerns about the professionalism of both the

authors and publishers of many science textbooks who

fail to ensure the accuracy of their writing and who pro-

vide inadequate coverage of the statements in the

National Curriculum for Science. However, the article

also notes improvements resulting from publication of

the report and suggests further ways of improving the

situation in the future.

Quote and comment

Below are quotes from some of the secondary science

textbooks being used by science teachers in our schools

today. When quotes like these were found in our recent

science textbook survey (King et al, 2002), we wrote

carefully worded corrections and explanations to help

the authors and publishers to get it right next time. We

tried to use a similar number of words and similar level

of writing to show that Earth science can be written accu-

rately at the correct level – if you know what you are

writing about. Comments are given on the erroneous

quotes below – but written in a more direct fashion!

The level (Key Stage 3, KS3, for 11 - 14 year olds or

Key Stage 4, KS4, for 14 - 16 year olds) and date of each

quote is given. However, no further details of the text-

books are provided, as we decided that ‘naming and

shaming’ could be counterproductive.

‘Some minerals, like limestone, are found in rocks on their

own.’ KS4, 1996

Limestone is a rock, not a mineral.

‘Rocks are made from mixtures of elements.’ KS3, 1998

Rocks are mixtures of minerals or rock fragments –

minerals are made of elements.

‘Limestone and rock salt are good examples of minerals.’ KS4, 1998

Not examples of minerals, but of rocks.

‘Most minerals are found in rocks mixed with other substances

and are often not the main compounds in the rock.’ KS4, 1996

Really? Minerals are the main compounds in rocks.

‘In the hardest types of stone the particles are held together very

strongly. All the atoms link together in a pattern called a lattice

that is difficult to pull apart.’ KS3, 2000

What a confusion between bonding that forms the lat-

tice of atoms and ions in crystals, and the different ways

that particles are held together in rocks (mainly inter-

locking or cement ie. dependent on much weaker inter-

molecular forces).

‘Much of the material produced by this erosion (by ice sheets)

formed the clay that covers much of southern and eastern Eng-

land.’ KS3, 1999

A new idea? – that southern England was covered by ice

sheets?

Stone is worn away by the air, wind and rain. This is called

weathering.’ KS3, 1999

Sounds more like erosion – not weathering.

‘The wearing away of rocks by weathering is called erosion.’

KS3, 1999

Even more confusion between weathering and erosion.

‘If the layers are buried deeper, the soft sediments such as chalk

and mudstone get converted to harder sedimentary rocks like

limestone.’ KS4, 1998

But chalk is limestone – and how could mudstone be

converted to limestone by burial?

‘Chalk is one form of calcium carbonate... Limestone is the most

important form of calcium carbonate... The third form of calci-

um carbonate is marble.’ 1996, KS4

None of these are strictly forms of calcium carbonate -

they are rocks. Two different forms of calcium carbon-

ate are the minerals calcite and aragonite.

‘The granite (of Sugar Loaf Mountain shown in a photo) was

formed deep inside a volcano. The sedimentary rocks around it

have eroded, exposing the granite which is in the shape of the

inside of the volcano.’ KS3, 1999

Unfortunately, the granite of Sugar Loaf Mountain was

formed like all other granites, well below the surface

and any volcanic activity.

‘Slate is formed when clay and mud are subjected to very high

temperatures.’ KS4, 1998

Try – ‘Slate is formed at very high pressures ...’


9 www.esta-uk.org

‘The result is a metamorphic rock. ... Igneous rocks also change.

For example, basalt changes into granite.’ KS4, 1996/7

Basalt to granite – the strangest sort of metamorphism

ever known! (Of course, basalt and granite have great

chemical differences and could never change from one

to the other in metamorphism).

‘Sandstone contains a lot of the mineral called quartz. When

heated and squeezed by magma, its grains melt and turn into

crystals called quartzite.’ KS3, 1998

Magma doesn’t squeeze; in metamorphism, the grains

don’t melt; the crystals remain as quartz; the resulting

rock is called quartzite. Some confusion!

‘Metamorphic rocks are made wherever and whenever igneous

rocks are forming.’ KS3, 1998

Another new theory! There is not much metamor-

phism associated with volcanic activity!

‘What does metamorphosis mean?’ KS3, 1999

Not metamorphism – which is what the author intended!

‘Our highest peaks are those which were formed most recently.’

KS3, 2000

Not in the UK!

‘Rock that is 9000 million years old... will have three times as

much lead as uranium.’ KS4, 1996/7

There are no known rocks 9000 million years old – the

age of the Earth is only 4,600 Ma.

‘All the time rocks are being pushed upwards.’ KS3, 1999

Wot – no subsidence?

‘mantle (Earth) =The liquid part of the Earth under the crust.

‘ KS3, 1997

Not a liquid mantle – please!

‘These plates are like big rafts that float across the liquid man-

tle.’ KS4, 2000

Not the liquid mantle again!

‘Seismic waves travel at different speeds in rocks of different den-

sity; the greater the density, the greater the speed.’ KS4, 1999

A common misconception – seismic wave velocity is

inversely proportional to density (ie. the greater the

density, the slower the velocity), but since rigidity and

incompressibility increase with depth at a greater rate

than density, seismic waves do speed up with increased

depth (and density).

‘Water waves are an example of transverse waves.’ KS4,

1997/8

No – water waves are surface waves. Water cannot

transmit transverse waves (shear waves) because it is a

liquid and fluids can’t shear.

‘At the bottom of the crust the temperature is 1050oC.’ KS4, 1996

The temperature at the base of the crust is very variable,

but rarely as high as 1000oC.

‘The rock surface of the Earth is at most 10 kilometres thick.’

KS3, 2000

Really? What about continental crust being up to 90 km

thick and continental lithosphere being up to 300 km

thick?

‘The same ideas (plate tectonic ideas) can be used to explain all

the processes that act at the surface of the Earth such as the ocean

tides, and short and long term weather changes.’ KS4, 1996

Plate tectonics can explain a lot – but tides? – weather

changes?

The Earth’s crust is split into different sections or ‘plates’.’ KS3,

1999

Not ‘crustal’ plates please – didn’t the corrections to the

National Curriculum deal with this problem?

‘... Alfred Wegener proposed his theory of plate tectonics.’ KS4,

1996

An amazing man, Wegener, to propose in the early

1900s a theory that wasn’t named until the 1960s!

‘Crude oil is made from the decomposition of the bodies of the

same sea creatures whose shells and skeletons make up lime-

stone.’ KS4, 1996

Crude oil comes almost entirely from the decay of

marine plankton, so even though marine plankton does

contain some microscopic ‘sea creatures’ (phytoplank-

ton), to imply that most of our oil comes from the ani-

mals of shelly limestones is very misleading.

‘Over millions of years, this led to the slow formation of coal

from plants and to the formation of oil and natural gas from sea

creatures.’ KS4, 1998

Most natural gas comes from coal and ‘Oil and gas are

derived almost entirely from decayed plants and bacte-

ria.’ (Clark et al. 1997).

‘Coal, oil and natural gas are called fossil fuels. They were made

from plants and animals that lived on Earth about 100 million

years ago.’ KS3, 2000

Most coal is Carboniferous – around 300 Ma; much oil

is Jurassic – around 150 Ma; these things are being

formed slowly today – so where did the 100 Ma figure

come from?

‘Rocks containing metals or metal compounds are called ores.’

KS3, 1998

If this were the case – most rocks would be ores, eg. calci-

um-rich limestone, sodium-rich rock salt, iron-rich basalt.

‘When it rains, acid gas falls from acid clouds.’ KS3, 1998

Sounds frightening – can acid gas-fall kill people?

10


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Earth science misconception

‘minerals and rocks are the

same things’

‘weathering and erosion are

the same’ or ‘weather causes

weathering’

‘if a rock contains fossils it

must be sedimentary’

‘sedimentary rocks are formed

by the compression of the

overlying materials’

‘metamorphism is caused

when rocks are buried and

heated’

‘magma can produce granite

or basalt’

‘the rock cycle is steady and

continuous’

‘plates are made of crust’ or

‘crustal plates’

‘the mantle is liquid’, ‘semi-

liquid’ or ‘semi-solid’

‘oil and gas are formed from

dead sea creatures’ (often

implying the remains of fish

and other large animals)

‘rocks containing metals are

called ores’

Discussion

A mineral is an element or compound. Thus a mineral has a definite chemical

composition, atomic structure and physical properties (that vary between fixed

limits). A rock is a mixture of one or more minerals (or fragments of rocks) so the

compositions and structures of most rocks can be very variable. However, some

rocks are formed of predominantly one mineral, such as limestone (largely calcite),

quartzite (largely quartz) and rock salt (largely halite). Igneous rocks usually contain

more than one mineral.

Weathering happens in place and so no solid material is removed. Weathering causes

chemical breakdown or physical disintegration (eg. by freeze thaw action, plant root

growth). Erosion is the removal of material from the site. Erosion occurs when one or

more erosive agents (such as gravity, wind, moving water, or moving ice) remove

weathered material (so wind is an agent of erosion, not weathering). [Note: the

chemical attack of rainwater on limestone removes material in solution and so is

weathering and not erosion].

Many low-grade metamorphic rocks contain fossils, where the heat and pressure of

metamorphism have not been great enough to destroy them, eg. many slates and

some marbles

Most sedimentary rocks cannot be formed by compaction alone. Some ‘cementation’ is

required to ‘glue’ the grains together. Fluids flowing through the pore spaces deposit

natural mineral ‘cement’. Only fine-grained sediment such as mud can be changed into

sedimentary rocks like mudstone or shale by the compression of the overlying rocks

alone. Sandstones and limestones need cementation.

Widespread (regional) metamorphism that produces slates, schists and gneisses

requires regimes of very high compression and heating These conditions only occur

when plates collide. There is not enough compression or heating produced by burial

alone to cause metamorphism. (Baking by hot igneous intrusions can cause localised

metamorphism.)

Granite and basalt are chemically very different and so cannot change from one to

the other. When the mantle partially melts, dark magma forms. This iron-rich, silica-

poor magma produces basalt if it cools quickly at the surface or coarse-grained

gabbro if it cools slowly at depth. When the crust partially melts, a paler, silica-rich

magma is formed. This is rarely erupted as lava, but can explode as ash or pumice.

Usually this magma crystallises slowly underground to form coarse-grained granite.

The deposition and burial of sediments, and their change to sedimentary rocks may be

steady, as may the production of igneous rocks at ocean ridges. However, the

metamorphism, igneous activity and uplift related to plate collisions only occur

sporadically, separated by long intervals of geological time.

The tectonic plates are plates of rigid lithosphere around 100 km thick. They overlie

the ductile asthenosphere beneath, which flows slowly, moving the plates – thus there

is a physical boundary between the solid lithosphere and the ductile asthenosphere.

The lithosphere comprises the crust and the upper mantle, which are chemically

different but physically solid and rigid. The crust is around 6 km thick in oceanic areas

and averages 35 km thick in continental areas – much thinner than the lithosphere.

The mantle is almost entirely solid, as shown by the fact that it transmits seismic

S-waves, which can only pass through solid material. There is a zone in the upper

mantle between the solid lithosphere above and the solid mantle below, called the

asthenosphere that is between 1 and 10% liquid (i.e. is 90 - 99% solid). As the molten

material is found as films around the edges of crystals, it allows the solid material of

the asthenosphere to flow very slowly. However, the mantle beneath can also flow,

even though it is completely solid. A good analogy is ice, which although solid (and

capable of being broken by a hammer) can flow downhill in glaciers. When it is near its

melting point it can flow more easily.

Oil and some natural gas are formed as microscopic plankton become buried and

heated in the Earth’s crust. The oil-producing plankton are mostly microscopic plants.

Most natural gas is formed as buried land vegetation becomes coal. ‘Oil and gas are

derived almost entirely from decayed plants and bacteria.’ (Clark et al. 1997).

The minerals, which make up most rocks, contain metal compounds, but are not ores.

The term ‘ore’ has an economic context. A rock or mineral deposit is only an ore if it is

rich enough to be exploited commercially.

Misconception of similar significance in another science area

Confusing mixtures and compounds (eg. a

mixture of iron filings and sulphur with

iron sulphide)

Confusing the dissolving of salt and the

‘dissolving’ of calcium carbonate in acid.

All leaves contain starch

Plants need only a source of light to

photosynthesise.

Water can boil at 50oC at normal

(atmospheric) pressures

Confusing caustic soda (sodium

hydroxide) with common salt (sodium

chloride)

Digestive system processes are steady

and continuous

Leaves are made of a layer of palisade

cells only.

Glass is a liquid

Plastics are made from coal

A coal seam 1 cm thick is a useful energy

resource

Figure 1.

Common Earth science misconceptions in science textbooks.


11 www.esta-uk.org

‘Sixty million years ago a lot of the countryside was marshy.’

KS4, 1996

A bit of an over simplification. There may well have

been some marshes around in the early Tertiary, but

were there a lot? – and would you call it countryside?

‘The Earth’s crust is made of hard core’ (from a label on a

diagram, KS4 2001)

Hard core is used to make foundations, not the Earth’s

crust!

These quotes are some of the worst examples (or some of

the best examples?) of the 600+ erroneous statements we

collected during the recent survey of the Earth science

content of commonly used secondary science textbooks

(King et al, 2002). This was carried out on behalf of ESTA

and the Earth Science Education Unit by Chris King,

Alastair Fleming, Peter Kennett and David Thompson

with help from Dee Edwards and Anna Hrycyszyn.

Common Misconceptions

These quotes highlight a wide range of misconceptions,

but the most common are given in a table in the report,

reproduced here as Figure 1. Since the science teachers

teaching Earth science may well have such a poor Earth

science background that they do not realise the scale of

the mistakes in the textbooks, the examples in the table

are matched by similar misconceptions in other areas of

science. (Have you had a discussion with a chemistry

teacher who thought that the distinction between weath-

ering and erosion was not important – as we have?).

The survey

A copy of the full 101page report, ‘A report on the Earth

Science content of commonly used Secondary Science Text-

books: Spring 2002’ is available from the ESEU Admin-

istrator at the address below for the cost of

photocopying and postage. The discussion below sum-

marises the main content of the report.

The survey covered all the major publishers of sci-

ence textbooks who exhibited at the Association for

Science Education (ASE) Annual Meeting at the Uni-

versity of Leeds in January 2000. Most publishers will-

ingly contributed copies of their books and, where

publishers were unwilling or unable to do so, their

books were purchased separately.

The ten publishers (Cambridge University Press,

Coordination Group Publications, Harper Collins

(Collins), Heinemann, Hodder and Stoughton, John

Murray, Letts, Longman Pearson (Longman), Nelson

Thornes (Stanley Thornes) and Oxford University

Press) contributed between one and five textbooks or

series each; some of these were two or three volume

series. A total 27 books (some in series) was evaluated at

KS3 (11 - 14 year olds) and 24 books at KS4 (14 - 16

year olds), a grand total of 51 books.

We assessed each book or series against a set of

statements taken directly from the latest 2000 version

of the National Curriculum for Science for England

(QCA, 1999). Since many of the books were written

prior to the publication of the 2000 version, compar-

isons need to be treated with care. However, since the

2000 version of the NCS was not greatly different

from the previous version, the comparison exercise

did produce valuable baseline data against which

future publications can be judged.

We judged the content of each textbook against each

of the NCS Earth science statements as:

● comprehensive (going beyond the coverage implied

by the statement)

● basic (meeting the coverage implied)

● less than basic (not meeting the coverage implied)

● none (no coverage could be found in the obvious

places in the textbook or through the index)

Where the textbook contained material additional to

that required by the NCS, this was recorded as an

‘Extra’ and the total number of ‘Extras’ per book was

recorded. Each error/misconception found was record-

ed, as was total number of errors/misconceptions in

each textbook. A tally of the total number of pages relat-

ing to Earth science was used to calculate the percent-

age of Earth science in the book or series. Where the

book was not one of a series and did not purport to

cover the whole of the NCS, we took this into account

in the final calculations.

We standardised across the evaluation team by using

the same proforma each time; by testing the proforma

against one textbook and agreeing the standards of

interpretation; and by all the evaluations being moder-

ated by one coordinator, and subsequently being

checked and agreed by team members. The draft report

was sent to all the publishers involved for comment

and, where necessary, correction. Their feedback was

incorporated into the final report.

The survey results

The results are summarised in a table in the report, and

are shown in Figure 2.

Possible distortions in the data might have been

caused by the following: the fact that some books were

produced before the publication of the 2000 version of

the NCS (QCA, 1999), and some afterwards; most

books were aimed at mixed ability students, but some

were aimed at the lower ability range; sometimes only

one volume of a set of books was submitted by the pub-

lisher; some books were written as ‘revision guides’

rather than as comprehensive textbooks. However, no

overall pattern related to these issues emerged from the

data, indicating no general impact on the findings.

Discussion of the survey results

The survey discovered major problems with the cov-

erage of Earth science in science textbooks. Indeed,

members of the team repeatedly complained of the

poor quality of the published material they saw, of low

12


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levels of coverage, of misleading wording, of high lev-

els of error and misconception and, in a number of

cases, of the trivialisation of the Earth science content,

particularly in comparison with the coverage of other

areas of science.

The figures show that, on average, more than half

(60.4% of the statements) of the Earth science is inade-

quately covered by the books surveyed and that the geo-

logical statements are particularly poorly covered. The

situation becomes even worse when the poorest text-

books are considered. In some, nearly the whole of the

NCS Earth science content is inadequately covered or

is missing entirely.

On top of this, the mean error/misconception level

is very high, averaging one error per page of Earth sci-

ence. The situation becomes even more damaging

when the worst cases are considered, with some text-

books averaging up to two errors per page, and the

worst case of all having 2.5 errors per page (66 errors in

26 pages of Earth science).

This raises serious concerns about the professional-

ism of both the authors and publishers of many science

textbooks who fail to ensure the accuracy of their writ-

ing and who provide inadequate coverage of the state-

ments in the National Curriculum for Science.

Although most textbook authors were or are science

teachers, and research has shown that most science

teachers have received little or no education in Earth

science (King, 2001), it is surely incumbent on them to

check facts and their general understanding of a topic

before ‘putting pen to paper’.

Likewise, publishers surely bear a responsibility for

producing textbooks that are factually correct, and for

putting checking mechanisms in place to ensure that

this is so. The requirement for Assessment Bodies to

produce factually correct and high quality syllabuses

and examinations should surely be just as binding on

the publishers who produce the textbooks that pupils

and teachers use as teaching and learning materials for

examinations. Teachers and pupils generally regard

textbooks as infallible reference works, clearly a mistake

in some of the cases discussed here.

Research has shown that science teachers use science

textbooks as the main source of their Earth science

knowledge (King, 2001 and the Council for Science and

Technology report, 2000). Most of these teachers will be

horrified to find that their main source of Earth science

education is generally so poorly written and error-prone.

Conclusion

The survey has shown that the concerns raised by

Arthur (1996) in his presentation ‘Lies, damn lies and

books on geology’ were not idle ones. With more than

half the Earth science in the National Curriculum for

Science being inadequately covered by secondary sci-

ence textbooks, and a mean error level of one error per

page of Earth science, the majority of the authors and

publishers bear a heavy responsibility for the poor

material that they have produced. This is particularly

worrying when teachers and pupils alike depend on the

* Note: The ‘Science at Work’ books were excluded from the percentage calculations, since these were the only books devoted entirely toEarth science and so distorted the overall percentages.

Figure 2.

Summary data

from the survey of

the Earth science

content of

secondary science

textbooks, (27

books at KS3,

24 books at KS4),

Spring 2002.

Mean % of statements covered at ‘Comprehensive’ level

Mean % of statements covered at ‘Basic’ level

Mean % of statements covered at ‘Less than basic’ level

Mean % of statements covered at ‘None’ level

Mean % of statements covered at ‘Less than basic’ + ‘None’ levels - i.e.

with inadequate coverage

Mean % of Earth science in the whole textbook, (or textbook series)

Mean no. of ‘Errors/misconceptions’ per page of Earth science

Mean no. of ‘Extras’

14.8

31.1

35.4

18.7

54.1

8.7

(excluding ‘Science at

work: Earth science’*)

1.1

5.9

11.3

22.3

38.9

27.6

66.5

10.0

(excluding ‘Science at

work: Earth science’*)

0.9

4.5

13.1

26.8

37.2

23.2

60.4

9.4

1.0

5.2

Criterion KS3 OverallKS4


13 www.esta-uk.org

Chris King and Peter Kennett both work with the

Earth Science Education Unit at Keele University.

Alastair Fleming and David Thompson are also

connected with Keele. All can be contacted through

the Department of Education at Keele. The full

report is available from the ESEU Administrator in

the Department of Education, Keele University,

Keele, ST5 5BG, 01782 584437, [email protected]

textbooks to give them the grounding in Earth science

understanding that they need for their examinations

and in their future lives.

Fortunately the effects of the survey are already bear-

ing fruit. Some authors and publishers have begun to

work more closely with the Earth Science Teachers’

Association and with the Earth Science Education Unit

at Keele, to vet and improve materials before they are

published. Authors and publishers have been invited to

ESEU workshops and to use ‘Science of the Earth’ (see

Kennett and King, 1998) and JESEI materials

(described in Kennett, 2003), subject to permission

being sought and suitable acknowledgement.

Thus there are resources and opportunities in the

future that will allow authors and publishers to improve

on their generally very poor past performance. It is to be

hoped that when a similar survey is conducted in the

future, a much higher level of general performance and

professionalism will be recorded.

References

Arthur, R. (1996) Lies, damn lies and books on geolo-

gy. In Stow, D. A. V and McCall, G. J. H. (eds.) Geo-

science education and training. In schools and universities, for

industry and public awareness. 289 - 291.

(Rotterdam: Balkema).

Clark, D., Wells, G., Oates, M. & Volk, C. (1997)

Britain’s Offshore Oil and Gas. London: UK Offshore

Operators Association and the Natural History

Museum.

Council for Science and Technology (CST) (2000)

Science teachers: a report on supporting and developing the

profession of science teaching in primary and secondary schools.

(London: Her Majesty’s Stationery Office).

Kennett, P. (2003) JESEI’s brand new website. Teaching

Earth Sciences, 27, 140.

Kennett, P. & King, C. (1998)

‘Science of the Earth’ – past and present.

Teaching Earth Sciences, 23, 135 - 139.

King, C. (2001) The response of teachers to new content

in a National Science Curriculum: the case of the Earth-

science component. Science Education, 85, 636 - 664.

King, C., Fleming., A., Kennett, P. & Thompson, D.

(2002) A report on the Earth Science content of commonly

used Secondary Science Textbooks: Spring 2002. pp 101.

Keele: The Earth Science Education Unit,

Keele University.

Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA)

(1999) Science: the National Curriculum for England.

(London: Her Majesty’s Stationery Office).

14


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The Building Stones Talk and Walk BY FRED BROADHURST

Fred Broadhurst is an Honorary Fellow of Earth Sciences, at the University of Manchester. On the

Saturday of the ESTA Annual Conference in Manchester, Fred gave a really super talk about

building stones, which he illustrated with slides, rock specimens and posters. He also presented

each of us with a glossy brochure of the “Stones of the Trafford Centre”. The brochure, produced

with the support of the Centre’s retailers, included photographs of the main rock types used in

the buildings and a suggestion for a walk through the three miles of shop fronts. It also had very

clear and useful sections on sedimentary, igneous and metamorphic rocks, the rock cycle and

dating rocks. His illustrated talk was a fabulous taster for the field trip to The Trafford Shopping

Centre in the centre of Manchester the following day.

Fred summarised his talk as follows:

The subject of building stones could be developed

along either of two quite different themes. One

approach, that preferred by historians, is where the

use of stone through time can be explored. Another is

the materials approach where the nature of the stone

and sources of supply are of major interest.

With the exception of some buildings of special

importance, the earliest permanent structures were

constructed with the use of stone from the immediate

locality. This was largely due to the excessive trans-

port costs in the days before canals, railways and ade-

quate roads. The development of transport extended

the region of supply of stone, bringing about the

development of such sources as the limestone from

Portland, Welsh slate, etc.

During the course of the Industrial Revolution

the numerous fires that plagued the mills brought

about hefty increases in fire insurance premiums and

led to the incorporation of cast iron in buildings to

reinforce floors, rather than the earlier timber

frames. Cast iron frames became common in mills

and warehouses.

By the start of the 1900s the price of steel fell to a

level that enabled the replacement of cast iron by the

much stronger steel for use in buildings. Construc-

tion of major buildings now depended on a steel

frame with an outer skin or cladding of stone and

lightweight materials for interior walls. The cladding

provided weatherproofing and outer decoration but

not structural support. The cost of the stone became

a relatively minor portion of the total building cost

and, as a result, stone could be sought from localities

across the world to provide materials of great interest.

So, whereas the oldest buildings to be seen in

most towns are of local origin, later buildings are

seen to utilise stone from an ever increasing area

until, today, stone comes from across the globe. The

building stones used in modern buildings, in differ-

ent towns, are essentially from the same worldwide

sources. If you know the building stones of modern

buildings in, say, Manchester, you will have no prob-

lem identifying the building stones of Chicago, or

Auckland – or anywhere.

Building stones to be seen in cities and towns gen-

erally provide a display of rock materials of many

Photographs by

Peter Kennett

taken during the

walk around the

Trafford Centre.


15 www.esta-uk.org

At the moment, to see the

published guide “Stones of the

Trafford Centre” you will have

to go along to the

Information Point and ask

for a copy. I emailed the

Trafford Centre to ask

whether they had plans to

make the brochure available

on their education website,

as ideally I would have liked

to tell you (our readers) that

you could just click on the

site, see the photos and read

the brochure to find out

more. I am sure that if

enough of you click on the

site www.traffordcentre.co.uk

and send an email via the

information section asking

for the brochure to be put on

the web – they will do so. It

is worth it, so get clicking

Ed

The published guide written by Fred Broadhurst and produced by the Trafford Centre,

Manchester, breaks ground in many respects. The conventional building stone guide is

usually seen by the public as over heavy on the science, of passing interest on the his-

torical and almost invariably jaded in presentation – in contrast, the Earth science here

is well, and for most readers, adequately explained – it is short and snappy (there is of

course no history!), and it is presented extremely attractively. Many, many authors of

guides have sought support from developers almost invariably without success. The

level of co-operation with the developers encouragingly breaks new ground and serves

as a benchmark. Full marks to Fred and Trafford Centre Ltd.

Ian Thomas

Director National Stone Centre

Derbyshire

types. Cladding stones, in particular, are generally

highly polished and are especially useful in providing

a wide range of rock types, rock textures and struc-

tures. One example of a modern building complex

with a wide variety of stone types in Manchester is the

Trafford Centre.

At the Trafford Centre the floors of the malls

together with shop fronts and floors exhibit igneous,

metamorphic and sedimentary rocks of a variety of

types – all under cover from the elements and avail-

able seven days of the week, free. A brochure describ-

ing the stones to be seen is available, on request, free

at Customer Services. This is a remarkable case of co-

operation between commerce and learning.

Check out their website on www.traffordcentre.co.uk

Fred Broadhurst (front right) with the

group outside the Trafford Centre

Sunday Worship at the Temple of MammonPETER KENNETT

How many people deliberately aim to arrive at a place of worship an hour and a half before it

officially opens? Such was the instruction to members of the ESTA Conference, attending at the

Trafford Centre on a hot, sunny Sunday morning, and since the instruction was issued by the High

Priest of Trafford, Fred Broadhurst, it had to be obeyed!

Thus it was that a motley group of people could be

observed prostrating themselves on the gleaming

floors, apparently marvelling at the Architect’s

handiwork through a hand lens. From time to time,

worship was accompanied by a brilliant flashing light,

lasting for only a few milliseconds, but enough to cause

other early arrivals to stop and stare in wonderment.

Here and there, the small black sticky remnants of

votive offerings, made from the gum of a sacred tree,

were observed adhering to the floors, the high polish of

which is designed to make them all the easier to scrape

off, ready for their offering up as a burnt sacrifice. Else-

where, the floor is already losing its polish: in places,

the builders chose virginal white marble, or fertility-

green serpentinite, instead of the earthy granites and

gneisses, and these are not so capable of resisting the

wear and tear of the shuffling feet of the multitude of

pilgrims. (dare we call it pilgrim erosion?).

On the stroke of noon, the High Priest led his fol-

lowers into the inner sanctum of Mango, to kneel

before the Priestess of the lady’s clothing store. Other,

less worthy worshippers were clamouring at the door to

enter to do homage likewise, but were repelled by a

firmly shut door. Amid the rustle of many skirts, hang-

ing from the altar rails, the pilgrims went into semi-

religious ecstasy at the coiled image of the god Ammon

embedded in the lithographic limestone of the floor,

carried all the way from the fabled quarries of

Solnhofen (Germany). Accompanying them were the

remains of bullets hurled by the god Baal (well, they are

called Baalemnites aren’t they!?). Sadly the Priestess

forbade the use of the brilliant flashing lights, as being

heretical in the context of the inner sanctum.

After two hours of such continuous worship the pil-

grims were led by the High Priest to a place of refresh-

ment, to sit and partake of heavenly nectar at tables

made of a wondrous rock with lustrous blue sheen

miraculously emanating from it. From this vantage

point, observations were made of the regular worship-

pers, by now streaming, in tribes and family groups to

attend to the demands of their god Mammon. The

group indeed felt sorry for this heathen people, who

knew no better way of life than to indulge in “leisure

shopping” on a Sunday, their senses dulled by the

imbibing of quantities of an effervescent brown liquid,

rich in the drug caffeine, and their bellies swelled by

thin brown flaky objects eaten straight from a rustling

bag. Glad indeed were we to escape from this brain-

washed people into the pure air of the chariot park, and

home over the refreshing sunlit green(ish) hills!

Footnote:

Fred Broadhurst has written an excellent guide to the

building stones of the Trafford Centre, which is avail-

able free from the enquiry desk. He has also written a

rather more factual account of the geological wonders

of the place than the one above for Teaching Earth Sci-

ences. The members of the group would like to record

their thanks to Fred for an excellent tour, and for his

patience in pointing out so many fascinating features.

I must also thank Chris King for treating me to a cup

of coffee at the Trafford Centre. This means that I have

still only spent a total of £2 at any similar shopping mall

in U.K., and that was at Meadowhell near Sheffield,

whist waiting for my car to be mended nearby!

Building stones

in the Festival

Village, Trafford

Centre. Copyright

the Trafford Centre,

Manchester 2003.

PHO

TO: C

HRI

S E

LDO

N, C

HRI

S E

LDO

N D

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PAN

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16


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17 www.esta-uk.org

CHAIRMAN’S REPORT 2002-2003

My first year as Chair of ESTA began with a very suc-

cessful Annual Course and Conference at the British

Geological Survey headquarters near Nottingham.

The planning and organisation of the Conference took

place under the stewardship of my predecessor, lan

Thomas, and were realised through the efforts of BGS

staff, guided by Peter Kennett. The enthusiasm gener-

ated by bringing together ESTA and the BGS has been

capitalised on through a formal Memorandum of

Understanding between the two organisations, a pro-

ject that has been guided by our President, Martin

Whiteley. Martin formally signed the agreement in

June with David Falvey, Director of the BGS. It recog-

nises the mutual benefit to ESTA and the BGS of

“working in partnership to develop a wider under-

standing of Earth science through effective communi-

cation at all levels, but particularly within our schools”

and sets out four aims: to raise the awareness and

understanding of Earth science; to promote the value

of Earth science to policymakers; to provide mutual

support, resources and data for educational initiatives;

and to share best practices in promoting Earth science

education. All in all, a worthy and exciting outcome

from a stimulating Conference.

Partnerships with other organisations that have an

interest in Earth science education are now an impor-

tant strand of ESTA policy. In addition to working

closely with other bodies through the Earth Science

Education Forum and the Joint Earth Science Educa-

tion Initiative, the last few months have seen a major

step forward in our relationship with the Geographical

Association, in the form of a joint working group set up

at the GA Annual Conference in April, and chaired by

Roger Trend. This group aims to report within a year

on ways in which the two Associations can fruitfully

work together. We in ESTA hope this initiative will in

some respects mirror amongst geographers the success-

es the Earth Science Education Unit has had in raising

the awareness of Earth science amongst science teach-

ers. Much remains to be done on the policy side of

ESTA’s activities, and priority must be given to revital-

ising and reinvigorating ESTA’s profile at the Higher

Education level.

The past year has seen a healthy increase in member

numbers under the watchful eye of Membership Sec-

retary Owain Thomas. But there is much to be done

also in this field of member services in my second year

as ESTA Chair. The journal Teaching Earth Sciences, the

Annual Course and Conference, and publications and

promotions are of vital importance, but we need to be

sure that ESTA provides what its members want and

consider important and useful. To this end, we must

improve the level of communication and interaction

between members and ESTA Council; email provides a

ready means of making contact, and continuing

improvements to the web site are a high priority. The

move of the Annual Course and Conference north of

the border to Edinburgh next year is an exciting devel-

opment, which we hope will be a huge success. Also,

much-needed changes are in progress to ESTA’s display

material and the organisation of its deployment.

As the agenda for this AGM shows, there will be sev-

eral key changes to the people serving on ESTA Coun-

cil, adding to last year’s changes, when Cally

Oldershaw took on the role of Deputy Editor, lan Ray

took on journal advertising, and James Speed took on

the Conference Co-ordinator’s task. A smooth

turnover of Council members is a sign of a healthy

organisation, and it is pleasing to see eager volunteers

for the vital roles of Treasurer, Secretary and Editor.

Many thanks to them for offering their services, and to

those retiring Council members for their hard work

and achievements – Geoff Hunter, Peter Kennett, lan

Thomas, Roger Trend and Dawn Windley. Finally, very

many thanks to all members and helpers of Council,

whose abilities and efforts ensure that ESTA works for

all of its members.

Geraint Owen

ESTA Chair

September 2003

Earth Science Teachers’ Association36th Annual General Meeting

Saturday 13th September 2003 in the Department of Earth Sciences, University of Manchester at

4:30 p.m. A number of reports from the 36th AGM are reprinted below. If you require a complete

copy of the Agenda, Minutes and Reports please contact the new ESTA Secretary Susan Beale

(email [email protected]) or log on to the ESTA website www.esta-uk.org

18


www.esta-uk.org

SECRETARY’S REPORT 2002-2003

Council has met, successfully (with full buffet lunch

where possible!) 4 times since the 35th Annual Gener-

al Meeting at The British Geological Survey, Keyworth

on Saturday 12th October 2002, Saturday 30th Novem-

ber 2002 in Birmingham, Saturday 10th March 2003 in

Manchester and again on Saturday 10th May 2003 in

Birmingham. We are indebted to the departments and

the staff at BGS Nottingham, Birmingham University

and Manchester University/Museum for supporting

our activities.

Much of the time at Council meetings has been

spent receiving reports on Committee business, Con-

ference planning and the many meetings at which the

Chairman and other council members have represent-

ed the Association. It is important that we keep in

touch, are represented and maintain our profile in the

Earth Science teaching world.

Over the course of the year a Memorandum of

Understanding has been agreed with BGS (mainly

thanks to Martin Whiteley), steps have been taken to

develop links with the Geographical Association thanks

to the work of our Chairman Geraint Owain, John

Reynolds, Roger Trend and through the Joint Earth

Science Initiative of the Royal Society, Chris King,

Peter Kennett and lan Thomas have worked with the

Institutes of Biology, Physics and the Royal Society Of

Chemistry to produce materials and website informa-

tion which was launched the ASE meeting in January

2003. The work continues and further material is in the

pipeline for January 2004.

In addition, many others have been working behind

the scenes to develop and continue important links

with QCA, the exam boards WJEC and OCR, English

Nature, The Earth Science Education Forum, The

Scottish Earth Science Education Forum, UKRIGS and

The British Geophysical Association to name but a few.

Many thanks to all involved (which also includes mem-

bers not on ESTA council!).

The ESTA website is undergoing a change of own-

ership due to Carol Levick and partner moving on to

pastures new. ESTA thank Carol and partner for her

work to date. The website address remains the same

www.esta-uk.org. It would benefit from further con-

tributions and comments, so if you have any ideas,

thoughts, good website links you think we should

share with one another (bearing in mind that some

Earth Science teachers work alone in their institu-

tions!!) then drop us a line on [email protected].

[note: this address is no longer active, please check the

website. Ed]

Finally, I would like to thank all Council members

for their efforts over the last year and welcome new-

comers to the fold. Particular thanks go to those who

have reached the end of their terms of service:

● We welcome James Speed (as long as members

agree!) as the new Conference Liaison Officer and

thank Peter Kennett for his tireless work. As “care-

taker” he has organised (or played a very large part in

organising the last 3 conferences – all of which I’m

sure those of you who were present agree were very

successful!!)

● Welcome also to Cally Oldershaw who has agreed to

take on the mantle of Editor. She is the Education &

Parliamentary Officer at the Geological Society and

has greatly helped us renew contacts there.

● We welcome lan Ray who has taken over as Adver-

tising Officer and has been very successful so far in

raising revenue through adverts in the journal – any

suggestions for potential adverts let us know!!

● Martin Whiteley has proved instrumental as Presi-

dent – so much so that we have all convinced him to

stay on and become our Chairman Elect!!

● We also welcome a new Secretary and a new Trea-

surer – but as the time of going to press we are

unsure who these may be-it all depends on your

votes at the AGM!!!! Good luck to those involved!!

There are other vacant positions on council – please see

a member to discuss these and complete a nomination

form should you wish to join. We are always looking for

new recruits to help with the work of the Association so

if you do want to get more involved behind the scenes

(and get a real insight into the world of Earth Science!)

then we would be delighted to hear from you.

This is the last time that I write such a report as I

hand over to a new Secretary at AGM! – have enjoyed

my time as secretary and it has been made more so

enjoyable by the camaraderie of ESTA council. Thanks

to all those involved over the last 4 years!

Dawn Windley

ESTA Secretary

August 2003

TREASURER’S REPORT 2002-2003

INCOMEOur balance this year is almost identical to that of last

year. At first sight, this might be thought to mean that the

Association’s finances are in good state. However, on

examining the figures, the details are not so reassuring.

Income from subscriptions is slightly up. thanks to

the work of our membership secretary, Owain Thomas.

Promotions income is also higher. due to the significant

input from Inset courses run by Peter Kennett and

Chris King (funded by UKOOA), and the efforts of

Dave Williams, John Reynolds, Zoe Fleming, David

Thompson and Niki Whitburn, at ASE and Geograph-

ical Association Conferences.,

Advertising income has jumped. and should increase

further, as words spreads about our excellent journal.

UKOOA money is held for the ESEU unit at Keele.

Similarly, the Curry donation was towards the cost of a

new banner and display stand.

Cont. on page 19

Summer 2003 – Issue 42

Drama-On the Rocks

Rock and Roll with a Class Assembly

Published by the Earth Science Teachers’ Association Registered Charity No. 1005331

Class Assembly – It’s your turn again

At some time (in fact, probably more times than you would like) in your teaching

career you will have to do a class assembly. The activity is enjoyed by some but

dreaded by many. Here is a suggestion that may be of use, especially to year 3

teachers who can use it to teach the majority of the rocks section of QCA Unit D3. It can be

delivered in a number of ways and adapted to suite your own personal situation.

The words are overleaf and take the audience through the formation of rock, the rock cycle,

miscellaneous uses of a major rock type, and various examples of rock and mineral uses. Not bad,

for a twenty minute presentation.

Most of the examples chosen were chosen because they rhymed or I had sample of the rock or

mineral to hand. Yes -we did use a real diamond and a real ruby; both obtained at Different ESTA

Conferences. (No advertising intended but you will be very welcome at next yeas event) But we had

trouble with the cow and had to use a picture instead.

How you perform it, if you choose to, will depend on your situation. I can only tell you what I did.

I formed the children into mixed ability groups so that the less confident could join in at their own

level but each group had a core of clear speakers who could learn their lines. The speaking was

accompanied by actions (Kinaesthetic learning) where possible. The pupils themselves developed

the actions. This helped in memorising their lines.

We also had as many samples as possible showing the things that were spoken of (These can be

replaced by drawings or photos if necessary). The children soon learned to identify the different

rocks and minerals by sight and touch, even when different samples were used.

Issue 42 ● Summer 2003 ● Drama-On the Rocks

Our assembly is here to shockWe’re going to teach you all about rock

At this point play a short piece of rock music. (Heavy metal?)Not that sort of rock! The other sort.

We start our life deep in the Earth Volcanic eruptions are our birth.

We’re hard we are, all over the planetIgneous rocks like basalt and granite.

Along come the wind and ice and rain Breaks us down and we’re off again.As sedimentary we’re laid in beds,

Limestones and sandstones in greys and reds.

With heat and pressure we change our form.You would too if you got that warm

We’re metamorphic, changed It’s greatInto rocks like marble, rocks like slate.

I’m a useful dude and limestone’s my name. You’ll meet me all day but I’m never the same.

You use some toothpaste when you’ve jumped out of bed.I’m in the white stripes not the red.

Look out of the window at the grassI work with sand to make the glass.

Now wash your hands after going to the looI help clean the water, that’s another thing I do.

Take a bath and leave a ringYou’ll find me in cleaners to do my thing. Your clothes are bright nearly all the time

Washing powders and dyes both use my lime.

A Rock AssemblyFor about 30 children to link with QCA Unit 3D (or not – if you prefer)


I’m added to many sorts of plasticOrnaments Switches, I’m just fantastic

With sugar I’m mixed and to cows I’m fed,You eat me too, in fresh, white bread.

A recent product on the shelfIs a drink of coffee that heats itself

When lime meets water, things get hotThe can heats itself, so... no coffeepot

I’m just one rock; there are lots of othersSo here’s just a few of my sisters and brothers.

I’m slate from Wales and that’s the truthI keep the rain from out of your roofCrystal, rubies, turquoise and jade

We’re precious stones. We are not made.

A diamond necklace, is it worth the price?“A rock round your neck” doesn’t sound so nice

Metals come from rocks, it makes you thinkIron, copper, lead and zinc.

The lead in your pencil that helps you write,Isn’t really lead, it’s a rock, – graphite.

Salt is a rock, Halite by nameBut halite and vinegar crisps don’t sound the same

Next time you see a rock don’t kick or throw it.We’re important in your life – AND NOW YOU KNOW IT.

COPYRIGHT

There is no copyright on original material published inTeaching Primary Earth Science. If it is required forteaching in the classroom. Copyright material reproducedby permission of other publications rest with the originalpublishers. To reproduce original material from P.E.S.T. inother Publications, permission must be sought from ESTACommittee via: Peter York, at the address right.

This Issue was written by Stewart Taylor. And edited byGraham Kitts. The Assembly was performed at LozellsJunior and Infant School, Birmingham.

TO SUBSCRIBE TO: TEACHING PRIMARY EARTH SCIENCE

send £5.00 made payable to ESTA. c/o Mr P York, 346 Middlewood Road North, Oughtibridge, Sheffield S35 0HF


The spiritual dimension was not lost as we left time to pause and consider God’s provision of raw

materials from the Earth and how we should use them wisely. If you wish to broaden the

assembly with Bible references’ here are a few. 1Kings 19:11 (An early reference to

weathering?), Job 14:18-19 (erosion) Jeremiah 23:29 (quarrying). Luke 8:6 (plants and animals

in their local environment)

If your school is multi-faith I am sure there are references to rock etc. in the other Holy books.

We finished with a hymn chosen by the children. And what else could it be but “The wise man built

his house upon a rock” which has a good spiritual message as well as very useful advice for

parents to check the underlying geology when considering the purchase of a new home,

The performance went well, with a number of parents saying that they had learned something

about rocks that they had not previously known. The pupils enjoyed it and, I believe, have retained

most of the information. It was also a stimulus for the children’s curiosity, leading them into the

rest of the Unit.

I hope that it will be of use to you. Use it; adapt it or put it safe for when your assembly suddenly

becomes due and your mind has gone blank. In our school it was delivered as an unaccompanied

poem (Sorry, – rap). But if you are a musician you could add music or a simple rap rhythm. And

last but not least. The time factor. As well as the practice time that you are allocated, or manage to

beg borrow or steel from other subjects, time allocated to Science can legitimately be used. More

time will, of course be needed to complete Unit QCA 3D or whatever scheme you are using.


19 www.esta-uk.org

As well as the ESEU project, UKOOA supports the

Association annually in vital ways, such assponsorship

of our Conference. We are fortunate that our current

President, Martin Whiteley, is active within UKOOA.

and chairman of the ESEU steering committee.

PT Carr legacy interest, and Business Account inter-

est have fallen, as might be expected.

I intend moving the PT Carr bequest to another

account with a higher rate of return, with the agree-

ment of council. No award has been made from the

bequest fund.

The two major items of income this year are unlikely

to be repeated on a similar scale. These are the Copyright

fees, and the Nottingham Conference contribution to

Journal costs. On deducting the Conference expenses,

£6,097.28 goes towards the Journal costs. Our thanks are

due to David Bailey and Peter Kennett, and to our spon-

sors, UKOOA, English Nature, BGS and PES(GB).

Peter’s pestering of the University Conference Office

finally paid off, eventually!

These two major items have kept us solvent this year.

Without them, I would have been asking for an increase

in subscriptions. However, I estimate, in the light of

our balances, that we can manage for another year on

the present rates. ‘

EXPENDITUREJournal costs are up this year, as 4 issues were pub-

lished, and only 3 last year. Roger Trend, our editor, has

revitalized the journal, and he will be a difficult person

to replace.

Council expenses are about the same as last year, and

go towards the work of the Association by a few dedi-

cated members, at many meetings and conferences

across the country.

We subscribe to UKRIGS, who are beginning to

realise the importance of educating the public, and espe-

cially children; through the RIGS sites. This is mainly

due to the work of Association members within RIGS.

The Curry Fund money for the preparation and pro-

duction of the Primary Soils pack has now been spent.

Grateful thanks are due to Niki Whitburn. John

Reynolds and their team for their excellent production.

Our public liability insurance comes through our

affiliation to the Geologists’ Association. We are oblig-

ed by law to pay the data registration fee, as we hold data

on members. I have been informed that this fee is now

an annual one.

Thanks go to all who help maintain our funds. either

by generating income, or by helping to keep costs

down. Particular thanks go, as always. to my predeces-

sor as treasurer. John Reynolds, for his guidance and

advice. which I am sure will be needed by my successor.

As yet, these accounts have not been audited. Any

errors or omissions are down to me.

Geoff Hunter

ESTA Treasurer

May 2003

EDITOR’S REPORT 2002-2003

I am very pleased to report that lan Ray has kindly

agreed to become the Advertising Officer for ESTA and

already he has made his mark by organising all our TES

advertising matters most systematically and getting the

arrangements on to a secure footing. There is plenty to

do: everything in fact! I wish him well in this most

important of jobs.

I am also delighted to report that we have a new Edi-

tor for TES (subject to formal agreement at the AGM,

of course!). Cally Oldershaw takes over from Septem-

ber 2003 and I am sure that she will continue to devel-

op TES in an imaginative and effective way. I wish her

well in this most rewarding of jobs.

Unfortunately only three issues of TES have been

published since the last AGM and we continue to

remain somewhat behind schedule. The current issue

is 28/1 but it has not been possible to publish 28/2

before the annual conference, as originally planned.

The reasons for this slippage are twofold: shortage of

copy and shortage of editor time, particularly to take

initiatives which might generate article submissions.

As this is my last Annual Report as Editor I wish to

record my sincere thanks to all those ESTA members

who have contributed to TES over the last 4 years,

either by writing articles or news items or by giving me

such sound advice on what to do and how to do it. In

doing so they have collective responsibility for a first

rate journal which now seems to be contributing to the

current rise in ESTA membership.

The last year has seen the continued production of

TES by Character Design of Herefordshire. This has

continued to be an excellent relationship between ESTA

and CD and I think it very important to record our grat-

itude and appreciation to Richard and Kerry Low.

Roger Trend

TES Editor

September 2003

PRIMARY COMMITTEE REPORT 2002-2003

This has been another busy year for the Primary Com-

mittee, many of whom are also involved in other areas

of Earth Science beyond the classroom.

The task of producing four issues of Teaching Prima-

ry Earth Science each year is very demanding. The 2002

issues were completed with Organising Field Trips

[Stewart Taylor], Limestone-the World’s most useful rock [Ian

Thomas], Environmental Impacts 3-Rivers [Niki Whit-

burn] and Environmental Impacts 4-Landfill Waste [Stewart

Taylor]. An inter-disciplinary theme was chosen for the

2003 issues, which began with Poetry on the Rocks [Han-

nah Chalk]. Later ones are being written for Maths,

Drama and Foundation Subjects – all “on the Rocks”.

Graham Kitts continues in his job of editor, maintaining

the flow of material to the printers in Herefordshire.

At long last the Primary Committee can announce

Cont. on page 20

20


www.esta-uk.org

the safe arrival – on Christmas Eve – of several hundred

copies of Working with Soil. This Curry-funded pack, in a

similar format to Working with Rocks, has been a long

time in gestation! Waldorf the Worm is the star of the

story book and Numeracy and Literacy work form part

of the pack, as well as lots of activities on soil. The mate-

rial has been extensively trialled at conference workshops

and in schools and was “launched” at the ASE Annual

Meeting in Birmingham in January. Niki Whitburn was

the main author, with Graham Kitts, Gill Odolphie, John

Reynolds and Stewart Taylor keeping a close and critical

eye on things! Thanks, as always, to Anabel Curry and

the Curry Trust for their continued support given to this

and other ESTA projects over many years.

Niki has continued to be involved in work for QCA,

linking Science and Geography areas of the Curriculum

and producing combined schemes of work, with com-

mentary and guidance. Our ESTA Conference INSET

last year had the bonus of being at the home of the British

Geological Survey, Keyworth, Nottingham, with the

chance to use the facilities and see the rock store [like a

giant supermarket, but without the special offers!!]. The

Earth Science Day at the ASE Meeting in Birmingham

was also successful. Here the EST A Primary workshops

ran alongside the Secondary ones organised by Chris

King and the Keele-based Earth Science Education Unit

[ESEU]. One disappointment was the lack of Primary

teachers attending the KS2/3 Transition session. The UK

Offshore Operators’ Association sponsored us, thanks to

Annette Thomas. Close links are being forged between

the Primary Committee and ESEU, with sessions

planned for the ASE Regional Meeting in Bristol at the

end of September. We look forward to Reading in 2004

and, after a gap of several years, to putting on workshops

at the Geographical Association Conference in Canter-

bury at Easter. With this increased demand we are

reviewing the content of the workshops and equipment

with the aim of eventually making them available for use

by other trainers, rather like the ESEU format.

In July we were involved in the second annual Rock-

watch event at the National Stone Centre, under less

hot conditions than last year. The Geologists’ Associa-

tion continues to attract funding to keep Rockwatch

thriving. Rockwatch events are regularly listed in

Teaching Earth Sciences and sent out with PEST.

The usual venue for committee meetings this year

has been the National Stone Centre, Wirksworth, Der-

byshire, thanks to our hosts, lan Thomas and Rod Tip-

pett. Pete York continues to maintain the database and

Kath York frequently supplies flapjack! Thanks to

everyone concerned.

Anyone who has read this and would like to join us

please make contact, particularly primary classroom

teachers!!

John R Reynolds & Niki Whitburn

Primary Committee Convenors

August 2003

SECONDARY COMMITTEE REPORT 2002-2003

It has been another busy year for secondary education,

with a range of initiatives, many of which have seen the

involvement of ESTA. ‘Highlights’ from the year are

listed below.

Post-16 day at the ESTA Conference, British Geological Survey, Keyworth, September 2002● The day was well attended and provoked good feed-

back.

● The three updating lectures were well received and

all were written up for Teaching Earth Sciences (a

record!). Many thanks to the BGS and Leicester

University for the excellent presentations and

write-ups.

● The ‘bring and share’ session of the Conference was

the biggest yet, with 9 contributions on a wide range

of topics, all of which were written up for Teaching

Earth Sciences and published in Volume 28, No. 1,

11-21. Many thanks to all involved.

Earth Science Day at the Association for Science Education Annual Meeting, Birmingham, January 2003● The morning of the ASE Earth. Science Day includ-

ed the ‘Grand Launch’ of the Joint Earth Science

Education Initiative (JESEI) website which was well

attended during the different phases of the morning

(with first the Royal Society for Chemistry, followed

by the Institute of Biology and then the Institute of

Physics). The demonstrations and website access

were all popular with participants.

● The ESTA Primary Committee ran two workshops

during the morning as well – again popular with par-

ticipants.

● The KS2/3 workshop in the afternoon focussed on

KS2/3 progression in the context of rock identifica-

tion and the rock cycle-and seemed to go down well.

● The day culminated in a powerful and wide ranging

lecture by the ESTA/UKOOA Keynote Speaker,

Professor Richard Duschl, entitled, ‘Teaching scien-

tific enquiry: Earth science contexts’.

JESEI Website● The website is now fully ‘up and running’ at

www.jesei.org and contains 40 Earth science activi-

ties written for chemistry teachers by chemistry

teachers through the Royal Society of Chemistry, for

biology teachers through the Institute of Biology and

for physics teachers through the Institute of Physics.

The website is currently receiving hundreds of ‘hits’

a month.

21st Century Science● This new double award science GCSE, aimed at pro-

viding a broad understanding of science to all pupils,

is currently being piloted. The Earth science content

Cont. from page 19


21 www.esta-uk.org

of the published materials has been written by ESTA

members and Peter Kennett has been involved in

workshops presenting some of the materials.

Earth Science Education Unit● The unit is based at Keele University and now has 28

facilitators across England and Wales offering Earth

science workshops to secondary science teachers.

● The Unit also now has a full time researcher, Susie

Lydon, as well as a full time administrator, Bernadette

Callan. You can contact the unit on 01782 84437,

[email protected] or through the website www.earth-

scienceeducation.com.

● The Welsh Launch of the ESEU took place in June

at the National Museum of Wales in Cardiff, where

we were made most welcome and forged some valu-

able contacts.

● ESEU workshops are currently being prepared in

Scotland, in collaboration with the Scottish Earth

Science Education Forum (SESEF) and the

Aberdeen City and Aberdeenshire local authorities.

These will be ready for piloting in the autumn term.

● Advertisements will be posted soon to ‘fill the gaps’

in ESEU coverage. Facilitators appointed should live

in or near Wales (Welsh speaker would be advanta-

geous) and the following regions of England: South

West, South, North East and North West.

● ESEU has won a ‘Creative Science’ bid to prepare

and pilot workshops for teaching biology, chemistry

and physics through an Earth context. A writing

workshop to prepare materials has been scheduled

for late September 2003.

● ESEU has also won a Teaching Training Agency bid

to present ‘booster courses’ in Earth science and

astronomy to trainee teachers across the English

regions in the summer of 2004. Materials are cur-

rently being prepared for these 10 day courses.

● ESEU continues to offer support to publishers in the

preparation of accurate and well written Earth sci-

ence content to science textbooks.

The Earth Science Education Forum● ESTA and ESEU are playing important roles in the

development of the Forum which has, as its mem-

bers, a wide range of organisations involved in Earth

science education including:

Association for Science Education (ASE), British

Geological Survey (BGS), Committee of Heads of

University Geoscience Departments (CHUGD),

Geologists’ Association, Geological Society, Geo-

graphical Association, Royal Geographical Society

and UKRIGS (Regional Geological and Geomor-

phological Sites).

Representation at Key Meetings● ESTA has been represented at a range of important

meetings, including those with the Qualifications

and Curriculum Agency (QCA) and the organisa-

tions preparing KS3 SAT materials in Earth science

for the science papers.

Representation on Examination Committees● ESTA members have continued to be involved in the

examination committees preparing the GCSE Geolo-

gy (Welsh Joint Education Committee, WJEC) and

Geology A-level (OCR-Oxford Cambridge and RSA

Examinations and WJEC) syllabuses and exams.

Many thanks to all those ESTA members who have

contributed to this wide range of activities. As we con-

tinue to raise the profile of Earth science education in

the future, ESTA contributions are likely to increase,

so do indicate your willingness to be involved in

future ESTA efforts.

Chris King

Secondary Committee Convenor

August 2003

TEACHER EDUCATION COMMITTEE REPORT

2002-2003

Members of this small group, largely acting indepen-

dently, have continued to further the progress of

teacher education nationally and internationally.

Members may not realise the extent to which ESTA

has increasingly influenced teacher education over the

past two years. Most progress is in the field of pre-service

and inservice science education, though some forward

steps have been taken in the geographical field. Much of

the credit for this in the science field is due to the hard

work and leadership of Chris King and Peter Kennett of

the Earth Science Education Unit at Keele University.

This unit is generously funded by the United Kingdom

Offshore Operators Association (UKOOA), under the

dedicated overall control of Annette Thomas. The suc-

cess of the first year’s operation has led to the extending

of the remit and the recruitment of additional tutors not

only in England but in Wales and Scotland where, in the

last case and perversely, earth science features only in the

geography curriculum. The statistics to date for 2002-3

tell the story (final figures for 2001-2 in parentheses): 49

sessions (75); teachers attending sessions 329 (543);

PGCE students attending at six centres 117 (474); pupils

affected 71,913 (75,000). Evaluation reports on the ses-

sions show high scores for interest, relevance, effective-

ness and value to the participants.

Chris King and his ESTA associates incorporated all

these initiatives in a series of presentations and displays

at the ASE conference at Birmingham University in

January 2003. Chris continues to represent ESTA with

respect to ASE’s affairs.

It is pleasing to report that some progress has been

made, thanks to the efforts of the Chairman Geraint

Owen and the Editor Roger Trend, in addressing the

problems associated with weaknesses in the teaching and

examining of earth-science topics which are embedded

22


www.esta-uk.org

in the National Geography curriculum. The need for

funding comparable with that offered by UKOOA is a

likely stumbling block. ESTA, in the form of Dr Dave

Williams, John Reynolds, Nikki Whitburn and myself,

mounted its usual stand, and offered advice and the sale

of curriculum materials at the Geographical Associa-

tion’s conference at the University of Derby at Easter.

Under the banner of the Joint Earth Science Initia-

tive of the Royal Society, Chris King, Peter Kennett and

lan Thomas (as the recent ESTA chairman), have

worked on committees and presided over writing con-

ferences of earth-science curriculum materials by

members of the Institutes of Biology and Physics and

the Royal Society of Chemistry. A website was

launched at ASE Birmingham together with demon-

strations of activities. Further materials will be intro-

duced at the ASE Reading in January 2004.

A major effort has been made during the year to ascer-

tain which schools and colleges are still teaching Geolo-

gy at GCSE and A and A/S levels. The Welsh Board

serves 64 centres preparing 872 candidates for GCSE. In

the last two years, the same board has dealt with 160

schools and-colleges preparing candidates for A and A/S

level, whilst the OCR board has served 170 such centres.

Such lists are being used to help Blackwells Publishing to

know where to send copies of Geology Today which are

currently, and very generously, sponsored by Shell

Exploration and Production company.

The Primary Group continues to offer first-class

INSET sessions at the ASE and other conferences.

Duncan Hawley kindly continues to attend to mat-

ters pertaining to the Teacher Training Authority. Chris

King and Nikki Whitburn look after ESTA’s interests at

the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority. John

Reynolds, as acting secretary of the national RIGS

council, continues to press the interests of teachers and

education generally in the use of RIGS sites.

Alas, little progress has been made in extending

ESTA’s interests amongst teachers in higher education,

museum officers, adult education tutors and examina-

tion-board personnel (examiners, assessors, revisers

and subject officers). The writer hopes to live to see the

day when these persons flock to join, or rejoin. ESTA

and contribute fully to its affairs. Connections still need

to be re-established with senior HMI-OFSTED and

more members of the Geological Society. The group

continues to offer moral support of ESTA to Chris King

as chairman of the International Geoscience Education

Organisation (IGEO) and to those who will fly ESTA’s

flag in their contributions in Calgary this summer.

Finally, thanks are offered to the many, un-named

here, who have helped to further the work of teacher

education related to the earth sciences in the past year.

D. B. Thompson

ESTA Teaching Education Group

August 2003

CONFERENCE LIAISON REPORT 2002-2003

2003ESTA is extremely grateful to the Department of Earth

Sciences at Manchester University, and to the Man-

chester Museum for hosting this year’s Conference. Dr

Paul Selden has borne the brunt of the responsibility,

aided by a very effective committee. Thanks to all con-

cerned for a varied and stimulating programme.

2004A straw poll at and after the 2002 Conference showed

that the majority of respondents would look forward to

a Conference in Scotland (no doubt tempted by the

prospect of superb field sites and other attractions!). We

have, accordingly arranged to hold the Conference in

Edinburgh, from Friday 17th to 19th September 2004.

It will be based at Heriot-Watt University, which offers

an excellent standard of accommodation, with other

sites being used for some of the meetings, and, of

course, fieldwork. Planning is in the early stages at pre-

sent, but will pick up speed after our Manchester Con-

ference. The Scots will be represented at Manchester,

so do try to find the appropriate person and discuss

what you would like to see included at Edinburgh. And,

above all, book the dates, and start talking to your senior

management about grant-aid for you to go.

2005We are very pleased to have received an invitation to

Derby University for 2005. The last time ESTA was in

Derby was in 1978! Dates are still being arranged.

Future venuesCouncil is always glad to receive suggestions, especially

if they are backed up by offers of help! We have received

an offer out of the blue, from the Environmental Sci-

ences Department at Liverpool John Moore’s Univer-

sity in 2008, to mark the city’s bid for the Capital of

Culture (or something!). Any views?

ESTA Conference LiaisonSubject to approval at the AGM at Manchester, James

Speed has been asked by Council if he will take over

from me as ESTA’s Conference Liaison Officer. I

regarded myself as a “caretaker” Officer anyway.

Thanks to my predecessor, Niki Whitburn, the Confer-

ence File is in good order, and has been enhanced by

electronic templates of all the pro-formas etc. which are

passed on after each conference, to save the next host

having to reinvent the wheel.

Peter Kennett

Conference Liaison Officer

August 2003


23 www.esta-uk.org

The structure of Council is currently under review, and

this process may result in a redefinition of roles and some

streamlining. Such changes would involve changes to the

Rules of the Association and the approval of the mem-

bership at an Extraordinary General Meeting.

It is Council’s intention to discuss these matters over

the coming months and to generate proposals for the

membership to consider in advance of the 37th Annual

Course and Conference, which is to be held in Edin-

burgh on 17th - 19th September 2004.

In the meantime, elections to Council were made at

the AGM on 13th September, 2003, complementing

those already in post. The appointment of President

(2003-2005) is still to be confirmed. Martin Whiteley

ESTA Council

Chair . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Geraint Owen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2002-2004

Chair Designate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .*Martin Whiteley . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2003-2004

Secretary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .*Susan Beale . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2003-2006

Treasurer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .*Maggie Williams . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2003-2006

Membership Secretary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Owain Thomas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2001-2004

Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .*Cally Oldershaw . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2003-2006

Advertising Officer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .*Ian Ray . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2003-2006

Conference Liaison . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .*James Speed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2003-2006

Promotions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Dave Williams . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2002-2005

Primary Committee Convenor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .John Reynolds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Co-opted 1997

Primary Committee Convenor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Niki Whitburn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2001-2004

ASE Liaison/Secondary Committee Convenor . . . .Chris King . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2002-2005

Teacher Education Committee . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .David Thompson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Co-opted 1993

Fieldwork Committee Convenor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Andy Britnell . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2002-2005

(*) Elected to Council 13th September 2003.

Award of Honorary Life Membership of ESTA to Cathie Brooks

At the 36th Annual General Meeting of the Earth Science

Teachers’ Association, held at the University of Manchester

on Saturday 13th September 2003, Honorary Life Member-

ship of the Association was awarded to Cathie Brooks, in

recognition of her positive and significant contributions to the

teaching of geology and Earth science in Wales and England

through the Welsh Joint Education Committee (WJEC).

It is largely thanks to Cathie’s efforts that the WJEC is the

only remaining examination board to offer GCSE Geology

and one of only two boards to offer A/AS level Geology.

Cathie developed for the WJEC a welcoming, friendly and

supportive environment and attitude towards Earth science

and Earth science teachers which remains today, and ESTA

recognised and wished to reward this contribution towards

Earth science education with the award of Honorary Life

Membership. This award was unanimously approved by

those present at the meeting. Cathie joins David Thompson,

Chris King, Anabel Curry, Peter Kennett and John Reynolds

as Honorary Life Members of ESTA.

Geraint Owen

ESTA Chair

24


www.esta-uk.org

Dr Ian Lancaster

Warrington, Cheshire

Mrs Helen Reynolds

Ceriton Bishop, Exeter

Mr David Owen

Brockworth

Mr Jonathan Smith

Christchurch, Dorset

Mr Nigel Larkin

Norfolk

Mr Jerry Milward

Holbrooks, Coventry

Mr J Kett

Ivybridge, Devon

Mr Andrew Petherick

Liskeard, Cornwall

Ms G Goodall

East Dereham, Norfolk

Mr Bryn Lloyd

Southampton

Miss Georgina Edwards

Cheltenham

Mr Alan Holiday

Weymouth

Mr John Twidle

Loughborough

Dr Ian Selmes

Rutland

Ms Emma Lent

Birmingham

Mr Andrew Noad

Trowbridge, Wiltshire

Mr Peter Wyn Davies

Sarum, Winchester

Miss Jen Noble

Chelmsford, Essex

Mr Keith Wallace

Alkhobar

Mr Will Walton

London

Mr Peter Basher

Swansea

Dr Bernard Besly

Keele, Newcastle Under Lyme

Dr David Casey

Wargrave, Berkshire

Mrs Elizabeth Devon

Corsham, Surrey

Dr Stephen Edwards

Maidstone, Kent

Mr Ivan Finney

Nottingham

Mrs Tonia Robertson-Rogers

Balsall Common, West Midlands

Dr Phillipa Towler

Cholsey, Oxfordshire

Mr Peter Watts

Norwich

Ms Royanne Wilding

Skipton, North Yorkshire

Dr Margaret Wood

Anglesey

Dr Rosalind White

Leicester

Ms Bethia Thomas

Oxford

Angela Dickson

Bath, Somerset

Ms Jane Hampton

Totnes, Devon

Ms Celia Maley

Trowbridge, Wiltshire

New ESTA Members


25 www.esta-uk.org

News and Views

Scare stories or accurate reporting?

Want to help with a TV series?

‘Hot Rocks’ is a six-part series on the history of geology and the Mediterranean and

how it relates to and effects our life today. Each programme will be 60 minutes long

and will be made for the Science department of the BBC – probably transmitting on

BBC2 and is due to be shown in January 2005.

Work on the first programme for the series has already begun. It is to do with

geology and architecture (or ‘building stones’). The team then hope to make the other

programmes in the series – geology and food (including drought and famine), geology

and art, geology and health, geology and culture and geology and the sea and the sun

(the relationship between water and civilisations). All will have the Mediterranean (in

the broadest sense) as their focal point, but can include information from elsewhere in

the world, including the UK. Kat Blair, the Assistant Producer, would like to talk to

UK geologists who specialise in these particular areas and have specific knowledge of

how these relate to the Mediterranean, both now and in the past.

Filming for the first programme is due to start just before Christmas, but in the meantime

if you have any ideas about places to visit, people to contact or posssible content do get in

touch with Kat. Her email address is [email protected]. If you want to get involved, get

in touch now. Ed.

Gilbert’s Pit, Greenwich and its potential for educationalexcursions and fieldwork

Nick Pond writes: I am a Wildspace Officer for Greenwich Council. I am writing

in the hope that you can provide me with some direction and advise as I am

researching the possibility of organising and promoting the use of Gilbert’s Pit for

educational excursions and fieldwork as part of my remit to promote and raise the

profile of Local Nature Reserves. Gilbert’s Pit is a 5.82 hectare site adjacent to

Maryon Park. The greater part of the park is important geologically. It contains

the finest exposure of the Lower Tertiary Beds in Great Britain and is the type

international reference locality for the Woolwich Beds. I know that the resource

has been widely studied and used in the past but this seems to have dwindled in

recent times. If you could provide me with any information or possible contacts

in this respect I would be extremely grateful.

Nick Pond (Ecological Liaison Officer-Lewisham & Greenwich)

Creekside Education Centre, 14 Creekside, Deptford SE8 4SA

Tel: 0208 6919742

Do you live or teach in the area? Want to get involved? Get in touch with Nick.

Ed.

Maybe global cooling

caused the “Biological Big

Bang” of the Cambrian

An online article on Nature’s

science update (Plants detonated

Cambrian explosion by John

Whitfield, 1 October 2003) suggests

that global cooling may have

allowed complex animals to flourish

and that the first land plants might

have triggered a rush of animal

evolution. Werner von Bloh of the

Potsdam Institute for Climate

Research explained the way in

which living things can influence

the global environment. In this case

he says “During the evolution of the

Earth there was a decrease in

temperature, and higher life forms

have lower temperature limits”.

The Cambrian explosion is

referred to a “the Biological Big

Bang”. It took place 540 million

years ago. It was then that most

modern animal groups appear in the

fossil record. There is still great

debate as to whether cooling can

lead to greater evolution and

whether in contrast excessive

warmth has held back evolution.

If this is the case then could global

warming slow future evolution?

There have been a number of scare

stories in the press recently about

asteroids that might hit the Earth, and

the damage that they might do. The scale

that has been used in the press is The

Torino Scale. It was developed in 1999 by

Rick Binzel of the Massachusetts

Institute of Technology and is used to

inform the public about potential

impacts. The Torino Scale goes from

zero (0) to ten (10). The potential threat

is based on its speed, size and probability

of impact. The asteroids mentioned in

the press, including QQ47 and QQ104,

have hazard ratings of only one (1), so

why all the concern?

Maybe it is just that the increase in

systematic searches for near-Earth

asteroids has meant that more potentially

dangerous asteroids are recognised and

more are made public than ever before.

Also with the recent box office hits of

films like “Asteroid” and “Impact”, there

is a raised public awareness of the

catastrophic results that could be caused

by an impact. So is all the press coverage

helping the astronomers to inform the

public of asteroid sightings and their

potential or just creating anxiety?

26


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Qualified teachers in maths and science

are in decline, according to a survey

published recently by the Department

for Education and Skills.

The government’s Secondary Schools

Curriculum and Staffing Survey, the first

to be conducted for seven years, found

that more than 800,000 secondary school

pupils are being taught maths up to

GCSE standard by teachers who do not

have an A Level in the subject. Among

those teaching secondary school science,

13 per cent did not pass an A Level in the

subject.

Unqualified failure

“It is shocking that tens of thousands of

secondary-school pupils are being taught

by teachers who are not qualified in the

subject they are teaching. This finding, in

a Government report published today, is

particularly bad news for pupils of maths,

science and modern languages, which are

the subjects worst affected. The root

cause, of course, is the failure to recruit

enough trainee teachers in these subjects.

There is a real need for the maths and

science curricula to be examined to

ensure that as many young people as

possible take these subjects and enjoy

them through school and university.

Professor Adrian Smith is doing the job

with his maths inquiry. What is

happening with science?”

Ref: The Independent, 25 September 2003

What the teachers say:

Dr Mary Bousted, general secretary of

the Association of Teachers and Lecturers

(ATL), said: “Research shows us that

good subject knowledge underpins

effective teaching. We must be concerned

about the number of teachers particularly

in the areas of maths, science and

modern foreign languages who do not

have a degree qualification in these

subjects”. However, shortage of teachers

in these subjects is not a new story. “The

government needs to support these

teachers through effective continuing

professional development to ensure that

teachers feel confident in their subject

knowledge and their ability to adopt

effective teaching strategies.”

General Secretary of the Professional

Association of Teachers (PAT) Jean

Gemmell said that the problems in

recruiting and retaining teachers make it

difficult for many schools to retain

sufficient numbers of specialist teachers.

She also noted that “the report may not

convey the numbers of teachers who

might not have a degree in the subject

they teach but do have relevant

qualifications, for example those with

Physics degrees teaching Maths or

language or humanities teachers teaching

subjects they studied as supplementary

subjects at university or for part of their

degree course.”

What do you think? Ed

Secondary Schools Curriculum and Staffing Survey

Science Writer Ron Redfern Receives Award for Outstanding

Contribution to Public Understanding of the Geosciences

The American Geological Institute (AGI) has named

popular science writer, photographer, and filmmaker Ron

Redfern as the 2003 recipient of its prestigious Award for

Outstanding Contribution to Public Understanding of

the Geosciences.

“Through his books and related television productions,

Ron Redfern has popularized and revealed the story of

Earth’s evolution to millions of people,” said Marcus E.

Milling, AGI Executive Director. “AGI is proud to

recognize him for these very significant

accomplishments.”

Ron Redfern’s first book, the highly acclaimed

Corridors of Time, was published in 1980 and provides an

overview of the Grand Canyon and the Colorado Plateau.

In his second book, The Making of a Continent, Redfern

uses clear language accompanied by spectacular

photographs to introduce the reader to the geological

processes that form the natural physical features of North

America and how these features affected human activity

over the centuries. This book was the basis for a six-part

PBS/BBC Peabody Award-winning television series of the

same name. In his most recent book, Origins: The

Evolution of Continents. Oceans and Life, Redfern draws

upon recent discoveries in Earth system science to present

the known causes and consequences of global change

over the past 700 million years.


27 www.esta-uk.org

On the 16th October 2003, the Department for Education and

Skills (DfES) and the Wellcome Trust announced the seven

organisations that have been appointed to run the first Science

Learning Centres. The £51 million government-charity initiative

will create a National Network of Science Learning Centres

(NNSLC) to deliver high-quality continuing professional

development (CPD) to science teachers and technicians.

The Wellcome Trust is providing £25 million to fund the

National Science Learning Centre for up to ten years, and the

DfES £26 million for the regional Science Learning Centres for

five years. The investment from DfES and the Wellcome Trust

will support the creation of the national network of Science

Learning Centres and contribute to the running costs of the

centres on an annually decreasing basis at the end of which all

centres will be expected to be self-sufficient.

The Science Learning Centres network will consist of up to

nine regional centres which will open in October 2004 and one

national centre, based in York, due to open in autumn 2005. Six

of regional consortia have been announced (see below). The

remaining three, to run centres in the West Midlands, North

East and South West will be announced in January 2004.

All the centres will:

● offer teachers access to newly furbished laboratories and

advanced ICT equipment;

● provide innovative courses covering traditional science and the

wider ethical issues of science in society, cutting-edge scientific

research and developments across business and industry;

● reinvigorate teaching skills, boost science literacy and

understanding of its impact on society among pupils.

Alan Johnson MP, Minister for Lifelong Learning, Further and

Higher Education, said: “Science education in the UK ranks

among the finest in the world, but the speed of scientific

development means that if we are to retain this position, all

science teachers need to be familiar with contemporary ways to

inspire their students both as citizens and scientists of the

future. Through our close partnership with the Wellcome Trust,

we feel that the Science Learning Centres will provide a catalyst

to bring together educators, scientists and industry to offer

teachers innovative thinking and advanced resources –

benefiting science education and society.”

Dr Mark Walport, Director of the Wellcome Trust, said:

“Today’s young people are tomorrow’s scientists. We run the risk

of the UK’s scientific talent drying up unless we inspire them now

and give them the confidence to understand, debate and question

issues that may emerge in the future. Schools have an essential

contribution to make. We are delighted that, in partnership with

the DfES, we are creating a network that will provide teachers and

other educators access to the resources and expertise to get to grips

with the complexities of contemporary science.”

The National Science Learning Centre will be based in York.

The centre leaders are:● The White Rose University Consortium, comprising the

Universities of Leeds, Sheffield, York and Sheffield Hallam

The six appointed centre leaders for the Regional Science

Centres are:

● Science Learning Centre London: The Institute of Education

in partnership with the Science Museum, Birkbeck College

and University College London

● Science Learning Centre Eastern: The University of

Hertfordshire in partnership with the Association for Science

Education (ASE), Hertfordshire LEA, Bio-Rad Laboratories

and SETPOINT Hertfordshire

● Science Learning Centre South East: The University of

Southampton

● Science Learning Centre East Midlands: The University of

Leicester in partnership with the University of Nottingham and

Bishop Grosseteste College

● Science Learning Centre Yorkshire & Humberside: The

White Rose University Consortium, comprising Sheffield

Hallam University, University of Leeds, University of York

and University of Sheffield

● Science Learning Centre North West: Manchester

Metropolitan University in partnership with St Martin’s

College Lancaster and SETPOINT Greater Manchester

Sir Gareth Roberts has accepted the position of Chair of the

Science Learning Centres Coordinating Group. Sir Gareth

Roberts said: “I am delighted to have been asked to be the

independent Chair of the Coordinating Group for the national

network of Science Learning Centres. I welcome the

Government’s commitment to improving science teachers’ access

to high quality and relevant continuing professional

development. I believe that this initiative, taken together with the

acceptance of other recommendations in my review, SET for

Success, will have a significant beneficial effect on their teaching

and will also act to improve retention.”

There is a single website serving the entire network at

www.sciencelearningcentres.org.uk. From spring 2004 the site

will provide access to: course information, a booking system,

online CPD and access to CPD resources. The site will be

managed at the National Centre. Currently the site provides

information on the Science Learning Centres and a registration

facility for people wanting to be kept informed of

developments. The Wellcome Trust website is

www.wellcome.ac.uk

From DfES Press Information 16th October 2003

Do you have any news or views? Contact the TES editor at

[email protected]

Science Learning Centres

News and Views

28


www.esta-uk.org

The ESEF(EW) was established as a result of the recognition

that Earth science education lacks a central body working on

behalf of all relevant groups interested in promoting Earth

science education in England and Wales. The aim of the

Forum is to promote Earth science in education and to bring

together all relevant organisations, institutes and individuals

in pursuit of this.

Some very good initiatives already exist and the Forum

does not intend to cut across any of their work, but to

enhance their recognition and worth – working with them to

facilitate communication for example by providing a focal

point and database.

The Forum is inclusive and all relevant groups are encouraged

to join including:

● Primary, secondary, further education (FE) and higher

education (HE) teachers and lecturers.

● Amateurs with an interest and students in professional or

vocational training

● Industrial and trade partners

Organisations that have indicated their support include:

● British Geological Survey

● Earth Science Teachers’ Association

● Earth Science Education Unit (funded by UKOOA)

● The Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining

● The Geological Society of London

● The Association for Science Education

● The Committee of Heads of University Geoscience

Departments (CHUGD) .

● The Geologists’ Association

● The Geographical Association

● Royal Geographical Society (with the Institute of British

Geographers)

● Workers’ Educational Association (WEA)

● Learning and Teaching Support Centre (LTSN) Nation

Subject Centre for

● Geography, Earth and Environmental Science (Plymouth)

● UK RIGS (The Association of UK Regionally Important

Geological and

● Geomorphological Sites Groups)

The ESEF(EW) Steering Committee is now well established

with regular meetings once a term. Initial funding has been

found and the new premises will be announced shortly.

The Earth Science Education Forum

for England and Wales (ESEF(EW))

News and Views

Take GCSE exams at 15 and help to cut the drop-out rate

Youngsters should take GCSE exams a

year earlier and spend three years in the

sixth form, an influential group of

senior headteachers suggest in a set of

radical proposals presented to the

government in September. They

believe that Key Stage 3, which covers

the early years of secondary school,

should be condensed into two years,

allowing pupils to complete their

GCSEs by the age of 15 before

embarking on a longer sixth form

programme of study.

The proposals come from the

Leadership Network, a group of

headteachers set up under the

umbrella of the government’s

National College for School

Leadership, Nottingham, as a solution

to the problem of high drop-out rates

after the age of 16. They are the first

formal policy ideas from the 250 state

primary and secondary school heads

who were nominated to the network

by local education authorities (LEAs)

in England and asked by the

government to find radical ideas to

improve teaching and learning.

The network will also urge the

government to move faster towards

online testing and greater use of

technology for more effective teaching

and learning. It also wants the

government to consider letting Ofsted

inspections and league tables give

official recognition to schools which

demonstrate innovation, risk-taking

and collaboration.

Their other proposals include

relaxing curriculum requirements in

top-performing primary schools and

giving their headteachers more

freedom to determine the best way

forward for the school, and extending

the specialist schools programme to the

primary sector.

The core proposal for a three-year

sixth form is unlikely to get universal

support from secondary headteachers.

John Dunford, general secretary of the

Secondary Heads Association, said: “We

are opposed to this, because it will lead

to children starting to specialise at 13.

We are still in favour of having a core

curriculum until 14, but for the vast

majority of youngsters this would be

inappropriate.”

From an article by Rebecca

Smithers, education correspondent,

The Guardian

So, no need to worry then. Ed


29 www.esta-uk.org

ESTA DiaryOCTOBER 2003

Tuesday 21st October

The Younger Geoscientists presentations

Geological Society South West Regional Group

Plymouth

Contact: [email protected]

Saturday 25th – Sunday 26th October

Hatfield House Rock ‘n’ Gem Show

Hatfield, Herts

Tel: 01628 621697

NOVEMBER 2003

Saturday 1st – Sunday 2nd November

Kempton Park Racecourse Rock’n’ Gem Show

Sunbury, Middlesex

Tel: 01628 621697

Monday 3rd November

Staffordshire RIGS Group

Staffordshire Wildlife Trusts offices, Stafford

Contact: Laura Cox

Tel: 01889 880100

Tuesday 4th November, 7pm

‘Geology in Secondary School Education’

Talk and demonstrations by Philippa Trowler, one of

the part-time regional facilitators with the ESEU

(Earth Science Education Unit, University of Keele)

Geological Society Thames Valley Regional Group,

University of Reading


Wednesday 5th November, 10.00 - 5.15pm

Geological Society of London Careers Day

British Geological Survey, Keyworth, Notts


Tel: 020 7434 9944

Saturday 8th November, 12.00 - 4.30pm

Geologists’ Association Annual Reunion

University College London

Gower Street, London

Tel: 0207 434 9298

Tuesday 11th November, 6.30pm

‘The Bath Stone Mines’

Illustrated talk

Geological Society West Midlands Regional Group

University of Wolverhampton


Thursday 13th November

‘The Mineralogy of Wales – insights into a diverse

treasure’ illustrated talk by Dr Richard Bevins

(National Museum of Wales) North Staffordshire

Group Geologists’ Association meeting

School of Earth Sciences and Geography,

Keele University

Contact: Dorothy White (NSGGA Secretary)

Tel: 01782 721576

NOVEMBER 2003

Saturday 15th November, 10.00 - 4.30pm

Sussex Mineral Show.

Sales, Displays and illustrated talks

Clair Hall, Perrymount Road, Haywards Heath

Contact: Sussex Mineral & Lapidary Society

Tel: 01444 233958

Saturday 22 – Sunday 23rd November,

10.00 - 5.00pm

Rock ‘n’ Gem Show

Uttoxeter Racecourse, Uttoxeter

Tel: 01628 621697

Thursday 27th November, 7.30pm

North Staffordshire Group Geologists’

Association meeting

School of Earth Sciences and Geography,

Keele University

Contact: Dorothy Wright (NSGGA Secretary)

Tel: 01782 721576

JANUARY 2004

Thursday 8th – Saturday 10th January

ASE (The Association for Science Education) Annual

Conference

Reading University


Tel: 01707 283000

17th January

Fossil Roadshow in the Greenhouse

The Royal Museum and Art Gallery

High Street, Canterbury

Tel: 01227 452747

www.canterbury-museums.co.uk

APRIL 2004

5th – 7th April

Geographical Association Conference

Canterbury


www.geography.org.uk

SEPTEMBER 2004

6th – 10th September

The BA Festival of Science 2004

University of Exeter

17th – 19th September

ESTA Annual Conference

Heriot Watt University

Edinburgh


Tel: 0131 6516410

World

Development

A Level (WJEC)There is a new AS course which

looks at global issues such as

poverty, the environment, aid,

human rights and trade. There is

scope for a great deal of Earth

Science content. The first

module is “Development,

People and the Environment”.

Studies include a research study

on an issue of their choice

relating to the first module. It is

mostly available in colleges, but

a few schools are taking it up.

Has your school done so? How

is it going?

For futher information

www.education.independent.co.uk

/schools/azalevels/story.jsp?story

=406409 and WJEC

30


www.esta-uk.org

Reviews

The Dorset and East Devon Coast is one

of only 149 natural World Heritage sites

which puts it in the same league as the

Grand Canyon, the Great Barrier Reef

and the Giants Causeway. This book is

excellent value with 64 full colour pages

and a pull out geographical map showing

the extent of the World Heritage coast in

Dorset and Devon. It is a well written and

informative book with superb, well

chosen photographs. The book has been

edited by Professor Denys Brunsden with

60 scientists having contributed to the

original submission to gain World

Heritage status on which this book is

based. It starts with a general account of

the geological periods from the Triassic to

the Cretaceous with a double page spread

for each period giving palaeogeography

and fossil information with excellent maps

and photographs. The geomorphology of

the coast is dealt with rather briefly as is

the history of geology in Dorset.

The bulk of the book is described as

“A walk through time” – 185 million

years worth, starting in the east at

Exmouth where the Triassic rocks

outcrop. Each double page is centred on

one area such as Sidmouth with

photographs and a brief description of

the geology which whets the appetite for

more! Moving west into the Jurassic part

of the coastline the Lyme Regis and

Charmouth pages focus on the famous

fossil discoveries while West Bay and

Chesil Beach highlight the

geomorphology. Still going west we reach

Lulworth Cove with explanatory

diagrams to explain the origin of the cove

and brilliant aerial shots of the coastline.

The Kimmeridge and Purbeck pages

include detail on oil extraction and

quarrying activity. The eastern end of the

Heritage coast is in the Cretaceous Chalk

at Old Harry rocks where the headland

extends into stacks and arches.

The biggest negative is the lack of a

geological map which I think is an

opportunity missed to show how the text

matches to the places shown on the

photographs. Even a simplified map

showing the periods would have helped

to put the geology in context. Specific

geological information on localities is

available from a number of field guides.

This book is written for the general

public and copies are on sale in tourist

information offices and local shops - and

selling very well. I think it is also ideal to

try to give students an overview of the

whole area. Although I teach geology in

Dorset I find that students have no real

understanding of why the coastline is

special and no knowledge of how the

coast is controlled by the geology. This

book will be a very useful addition for

background research so I have purchased

copies for school but its also great for

people who come to see part of this

beautiful coastline.

F Stratton

Corfe Hills School, Dorset

The Official Guide to the Jurassic Coast

Edit. Denys Brunsden. Coastal Publishing, The Studio, Puddletown Road, Wareham, Dorset BH20 6AE, 2003.

64pp. ISBN 0-9544845-0-9. £4.99 or from www.jurassiccoast.com for £7.00 including p&p.

A new field guide has just been

published and this gives the sort of

detail needed when organising geology

fieldwork. There are 208 pages of black

and white maps, photographs, cross

sections and detailed information on the

rocks and fossils. All the 28 excursions

have been written by local geologists

and while many are on the World

Heritage Coastline others are inland to

locations that are not commonly visited

or to the Tertiary coastline further east

in Dorset. There are some excursions

that focus on the landforms as well as

the geology so there is much material

for geography fieldwork as well. This is

the sort of book that saves hours of

preparation time if you are intending to

take students to this area.

F Stratton

Corfe Hills School, Dorset

Coast and Country Geology Walks in and around Dorset

Dorset Geologists Association Group( www.dorsetgeologistsassociation.com), 2003.

ISBN 0-9544354-0-0 £7.95+£1.50 p&p


31 www.esta-uk.org

Peter Carr was born in 1925, and began his working career

at High Duty Alloys in Slough. While working he stud-

ied part-time at Chelsea Polytechnic for a geology degree

(with subsidiary maths) which he obtained around 1950. He

joined the staff of what eventually became Herschel School,

Slough, a technical high school, and remained there for the rest

of his career. Initially he taught both subjects to A-level, but with

only a small number of A-level geology students and an increas-

ing shortage of qualified maths teachers, the school eventually

decided that he was better(?) employed as a full-time mathe-

matician. His brother Alan thinks he understood their logic in

this, even if he was reluctant to agree with it.

Peter himself struggled to do a research project on the Lizard

in Cornwall, and was anxious that others might be funded in

such a project to enable a successful outcome without undue

financial difficulties. He died in February 1996.

Aim of the award

The aim of the award is to help to fund a practising school-

teacher wishing to undertake geological research, or to enable

such a person to complete research already begun.

‘Geological research’ is here interpreted in a wide sense, to

include research into:

● an aspect of the geology of an area, particularly one local to

the teacher’s school

● geological and Earth science education at all levels

● the role of conservation in geology and Earth science

● improving the use of geological collections in education

● improving the public understanding of geology and

Earth science

● the use of Information Technology in any of the above

Finance

The legacy of £3000 has been invested to produce an income.

This income will be used to fund an award every THREE years.

It is anticipated that the award will usually be of the order of

£500, but this cannot be guaranteed.

Procedure for making the award

ESTA Council will delegate responsibility for administering the

award to a sub-committee which must include at least one from

the Chairman, Secretary or Treasurer of the Association.

Notice of the award will be publicised by the sub-committee

in Teaching Earth Sciences (or its successor journals) and by

other appropriate methods as decided by the sub-committee to

try to maximise the number of potential applicants. A deadline

for the receipt of applications will be set.

The sub-committee, with the approval of ESTA Council,

may suggest a specific area of geological research for which the

award might be made on a particular occasion. This discretion is

intended to allow the sub-committee to encourage research that

may be of particular value to geological education at a given time.

Applicants will be required to supply sufficient personal

details of their qualifications and experience, including previ-

ous research if any, at least two referees who can attest to their

suitability to undertake research and receive the award, and an

outline of the research proposal in such format as the sub-

committee may from time to time determine. Applicants will

also be required to outline how the award will be used to

enable the research to proceed. The sub-committee will scru-

tinise and evaluate the applications, and may ask to interview

applicants if it is felt to be necessary. The sub-committee’s

decision will be ratified by Council, and that decision will

then be final.

Wherever possible, the selection procedure will be timed to

enable an announcement and presentation of the award at the

Annual Conference of the Association, usually held in September.

No serving member of ESTA Council will be eligible for the

award, although an award-holder may later be elected or co-

opted to Council without prejudice.

Expectations of the award-holder

The award-holder will be expected to...1. undertake and complete the planned research project within

an agreed timescale, in general before the next award is due to

be made (normally three years).

2. keep the sub-committee informed of the progress of the

research by means of a brief annual report in a form specified

by the sub-committee.

3. inform the sub-committee without delay if a change in cir-

cumstances may lead to a delay in completing the research

project within the agreed timescale, or to abandonment of the

project.

4. return such part of the monies awarded as the sub-committee

may determine to be reasonable should he or she fail to com-

plete the research project within the agreed timescale, or

within such extended timescale as the sub-committee may

grant at their complete discretion.

5. publish his or her work as a paper in Teaching Earth Sciences,

and present his or her work to members as a talk at an Annu-

al Conference of the Association.

Further details and application forms can be obtainedfrom Susan Beale, ESTA Secretary, Email: [email protected]

Cash For Research: The P. T. Carr Award

(last call for applications)In 1996 the late Peter Towsley Carr left a bequest of £3,000 to create an award to be administered by the Earth

Science Teachers Association (ESTA). The purpose was to fund geological research by practising schoolteachers.

32www.esta-uk.org

WANTED EVEN MORE DYNAMIC EARTH SCIENTISTS

‘Teaching the Dynamic Earth’ workshop facilitators

The Earth Science Education Unit is expanding its coverage to additional regions within England andWales not well served at present, and so is seeking more individuals to lead and facilitate Earth scienceworkshops with secondary science teachers at schools and other venues. We are looking for individualswith a passion for Earth Science and excellent communication skills who are capable of extending andbuilding on the success of the current project. Commitment and enthusiasm are more important thancurrent occupation and there are opportunities for people ranging from practising teachers togeoscientists in industry.

A successful workshop format has been developed by the Unit, which uses a range of practicalactivities. These provide background knowledge but also motivate, enthuse and develop theunderstanding of science teachers who, whilst they are required to teach Earth science, have oftenreceived limited Earth science education themselves.

Applications available from: Bernadette Callan, Administrator, Earth Science Education Unit, Education Department, Keele University, Staffordshire ST5 5BG. Tel: 01782 584437 Fax: 01782 584438 Email: [email protected]

Closing date for applications: 28 November 2003Interviews to be held early December 2003/January 2004All expressions of interest from all regions of the United Kingdom welcome

Facilitators will:

● live in or near Wales (Welsh speaker wouldbe advantageous) and the following regionsof England: South West, South, North Eastand North West;

● be available to present up to ten workshopsper year in their local area on a session bysession basis (where applicable, employerswill be required to sign a letter of release toconfirm ad hoc absences - supply cover canbe paid);

● be a full-time or part-time teacher or anEarth-scientist from industry; on a careerbreak or a recent retiree from one of these;

● have studied Geology/Earth science atdegree level;

● be an effective communicator and motivator;

● be willing to update his/her knowledge ofEarth science, of science teaching and ofeffective ways of educating teachers andpupils;

● be willing to undertake training;

● liaise regularly with ESEU staff;

● preferably have access to email;

● be appointed from late 2003 or early 2004;

● receive remuneration and expenses asagreed.

For further details visitwww.earthscienceeducation.com

33 www.esta-uk.org

ADVERTISING IN “TEACHING EARTH SCIENCES”THE JOURNAL OF THE EARTH SCIENCE

TEACHERS’ ASSOCIATION

The journal has a circulation of

approximately 800 (and rising) and its

readership consists of dedicated Earth

science teachers in:-

● Primary schools

● Secondary schools

● Departments of Earth sciences,

geography and geology in colleges

and universities.

Teaching Earth Sciences is the only UK journal that

specialises in the teaching of Earth Sciences. It is published quarterly.

Advertising in the journal is offered at competitive rates as follows.

1. PAGE ADVERTISING

1 ISSUE 2 ISSUES 3 ISSUES 4 ISSUES

Full A4 Page £120 £200 £275 £340

Half page £75 £140 £180 £210

Quarter page £60 £110 £150 £180

Eighth page £45 £80 £110 £130

The price to include type setting if necessary

2. INSERTS

These are charged at £100 per issue for sheets up to A4 size. For inserts more than

A4 please contact the Advertising Officer (see p3 for details). Upon confirmation,

please send inserts to:-

Character Design, Highridge, Wrigglebrook Lane, Kingsthorne, Hereford HR2 8AW

3. ESTA SMALL ADS

Rates are 20p. per word with a minimum of £5. Adverts should be sent with

payment to the Advertising Officer. Cheques should be made payable to the

EARTH SCIENCE TEACHERS’ ASSOCIATION.

REQUESTS TO ADVERTISE

Your request for advertising space should be sent to the Advertising Officer at theaddress on p3. Your request should indicate the volume(s) and issues in which youwish to advertise. (The next available issue is volume 28/3/4 – spring 2004) You should include your advertisement copy (or copy of insert) and state anyadditional requirements.An invoice and voucher copy will be sent to you upon publication.

Journal of the EARTH SCIENCE TEACHERS’ ASSOCIATIONVolume 26 ● Number 4, 2001 ● ISSN 0957-8005

Your PresidentIntroduced Martin Whiteley

Thinking Geology:Activities to DevelopThinking Skills inGeology Teaching

Recovering theLeaning Tower of PisaEarth ScienceActivities andDemonstrations:Earthquakes

Response to theHouse of CommonsScience and

Technology Committeeinquiry into theScience Curriculum for14 - 19 year olds

Setting up a localgroup - West WalesGeology Teachers’Network

Highlights from thepost-16 ‘bring andshare’ session at theESTA Conference,Kingston 2001

ESTA Conferenceupdate

Book Reviews

Websearch

News and Resources

arth Scienceacharth Scienceachwww.esta-uk.org

teachingEARTH

SCIENCES



Creationism andEvolution: Questions in theClassroomInstitute of BiologyChemistry on theHigh StreetPeter KennettEarth ScienceActivities andDemonstrations:Fossils and TimeMike Tuke

Beyond Petroleum:Business and The Environment in

the 21st Century JohnBrowne

Using Foam Rubber inan Aquarium ToSimulate Plate-Tectonic And Glacial

PhenomenaJohn WheelerDorset and EastDevon Coast: World Heritage SiteESTA ConferenceUpdate

New ESTA MembersWebsearchNews and Resources

(including ESTA AGM)

arth Scienceachers’ Asso

arth Scienceachers’ Assowww.esta-uk.org


LANDSCAPESGEOLOGY AT HARTLAND QUAY Alan Childs & Chris Cornford In a short cliff-foot walk, along the beach at Hartland Quay, visitors are provided with astraightforward explanation of the dramatically folded local rocks and their history.Alternate pages provide a deeper commentary on aspects of the geology and inparticular provide reference notes for students examining the variety of structuresexhibited in this exceptionally clear location. A5. 40 pages. 47 figs.ISBN 0-948444-12-6 Thematic Trails 1989. £2.40

THE CLIFFS OF HARTLAND QUAY Peter Keene On a cliff-top walk following the Heritage Coast footpath to the south from HartlandQuay, coastal waterfalls, valley shapes and the form of the cliffs are all used toreconstruct a sequence of events related to spectacular coastal erosion along this coast.A5. 40 pages. 24 figs.ISBN 0-948444-05-3 Thematic Trails 1990. £2.40

LYN IN FLOOD, Watersmeet to Lynmouth P. Keene & D. Elsom A riverside walk from Watersmeet on Exmoor, follows the East Lyn downstream toLynmouth and the sea. The variety of physical states of the East Lyn river is explainedincluding spate and the catastrophic floods of 1952. A5. 48 pages. 36 figs.ISBN 0-948444-20-7 Thematic Trails 1990. £2.40

THE CLIFFS OF SAUNTON Peter Keene and Chris Cornford“If you really want explanations served up to you... then go elsewhere, but if you wantto learn, by self-assessment if you like, start here. Ideally you should go there, toSaunton Sands, but it’s not absolutely necessary. The booklet is so cleverly done thatyou can learn much without leaving your armchair. Not that we are encouraging suchsloth, you understand.” (Geology Today). A5. 44 pages. 30 figs. ISBN 0-048444-24-X Thematic Trails 1995. £2.40

SNOWDON IN THE ICE AGE Kenneth Addison Ken Addison interprets the evidence left by successive glaciers around Snowdon(the last of which melted only 10,000 years ago) in a way which brings together theserious student of the Quaternary Ice Age and the interested inquisitive visitor. A5. 30 pages. 18 figs.ISBN 0-9511175-4-8 Addison Landscape Publications. 1988. £3.60

THE ICE AGE IN CWM IDWAL Kenneth Addison The Ice Age invested Cwm Idwal with a landscape whose combination of glaciological,geological and floristic elements is unsurpassed in mountain Britain. Cwm Idwal isreadily accessible on good paths within a few minutes walk of the A5 route throughSnowdonia. A5. 21pages. 16 figs. ISBN 0-9511175-4-8 A. L. P. 1988. £3.60

THE ICE AGE IN Y GLYDERAU AND NANT FFRANCON Ice, in the last main glaciation, carved a glacial highway through the heart of Snowdoniaso boldly as to ensure that Nant Ffrancon is amongst the best known natural landmarksin Britain. The phenomenon is explained in a way that is understandable to bothspecialist and visitor. A5. 30 pages. 21 figs. ISBN 0-9511175-3-X A.L.P. 1988. £3.60

ROCKS & LANDSCAPE OF ALSTON MOORgeological walks in the Nent Valley. Barry Webb & Brian Young (Ed. Eric Skipsey). Ontwo walks in the North Pennines landscape, the authors unravel clues about howtoday’s rocks, fossils and landscape were formed and how men have exploited thegeological riches of Alston Moor.’ A5. 28 pages, 40 figs. Cumbria Riggs 2002. £2.00

CITYSCAPESBRISTOL, HERITAGE IN STONE Eileen StonebridgeThe walk explores the rich diversity of stones that make up the fabric of the City ofBristol. The expectation is that as the building stones become familiar, so comes thesatisfaction of being able to identify common stones and their origin, perhaps beforeturning to the text for reassurance. A5. 40 pages. 60 figs.ISBN 0948444-36-3 Thematic Trails 1999. £2.40

BATH IN STONE a guide to the city’s building stones Elizabeth Devon, John Parkins, David Workman Compiled by the Bath Geological Society, the architectural heritage of Bath is explored,blending the recognition of building stones and the history of the city. A very usefulwalking guide both for visiting school parties, geologists and the interested non-specialist visitor. A5. 48 pages. 36 illustrations. ISBN 0948444-38-X Thematic Trails 2001. £2.40

GLOUCESTER IN STONE, a city walk – Joe McCall This booklet was compiled by the Gloucestershire RIGS Group as an introduction tothe geology of the city. Four compass-point streets radiate from Gloucester city centre.The first short walk, Eastgate Street, is, in essence a mental tool-kit for identifyingsome local common building stones and their history - a skill which can then be appliedto any of the three following compass direction walks. A5. 40 pages. 39 illustrations.ISBN 0948444-37-1 Thematic Trails 1999. £2.40

GEOLOGY AND THE BUILDINGS OF OXFORD Paul Jenkins The walk is likened to a visit to an open air museum. Attention is drawn to the varietyof building materials used in the fabric of the city. Their suitability, durability,susceptibility to pollution and weathering, maintenance and replacement is discussed.A5. 44 pages. 22 illustrations.ISBN 0-948444-09-6 Thematic Trails 1988. £2.40

EXETER IN STONE, AN URBAN GEOLOGY Jane Dove “Directed at ‘the curious visitor and interested non-specialists’, Thematic Trails Trustpublications incorporate and translate professional knowledge from the academicliterature to which members of the general public don’t have ready access....Exeter inStone is a fine addition to the ever-expanding list of booklets on the building stones ofBritish towns and cities.” (Geology Today). A5. 44 pages. 24 illustrations.ISBN 0-948444-27-4 Thematic Trails 1994. £2.40

GUIDE TO THE BUILDING STONES OF HUDDERSFIELD Two walks in central Huddersfield examine decorative polished building stones thathave been brought into Huddersfield from many parts of the world to enhance thecommercial and public buildings of the city. Huddersfield Geology Group. A5. 12 pages. 23 illustrations. £2.00

COASTAL EROSION AND MANAGEMENTWESTWARD HO! AGAINST THE SEA Peter Keene This ‘case study’ examines the history of coastal erosion at Westward Ho! and themany strategies for coastal defence adopted and discarded over the last 150 years. A5. 44 pages. 24 illustrations. ISBN 0-948444-34-7 Thematic Trails 1997. £2.40

DAWLISH WARREN AND THE SEA Peter SimsWithin living memory Dawlish Warren in South Devon has dramatically changed itsshape several times. A shoreline walk explains the nature and history of dynamic coastalchange and its implications for both short-term and long-term coastal management. A5. 48 pages. 44 figs.ISBN 0-948444-13-4 Thematic Trails 1988-98 £2.40

THEMATIC TRAILSThese guides are full of serious explanation, yet challenge us to question and interpret what we see. The reader is encouraged to observe, enquire and participate in a trail of discovery – Each trail is aninformation resource suitable for teachers to translate into field tasks appropriate to a wide range of ages.

These titles are selected from over 100 guides published or marketed by the educational charity Thematic Trails.

For a free catalogue e-mail [email protected] (Tel:01865-820522 Fax: 01865-820522) or visit our web site: www. thematic-trails.org

Address ORDERS to THEMATIC TRAILS, 7 Norwood Avenue, Kingston Bagpuize, Oxon OX13 5AD.

Use an educational address and quote your ESTA membership number to qualify for a 15% educational discount.Orders for five or more items are post free. Thematic Trails is registered charity No. 801188.

ESTA TEACHING MATERIALS

35 www.esta-uk.org

ESTA Groups have produced a variety of teaching materials with teacher notes and worksheets.

They are all copyright free for classroom use

PRIMARY Working with Soil pack £6.00 + p&p Working with rocks pack

including postcard set£6.00 + p&p

Building stones photos. set of 16 postcards from this pack, sold separately £3.50 + p&p

KEY STAGE 3 Devised at KS3 to introduce Earth Science to pupils as part of the Science & Geography

curriculum. Each contains 3 double periods of teaching time.

ME Moulding Earth’s Surface: weathering, erosion & transportation (1993)HC Hidden changes in the Earth: introduction to metamorphism (1990, 2001 reprint)M Magma: introduction to igneous processes (1990, 2002 reprint)SR Second hand rocks: introducing sedimentary processes (1991)FW Steps towards the rock face: introducing fieldwork (1991)ES Earth’s surface features (1992)

£2.00 each, or £10.00 for all 6 + post at cost

There are limited stocks of other units less relevant to today’s curriculum

GW Groundwork: introducing Earth Science (1990)PP Power from the past: coal, with colour poster (1990)E Power source: oil & energy (1992)WG Water overground & underground (1992)BM bulk constructional materials (1991)LP Life from the past: introducing fossils (1990)

offered at £1.00 each + p&p, while stocks last

KEY STAGE 4 and onInvestigating the Science of the Earth: practical and investigative activities for key stage 4 and beyond

SoE1: Changes to the atmosphere (1995)SoE2: Geological changes: Earth’s structure & plate tectonics (1996)SoE3: Geological changes:rock formation & deformation (1998)Routeway: planning & technical problems of building a major road (with posters 1994)

£2.50 each, or £9.00 for all 4 + p&p

Practical kitsESTA Mineral kit: 10 common minerals, lens, acid DROPPER, etc., boxed, £15.00Diversity of Life fossil replica kit: 12 representative items, data sheet, boxed, £16.00ESTA Rock kits: teacher and pupil sets available, details from [email protected]

Working With Soil

Contents● The Map . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .inside cover

● Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .pages 1 - 3

● How to Use the Work Sheets . . . . . . . . . . . . . .page 4 - 6

● Science Activities and Work Sheets . . . . . . . . .pages 7 - 16

● Literacy Activities and Work Sheets . . . . . . . . .pages 17 - 26

● Numeracy Activities and Work Sheets . . . . . . .pages 27 - 30

AuthorsThis pack was written and developed by members of the ESTA Primary Committee.

Waldorf the

Worm

All kits supplied plus postage at costEnquiries to [email protected]

NEW

Documents

teaching EARTH SCIENCES - ESTA · Journal of the EARTH SCIENCE TEACHERS’ ASSOCIATION ... welcomed in digital form on disk or as email attachments: ... dRe our ce s (in clud i gES