Ice power

'Ice power; freezing water in a syringe to measure the expansion'

This activity may be used in either science or geography lessons on weathering. It can also be used in discussions of molecular theory and changes of state. For the most accurate measurements, use pure (distilled or de-ionised) water at as near to 4 degrees C as possible.
More innovative ideas of how to teach weathering or glaciation can be found by searching our website.

Mineral or not?

New ELI today is 'Mineral or not? Discussion about what is a mineral and what is not'.

This activity is centred around pictures or samples to enable pupils to distinguish between a mineral in the Earth science sense and other ways in which the term is commonly used. There is much confusion about what the word means.
Many other activities about minerals can be found on our website.

The rock game

‘Rockery 1’ is a rock game in which pupils model the different characteristics of rocks.

This activity helps children to remember the fundamental differences between rock types. Many more activities about rocks can be found on our website.

Minerals or rocks used in everyday objects

The new ELI today is 'What is it made of? Relate each mineral or rock to the everyday object containing it.'

This activity shows the presence of geological resources in many of the things used in our daily lives.
You can find many other ativities about minerals on our website by using the search engine or the alphabetical index.