Geological time - sorting out Earth events

The latest Earthlearningidea is 'How long does it take? - quick to very, very, very slow'.  Some Earth processes are dangerously quick – but some are extremely slow. Help your pupils to understand how the rates of Earth processes differ by cutting out the scale and the cards provided, and fitting the cards in the best places on the scale.
This has been devised as a group activity to promote discussion – so the quality of
discussion is likely to be more important than the ‘right ‘answers.
This is one of the activities in our 'Geological time' category which helps pupils to better understand the enormity of geological time.
It is also our 150th activity!

Earthquakes and art

Earthquake Rose

A sand tracing pendulum, in Washington, USA, produced some very interesting patterns after an earthquake of magnitude 6.8. The smooth curves you can see on the outside are what you normally see when someone sets the pendulum in motion to make a tracing ... without seismic assistance. The earthquake's handiwork is the design in the centre.
The motions caused by the earthquake moving the pendulum's base started small, and the initial tracings were overwritten as the strength of the ground's motion increased. Once everything started to slow down after the shaking stopped, the pendulum slowed to a stop, gradually "writing" the pattern in tighter circles as it moved back to its natural centre. If you look at it closely, you can see that the pendulum was apparently centreing in one spot, and then moved a final time to come to rest in a slightly different location. This may be explained by last minute settling in the ground.
It's interesting to think that such a massive and very destructive release of energy can also contain such delicate artistry within its chaos. 
You could use this image to lead into a discussion about earthquakes and then try some of the following ELIs:-
- Earthquake prediction - when will the earthquake strike?
- Earthquake through the window - what would you see, what would you feel?
- Geobattleships (ELI+)
- Quake shake - will my home collapse?
- Shaken but not stirred?
- Surviving an earthquake
- Waves in the Earth 1: the slinky simulation (ELI+)
- Waves in the Earth 2: human molecules (ELI+)

How many for a million?

 

We can easily talk about a million years – but how can we give pupils an idea of how vast 1,000,000 actually is? Try our latest ELI 'How many for a million? How many sheets of graph paper for 1 million, or a 100 million, or a 1000 million?' Calculations to help pupils to visualise the enormity of a million years, and then 1000 million years.

There are other activities in this Geological time category. 

Forensic geoscience

Have you tried 'Innocent until proven guilty; using forensic geoscience to solve the crime'? This activity can be included in any lesson where problem-solving skills are required. It is adaptable to local conditions - local samples of soil, sand or rocks can be used. Also local suspects e.g. the teacher, can be used!
This is one of many practical Earthlearningideas available for free download from our website.

Collapsing volcanoes

The last new ELI of 2012 is 'Collapsing volcanoes - cauldron subsidence'. Try making a jelly model of the ‘cauldron subsidence’ that can occur when volcanoes erupt and collapse. By doing this activity, pupils will appreciate that large scale surface features may be formed in volcanic regions, when magma beneath drains away or erupts and removes support from a vast cylinder of rock.

The best way of cleaning up from this activity is to eat it!

There are now nearly 150 Earthlearningideas on our website. You can search by topic name, keyword or category.

Unpredictability of earthquakes and volcanic eruptions

Well . . .  in this ELI, not exactly earthquakes and volcanic eruptions; rather, party poppers. We have added further extension material to the activity 'Party time for volcanoes!'

The total number of experimental runs (i.e. popped party poppers) aggregated over two large events (and a few smaller ones in between) is now 286. The arithmetic mean mass required to pop is 1.29kg. You may remember that last year one visitor achieved an unconfirmed 'world record' of 3.5kg - freakishly high as nobody else exceeded 2.3kg and, interestingly, this was mirrored last week - there was one instance of 3.4kg, with the next highest value being 2.1kg.
Thank you to the British Geological Survey for these data.
This is the time of year to try out this activity!
Season's greetings from the Earthlearningidea team.

How do we know about the Earth's Core?

To find out, try the latest Earthlearningidea, 'A core activity'. Cut out sets of the 14 ‘Core evidence cards’ provided in the activity. Give a set to each group of pupils and ask them to sort the cards to show the evidence we have for the composition of the Earth’s core. Tell the pupils that the evidence may be on a single card, or a series of cards linked together, while some cards may contain no evidence for the
core’s composition. When they have sorted their cards, ask them to suggest what the composition might be, and give the evidence that supports this idea.
This is one of many activities in the 'Investigating the Earth' category.