GIFT workshops to be held in Africa

Bringing together the expertise of the EGU with UNESCO’s Earth Science Education Initiative in Africa and the European Space Agency (ESA), the EGU is proud to announce a new series of annual Geosciences Information for Teachers (GIFT) workshops to be held around the African continent over the next four years.
As international events, the workshops will be held in four different regions of Africa, starting with Southern Africa. They will cover various topics of societal relevance such as climate change, groundwater, geohazards, mineral resources and environmental sustainability.  
The UNESCO-EGU-ESA African GIFT workshops will take place over the course of 3 days with 40 teachers from across the region and 8-10 speakers, half of whom will be non-African experts.
For the past ten years, the EGU’s GIFT workshops – spreading first hand scientific research to teachers of primary and secondary schools – have been hugely successful in shortening the time that research takes to disseminate from scientist to textbook to teacher and offering usable practical activities for the classroom.
The event is open to teachers from across Southern Africa and will be held in Port Elizabeth, South Africa from the 26-28th February 2014.
Click here for more information and how to apply (deadline 9th Dec 2013) Please pass this to those you know who may be interested in this event.

Water cycle world

Today's new ELI is 'Water cycle world; a discussion activity on the natural water transformations on Earth.'

Ask pupils to make a list of all the different ways they can think of that water can get into the atmosphere and ways that water can come out of the atmosphere. Then ask them to list all the ways in which water can be transported. Ask them to use their lists to label an enlarged copy of the water cycle diagram, like the one shown in the image above.
This is one of many watery activities listed on our website. All are free to download.

Geothermal energy - renewable or not?

Have you tried 'Rock power: geothermal power simulations'? This activity models geothermal power sources and asks whether they are renewable or not.
This is one of many ELIs about power sources as listed in 'Resources' in Teaching strategies on the website.

Uses of minerals

Our new Earthlearningidea published today is 'Be a mineral expert - 3; the mineral foundations of everyday life'. This is a matching exercise, where pupils are asked to match photographs of everyday objects with photographs of the minerals from which they are manufactured. It can be used in a variety of circumstances, e.g. in revision of a minerals topic by relating photographs to some minerals which pupils have already encountered. It could feature in a science or geography lesson, or in discussion of the mineral wealth of a country.
It is one of a series of 'minerals' activities. Related ELIs are shown on our website.

James Hutton or 'Mr. Rock Cycle'

 Hutton's famous unconformity at Siccar Point, Scotland

James Hutton - or 'Mr. Rock Cycle'? This Earthlearningidea involves thinking towards the rock cycle, the Hutton way. Try thinking like James Hutton in the 1700s. Remember that, at that time, most people thought that the oldest rock on Earth was granite, which had crystallised from an early ocean, and all other rocks lay on top; the Earth had formed like this, just 6000 years ago.
The activity provides pupils with a series of questions and answers that attempt to outline the possible thoughts of James Hutton as he developed his ideas in the context of what we now call the rock cycle.
This is one of many ELIs about famous scientists who contributed to our knowledge of the Earth.