Slope failure

The new ELI today is 'Failing slopes; modelling how rock cliffs and slopes can collapse
 

This activity encourages pupils to investigate the factors which affect the angle of slope at which materials fail and slip. The idea could be used in a lesson on slope failure itself, or as an application of the physics of friction. Results obtained from an actual investigation are recorded in the activity.
More activities related to slopes and landslides can be found on the website.

Earthlearningidea photo gallery

Some more photos have been added to our photo gallery, sent to us from Catalonia in Spain.
Students have been trying out some of our 'Identifying minerals' activities
'Be a mineral expert 1'
'Be a mineral expert 2'
'Identifying minerals - use your sense(s)!' 

They have also tried making wax volcanoes, 'Volcano in the lab'

And 'Time-line in your own backyard'

To view the ELI Photo gallery, click here.

Modelling ancient and modern magnetic fields

New Earthlearningidea - 'Human magnets!' This involves using your pupils to model ancient and modern magnetic fields.

Iron-rich minerals in igneous rocks, such as magnetite, may become magnetised as the rock crystallises from the molten state, and then cools down below a critical temperature. This temperature is known as the Curie Point. The direction of magnetisation is induced in the solid rock and records the direction of the magnetic field of the Earth, at that place and at that time.
The activity can be used to aid the understanding of remanent magnetisation in rocks. This in turn provides evidence of past magnetic fields of the Earth and is of great value in demonstrating the former latitudes of the continents, before their plate tectonic movement.
Other good ideas to teach the Earth's magnetism can be found on our website.

Beginning to identify minerals

The ELI 'Be a mineral expert 1; beginning to identify minerals' introduces colour, habit, lustre and cleavage as ways of identifying one mineral from another. The activity uses simple visual tests to identify a set of ‘unknown’ minerals. This is the first in a series of activities on minerals which can be used in a variety of lessons, ranging from the nature of minerals as the ‘building blocks’ of rocks to the origins and recycling of useful elements in the Earth.
Many more activities about minerals and rocks can be found on our website.