Past Issues of Teaching Earth Sciences Online

Past issues of Teaching Earth Sciences, as far back as volume 26.3 (2001), can now be found in the Magazine section of the website and all of this material is downloadable; like GEOTREX, the past issues are password protected. For login details, see Teaching Earth Sciences volume 31.3, page 7. There is also a Table of Contents within the Magazine section to enable you to locate particular articles.

The National Association for Environmental Education

The National Association for Environmental Education (NAEE) is the network of environmental teachers and lecturers, and all those responsible for the delivery of environmental education and sustainable development in our schools. The Association works with a range of partner groups and national and local government. They produce the termly 40-page journal Environmental Education which is available to members. The address is www.naee.org.uk

New resource material:
Tedbury Camp Quarry

Tedbury Camp Quarry is an important geological site that is located in the eastern Mendip Hills, near Frome in Somerset. It can be used to demonstrate many aspects of field geology, but is most notable for displaying a spectacular angular unconformity between tilted Carboniferous limestone beds and overlying, sub-horizontal Jurassic strata. This former quarry is freely accessible and sufficiently large to accommodate visiting groups in safety. This web resource was developed with funds from PESGB.

New GCSE Geology Specification sent to QCA for approval
The new WJEC Geology GCSE specification has recently been submitted to the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority for approval. The content has been completely re-written with a series of new emphases, but retaining much of the detail of the previous specification. Meanwhile the assessment contains some innovative approaches, including elements of on-line assessment. More can be revealed when QCA approval has been secured - but meanwhile, GCSE Geology is safe and well, but has evolved and will continue into the future.

WJEC Geology GCSE Working Group:

• John Pritchard, WJEC Subject Officer for A-level and GCSE Geology
• Alan Seago, Chief Examiner for WJEC GCSE Geology
• Pete Loader, Chief Examiner for WJEC A-level Geology
• Chris King, Chair, WJEC A-level Examination Committee

National Trust - new geological conservation leaflets

The National Trust has published 2 leaflets on their policies on Geological conservation and on the collecting of geological specimens that can be downloaded here:

 National Trust Geological Policy and National Trust Geological Collecting Policy.

Natural Science Courses at
Lyme Regis

For the first time London’s Natural History Museum are joining together with the Field Studies Council, Jurassic Coast World Heritage Team and Lyme Regis Development Trust to offer a range of natural science courses operating from the Town in February and March 2010. http://www.field-studies-council.org/2010/walkingandgeology/
jurassiccoast.aspx

This Pilot Project offers a unique programme of field based learning led by leading specialists in zoology, entomology, botany, mineralogy and palaeontology to individual students, special interest groups and to further professional career development. These include a range of Earth Sciences courses .

This is the first time that the Natural History Museum’s Science Directorates are working in this way and student places will be limited on this pilot for an innovative, internationally significant educational offer based on the unique universal value of the Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site.  The 2010 pilot project is the next step in establishing the Jurassic Coast Studies Centre

Earthlearningidea

An initiative for the International Year of Planet Earth and beyond

  Earthlearningidea  is a voluntary initiative which brought a new Earth learning idea to Earth science educators across the world every week during 2008, the International Year of Planet Earth. The project continues with a monthly activity throughout 2009 and all previous activities remain live on the site.

The ideas are aimed primarily at classrooms with few or no resources and at pre-service teacher educators (to reach wide audiences). Global discussion around each idea is encouraged through a blog.(link to www.earthlearningidea.blogspot.com) By July 2009, 64 different activities had been posted. The Earth learning idea refrain is:

         an Earth science teaching idea at regular intervals;

         at minimal cost, with minimal resources;

         for teacher educators and teachers of Earth science through school-level science or geography;

         an online discussion around every idea;

         to develop a global network.

 Interested educators from around the world subscribe free of charge and receive email updates when new items appear on the website. A list of supporters offering geoscience or educational expertise, is posted on the website. A separate list of those who have offered moral support is also maintained.

          The initiative is being run on a voluntary basis by Chris King, Peter Kennett and Elizabeth Devon of the Earth Science Education Unit (U.K.).

          The free website and blog became live in May 2007

         Activities range from simple investigations, such as ‘Earthquake prediction – when will the earthquake strike?’, using a pile of bricks and a piece of elastic, to ‘A landslide through the window’, where pupils are asked to envisage the scene if such an event should happen within range of their classroom.

·         Thanks to voluntary translators across the world, the activities are being regularly translated into Spanish, Italian, Norwegian, Mandarin Chinese and Portuguese.

·         Since the website was established in May 2007, it has received over 15500 “hits” from over 140 countries and the blog is being well patronised, with comments and ideas for extension work.

Do have a look at the site and contribute your own ideas to the blog.

 Ecton Field Centre re-opens.

Ecton Hill Field Studies Association have re-opened the Ecton Hill mine site as a scheduled monument and an educational resource. The website is at: http://www.ectonhillfsa.org.uk.

A flyer for the 2009 season is now available.

2010  ESTA Conference

Details now available here.

A request for help

Dear Geologists, professional and amateurs alike

I am conducting a survey to find out what are geologists' THREE favourite sedimentary formations in the UK. ANYTHING sedimentary (from Silurian limestone to Jurassic shales to Eocene sandstone to Quaternary tills and more) can be included. Please send in your answers (three formations per person) to:

lostpropertyoffice@yahoo.co.uk
Rocks must be from the UK simply to keep responses manageable.

I look forward very much to seeing your answers
very best regards
Jon Noad

(Chair, BSRG: British Sedimentary Research Group)

and another....

The Natural Environment Sector want to gather information about Out of Classroom Learning.

Please download this pdf for further information

BGS alters copyright rules for educational, non-commercial use of its materials.

A summary of the new conditions of use is given here:

"Subject to compliance with any other stated terms and conditions of use related to specific content, BGS gives non-exclusive permission to reproduce free of charge:

• any BGS figures, sketches, illustrations [except the BGS logo], diagrams, photographs, map extracts and cross-sections appearing on the main BGS website, www.bgs.ac.uk (but excluding any BGS-hosted websites); and / or
• any BGS figures, sketches, illustrations, diagrams, photographs, map extracts and cross-sections from any BGS published academic papers, books, reports, guides or maps [NB map extracts may be used, NOT entire map sheets]

for personal, academic, educational, non-commercial research or other non-commercial uses and subject to appropriate acknowledgement. "
Full terms of use, including the acknowledgements that must be used are on the website at: http://www.bgs.ac.uk/about/copyright/published.html

also

The BGS digital geological map data (DIGMapGB) at the 1:625k scale are now available for download in certain formats for educational use.
See http://www.bgs.ac.uk/products/digitalmaps/data_625k.html  for links to the downloads and information about the terms of use.
The information on the BGS website about copyright for educational use of photos at:http://www.bgs.ac.uk/scripts/photoarchive/check.cfm conflicts with what has been said above, but is out of date and the up-to date policy is at:
http://www.bgs.ac.uk/about/copyright/published.html

Miguel (Jurassic Mike) Cano, an Earth science teacher and leading light in Earth science education in the Philippines was trapped by the recent flood in Manila.
You can read his account and feel his fear and dismay on the Earthlearningidea website - in the ‘Flood through the window’ extension material.
He has since sent this email asking for help – so if anybody has Earth science teaching or other materials they can send him – he would be very grateful indeed!
Chris King.
 Dear Friends: I have already moved to Bicol and am so glad to be with my wife and son once again. As I watched on the local TV the extent of the damage of the recent flood, I am greatly appalled by the condition of our people. It really grieves my heart to see children getting sick and dying in evacuation centres, dead bodies in the mud, cities still flooded, panic-buying, and people fighting over relief goods - they must be very hungry. The typhoon Ketsana brought 410 mm of rain that Saturday morning (typhoon Katrina brought only 380 mm of rain to New Orleans). Such a flood was totally unexpected. When I left Manila last Wednesday, most roads were impassable due to the towering piles of mud and things destroyed by the flood (appliances, beds, garbage, plastics, dead dogs and cats, etc). It is indeed a nightmare for a waste management officer. I really have no idea how they can get rid of so great volume of waste. Both rich and poor were severely affected by the flood; however, the impact on the poor is far far greater. Now that I am here in Bicol and now preparing for the next semester, I begin to realize how much of my teaching materials are lost in the flood - computer, scanner, printers, projector, books, etc. For those of you who offered help, could you help in terms of rebuilding my "library" for teaching by sending not-so-old books in chemistry, physics, environmental science, and earth sciences – all are welcome. Books may be sent to this address:
65 First Park Daraga, Albay, Philippines 4501
I am not used to being helped but I'm making an exception this time because of the extent of the damage the flood has inflicted on me and our people. I also need basic gadgets for teaching such as projector, printer and computer. Knowledge of how the Earth Systems work could save lives, so what we are doing in Earth Science education is of great value. May you be safe wherever you are.
Take care and thank you very much for your concern and offer of help.
Best regards, Mike.