Earth science out of doors

All pupils like to be taken outside the classroom for their lessons. Have you tried this Earthlearningidea 'Earth science out of doors: preserving the evidence'? The pupils have to try to list 6 processes that are happening around them or that have happened in the last few hours. What is the evidence for these processes happening? Which of those pieces of evidence might be preserved if the area became buried? They will realise that there is a progressive loss of evidence as we go back in time. The usual geologists' approach is to use Lyell's principle 'the present is a key to the past'. This activity involves geological reasoning in reverse, i.e. trying to predict the future from the present. Concerns about global climate change have recently involved geologists in trying to predict the future from the past.
How well does this activity work with your group? Have you tried other Earthlearningideas?