This is used widely across all science disciplines, making it easier to see similarities and differences.Plagioclase, quartz, hornblende, pyroxeneĪs seen in table 1, these two rocks have the same chemical composition and contain mostly the same minerals, but they do not have the same texture. The grouping of rocks based on how they are formed provides just one example of the classification of objects and organisms.Students’ science capital can be increased by showing the relevance of the rock cycle for future careers.For example, igneous rock can change into metamorphic or sedimentary rock over time, and metamorphic rock can become sedimentary or igneous. The rock cycle proceeds in no particular order.Rocks are continually changing as a result of chemical and physical processes.Students consider how chemists seek to operate sustainably and minimise the impact human activity has. There is an increasing demand for these limited resources the Earth provides. This includes the extraction and purification of metals from ores, and the formation of crude oil and its use as a source of carbon compounds. The earth science curriculum at 14–16 focuses on the resources obtained from the Earth. Based on gaps identified, students can revisit the learning using the other activities in the resource. Try the example in the Rock cycle interactive resource to quickly assess students’ knowledge and understanding at the end of the rock cycle topic ( LINK). Use well-designed multiple-choice quizzes to provide a quick and easy way to assess students’ learning. The name ‘cycle’ itself doesn’t help, suggesting a sequence of changes which is often supported by simplified diagrams such as that on the left below. Many students believe there is only one set path through the rock cycle. To overcome this, when teaching the rock cycle give an indication of the timescales involved: the Earth is thought to be about 4600 million years old the changes described in the rock cycle usually take thousands of years average human life expectancy is about 80 years. It is common for students to think of the world as being unchanged because of the timescales involved in the transformations discussed in this topic. Link the curriculum learning to potential future careers to increase students’ science capital and help them to relate the science learned in the classroom to everyday life. They must use their understanding of the rock cycle and the effect that a change in environment – including heat and pressure – might have on different rocks and soils to assess the impact and risk to humans associated with new buildings. Although still far from straight, the Leaning Tower of Pisa, as it is commonly known, will now be stable for another 200 years.Ĭivil engineers design and manage construction projects, from bridges and buildings to transport links and sports stadiums. The lean continued to increase until 1993 when a team of civil engineers undertook work to straighten it by carefully removing soil from its non-leaning side. Almost immediately the tower began tilting, owing to the foundation stones being laid on soft ground consisting of clay, fine sand and shells. In August 1173, builders began work on the construction of the circular bell tower of the Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta in Pisa, Italy. Source: © David Nunuk/Science Photo LibraryĮngineers used lead weights and cabling to balance the Leaning Tower of Pisa and removed soil from underneath it to correct its increasing lean Ideas for the classroom Use models to support student understanding of the changes involved in the rock cycle They are continually changing as a result of chemical and physical processes. The Earth’s rocks do not stay the same forever.Rocks can be classified into one of three types: igneous, metamorphic and sedimentary.Tap into this childhood fascination to engage students with fossils, sedimentary rocks and the wider rock cycle. For most, this will have been sparked by a visit to a museum and an exhibit with, at its centre, a mounted dinosaur skeleton. Many students at a young age have a fascination with dinosaurs and all things prehistoric. Studies revealed the skeleton to belong to a male mammoth who is believed to have died at about the age of 42 while walking in a fresh-water river bed 700,000 years ago. Following a further discovery of three more large bones, a three-month excavation unearthed 85% of a mammoth skeleton. In 1990, while walking along the beach in West Runton, North Norfolk, local residents Margaret and Harold Hems discovered what looked like a giant bone sticking out from the cliff face. From left: basalt columns of Giant’s Causeway, Ireland sandstone formations in Antelope Canyon, Arizona, US marble statue of David by Michelangelo in Florence, Italy Source: From left © Bencemor/Shutterstock © Canadastock/Shutterstock © QQ7/Shutterstock
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