The Daily Reviewer | Earth Learning Idea

Extension ideas for 'Clay balls and the structure of the Earth'

Mar 6, 2010 7:27am

Have you tried our latest activity 'From clay balls to the structure of the Earth'? We have now published Extension details (19MB) about this Earthlearningidea. Class discussion is likely to conclude that, firstly, the main evidence for the structure of the Earth, including the depths of the boundaries and...

How can physics be used to probe the Earth's structure?

Mar 1, 2010 11:30am

The latest ELI+ activity is 'From clay balls to the structure of the Earth; a discussion of how physics can be used to probe Earth's structure.'This activity consolidates understanding of many physical processes and characteristics including, density, inertia, magnetism, electromagnetism, sound (ultrasound and seismic) and radiation (X-rays and ionising) The...

'Landslide through the window'

Feb 22, 2010 8:00am

On 15th February 2010, a huge landslide occurred in Maierato, Calabria, Italy. It seems that the landslide was triggered by heavy rainfall in the region. Two hundred people were evacuated and it caused power failures.Have you tried Earthlearningidea 'Landslide through the window - what would you see, what would you...

NEW - Changing Coastlines

Feb 15, 2010 4:35am

Try our latest Earthlearningidea- 'Changing coastlines; investigating how coastal erosion, transportation and deposition can change the shape of coastlines'.Coastlines, with their cliffs, beaches, headlands and bays, are constantly changing shape. It is important to understand the processes because if you prevent erosion in one place this may lead to reduced...

Why do some lavas flow easily and others do not?

Feb 8, 2010 7:27am

Have you tried 'See how they run; an investigation into why some lavas flow further and more quickly than others' The fluid in the three containers has been heated to different temperatures. The results of which containers best describe the eruptions in the two photos? What are the factors affecting...

New ELI+ Forensic geoscience

Feb 1, 2010 2:06pm

Our new Earthlearningidea is 'Innocent until proven guilty; using forensic geoscience to solve the crime' This activity can be included in any lesson where problem-solving skills are required. It is adaptable to local conditions - local samples of soil, sand or rocks can be used. Also local suspects e.g....

Jan 25, 2010 8:53am

Produced by Claire L. Evans for Darwin 200By condensing 4.6 billion years of history into 60 seconds, the video is a self-contained timepiece. Like a specialized clock, it gives a sense of perspective. Everything — from the formation of the Earth, to the Cambrian Explosion, to the evolution of mice and squirrels — is...

Physical weathering - cracking apart

Jan 18, 2010 11:34am

This is our latest ELI+ activity 'Cracking apart; simulating the weathering of rocks in a desert environment' Ask pupils to discuss situations where materials expand in the heat and contract in the cold out of doors. Examples might include steel bridges, or concrete roads; in both cases, expansion joints...

What was it like to be there?

Jan 11, 2010 12:41pm

Have you tried this Earthlearningidea? 'What was it like to be there? - bringing a fossil to life'What sort of place was the animal shown in the photo living in? It had feet, so must have lived on land and there must have been other animals around for it to...

ELI+ for 2010

Jan 4, 2010 6:57am

We shall be publishing new Earthlearningideas every two weeks throughout 2010. Some of these activities will require the use of some basic school laboratory equipment and some will include more abstract ideas than we have considered in the past. We will label these activities ELI+.We are launching the new activities...

Quarry through the window

Dec 28, 2009 2:37pm

Have you tried this Earthlearningidea? Click here to download the free activity.Many people don‘t realise that, to build our buildings, to construct transport links and to make dams and reservoirs, we have to extract millions of tonnes of material from the ground — and that this comes from quarries. Most...

Cretaceous crime scene - forensic geoscience

Dec 21, 2009 10:28am

A large fossil skeleton has been found in rocks near your school. Using the nine pieces of evidence provided, your pupils are asked to work out how the dinosaur died. Did the animal die naturally or was it attacked and killed? Ask them to use their detective skills to investigate...

Turning Dunes into Architecture

Dec 14, 2009 3:08am

Architecture student Magnus Larsson details his bold plan to transform the harsh Sahara desert using bacteria and a surprising construction material: the sand itself. You can find further details and comment on 'Through the Sandglass'.This is an interesting, innovative idea and links well with the Earthlearningidea - 'Dust bowl'....

ELI workshops in South Africa

Dec 11, 2009 8:50am

Aeon EarthWISE used Earthlearningideas during workshops for National Science Teachers, 12th and 13th November in Bloemfontein, South Africa. 68 teachers and 2 learning area facilitators from 26 schools were involved. If you would like to see the powerpoint, click here, (5MB so it takes some time to download).Lots of ELIs...

ELI around the world

Dec 7, 2009 6:38am

As you can see Earthlearningidea is gradually spreading across the Earth. The darker the green shading on the map above, the more 'hits' we have had from that country. We have not reached the countries with no colour. These maps are published at the end of every month on our...

NEW Earthlearningidea - Riches in the river

Nov 30, 2009 7:48am

The new activity 'Riches in the river' is an investigation into how valuable ores may become concentrated on river beds. Pupils will explore the importance of differences in density of sand and valuable ore, to see how the ores may become concentrated by the action of moving water.Pupil learning outcomes:...

Earthlearningideas translated into Tamil!

Nov 27, 2009 7:36am

We are delighted to announce that we now have a page for translations of Earthlearningideas into Tamil. This is thanks to Michael Anjello Jothi Rajan, Associate Professor, Dept. Physics and Head Dept. of Religion and Value Education at Arul Anandar College in Karumathur, Tamil Nadu, India.Not only is Jothi Rajan...

Water problems

Nov 25, 2009 9:51am

Spread out across the top of a hill, nets are coming to the aid of one neighborhood in Lima, Peru. These nets, both simple and slightly absurd, take advantage of the city’s foggy disposition to capture water. One net costs roughly $800 and those nearby benefit from up to...

Investigating porosity

Nov 23, 2009 7:54am

These photos come from the Earthlearningidea about the porosity of rocks - 'The space within'. Pupil learning outcomes: Pupils can:- test the porosity of a model in the classroom;- work out the percentage pore space;- explain why some rocks are porous;- apply their knowledge of rock porosity to real world...

Density of ores and rocks

Nov 16, 2009 9:07am

Have you tried the Earthlearningidea 'Eureka! - detecting ore the Archimedes way'? A rock that feels heavy may contain mineral ores. But how can we find out if rocks that feel heavy for their size really are more dense than ordinary rocks? The simple way to find out is...

Earthlearningidea - progress

Nov 9, 2009 8:38am

One of our supporters in India demonstrated some Earthlearningideas at the 6th International Conference on hands-on-Science, at Ahemedabad, India during 27-31 October 2009.He reports that it was much appreciated.For our Italian readers - five more translations were added to the site today. Click here to view the page.To see how...

Artificial glaciers help farmers in India

Nov 5, 2009 7:17am

To offset the disruptive irrigation effects brought on by global warming, the small village of Stakmo, India has been developing a method for creating its own artificial glaciers. The process involves diverting unused autumn and winter runoffs into specially constructed rock reservoirs that hold the water. As the weather...

Investigating impact craters

Nov 2, 2009 10:02am

Investigating the shapes and sizes of impact craters on the Moon is the latest Earthlearningidea. This activity can be used in an astronomy lesson, or in a situation where teachers wish to set pupils an investigation in which the procedures are decided by the pupils themselves, rather than following a...

Manila Flood - 26th September 2009

Oct 26, 2009 10:06am

What was it like to be there - the Manila flood in the Philippines, 26th September 2009. This is an Earth science teacher's eye witness account of surviving the worst flood for more than 40 years and no-one was prepared. This experience has galvanised the teacher's commitment to educate the...

What is a fossil?

Oct 19, 2009 7:41am

Which of the following are fossils? 4000 year-old human footprint, a squirrel killed on the road, 3500 million year-old cell filaments, a petrified tree stump, the trail of a 530 million year-old trilobite, dendritic mineral growths, a beach pebble with holes bored by modern marine organisms? Find out by trying...