How do sedimentary beds form?

The new ELI this week is 'How do sedimentary beds form? – and why can we see them? Demonstrating how the beds in sedimentary rocks are deposited'.

Bedding is a common feature of sedimentary rocks, but the ways in which bedding formed and the reasons why bedding is such a common feature of sedimentary rocks is not often considered. By demonstrating how bedding forms, in the classroom or field, classes can gain a much better understanding of this very widespread sedimentary process.
Many activities about sedimentary rocks and sedimentary structures can be found on our website.

Is there life in this soil sample?

"Is there life in this soil sample? Questions to consolidate pupil understanding of soil-formation"

Soil often looks like a non-living substance that simply covers many parts of the Earth’s surface. However, pupils should be aware that if soil did not contain living material (alive and/or dead) it would no longer be soil, but would just be part of the weathered rock material found on the surface where no obvious life is present. Such non-soil debris is called regolith, as found on mountain tops and polar regions on Earth and also on the Moon or planets like Mars.
Many other activities about soil can be found by using the search engine or alphabetical search (scroll down) on our website.

Which is the fastest spreading ocean?

New ELI today - 'Which is the fastest spreading oceanic ridge? A map-based activity to find the most active oceanic spreading ridge'

This ELI is a measurement and calculation activity to work out which of the oceanic ridges is spreading fastest, based on map data of the ages of the ocean floors. It provides the opportunity for pupils to investigate relationships of distance, time and speed in a novel, geological context. It also allows them to use a linear scale and become familiar with large numbers.
Our website contains many other activities related to plate tectonics.

Geophysics - remote sensing

'Modelling remote sensing geophysics: using a mock gravimeter and magnetometer set up in the classroom'

This activity uses a mock gravimeter and magnetometer to demonstrate the principles of the remote sensing of buried rocks by measuring gravity and magnetism.
Other geophysics activities can be found in our teaching strategies.

What evidence might be preserved in rocks from different environments?

'Beach, river, dune, mountain, plain – what layers might be preserved here? A discussion on what evidence might be preserved in rocks from different environments'.

This activity involves a discussion about the different types of layers and evidence that might be laid down and preserved in different land and coastal environments.
After this activity pupils can picture a modern environment and describe the types of sedimentary layers that might be deposited there. They can also explain how the layers might be deposited and the evidence they might contain for the sedimentary processes that deposited them.
Many more activities relating to sedimentary environments can be found on our website.

The perfect fracking fluid

Recipe for the perfect fracking fluid: make your own fluid to fracture hydraulically (frack) methane-bearing shale

This activity examines the hydraulic fracturing method and the purposes of the different constituents of the fracking fluid.
More Earthlearningideas about the extraction of oil and gas can be found on our website.

Plate driving mechanisms

The new ELI published today is "‘All models are wrong’ – but some are really wrong: plate-driving mechanisms. Many textbook diagrams of plate-driving forces have arrows in the wrong places".

This activity offers a strategy for teaching that all models are simplifications, and that these can be wrong when superseded by better evidence-based models, Many diagrams in textbooks show mantle convection to be the main driving force behind the movement of tectonic plates, through arrows showing convection currents throughout the mantle. However, evidence from seismic tomography and from the speed of plate movement related to the area of plates and the length of plate margins, shows that slab-pull and ridge-push mechanisms are more important drivers for most, if not all plates.
Many more activities related to plate tectonics can be found on our website by using the search engine or the alphabetical index.