Earth's atmosphere - step by step evolution

'Earth's atmosphere - step by step evolution' uses a physical model to show the development of our current atmosphere. The activity could be used in any lesson involving discussions about the atmosphere or climate change and greenhouse gases.
This is one of many ELIs in the category 'Earth as a System'.

Power sources

The new ELI published today is 'Which power source? - solving the crisis in Kiama; searching for all the power sources that could be developed in a mythical country'
Ask your pupils to study the map for clues to all the different power sources Kiama might develop. Ask them to work in groups to:
• write a list of all the power sources that could be developed;
• put the list of power sources into a table and list the advantages and disadvantages of each (for example some may be renewable, some may be cheaper or easier to develop than others, etc.);
• decide on the four best options and prepare a presentation on why these choices have been made.

Visit the website for other suggestions for activities about power sources.

Sand ripple marks in a tank

Ever wondered how ripple marks form in wet sand? This ELI gives you the answer -
Sand ripple marks in a tank'
We have received a really good extension idea for this activity:-
The tank can be rolled back and forth on pieces of broom handle rather than lifting it up and down – less tiring and more controllable.  Once the ripples have formed, move the broom handles through 90 degrees and gently do the same back and forth motion.  You should be able to form ladder ripples.

2014 Year of Crystallography

Have you tried 'The Unfair "build your own crystal" race'? This is a crystal-building race which shows the greater the time available, the larger the crystals.

The activity can be used as a ‘starter’ or plenary activity for a lesson on the crystallisation of igneous rocks, emphasising that the more time there is available for the magma to cool and crystallise, the larger the crystals will be. A coarse-grained igneous rock (granite) may have taken thousands of years to cool; the medium-grained rock (microgranite) may have taken years or hundreds of years to crystallise
whilst the fine-grained rock (rhyolite) may have solidified in days or weeks.
Visit the website and the link to 'Teaching strategies' to find lots more ideas.

Water cycle, latent heat and global energy transfer

New ELI - 'Cycling water and heat in the lab – and the globe' is a laboratory demonstration of the water cycle that can be used to develop thinking skills and to understand latent heat transfer and its global effects. It is an ELI+ activity and requires the use of basic lab equipment.
However, most Earthlearningideas require no special equipment - all can be found on our website.