Virtual Rock Kit for those stuck at home

Are you stuck at home? 

No rock specimens to examine? 

Try using our  

VIRTUAL ROCK KIT.

You can now view sedimentary, igneous and metamorphic rocks as they appear in the landscape, in hand specimen. under hand lens magnification, in thin section and even in use. The thin sections can be viewed with plane polars or cross polars.
Once you know your rocks, you can try many of the Earthlearningidea activities or watch some of our new videos. The latter show all aspects of the dynamic rock cycle so your knowledge of the rocks from the virtual rock kit will be put to good use. You could try collecting some small pieces of your local rocks as you exercise and then identify them.

How does a reduction in pressure lower melting and boiling points?

Today's new Earthlearningidea is an ELI+ activity - 'Melting and boiling – the influence of pressure; how does a reduction in pressure lower melting and boiling points?'

This ELI is a demonstration of the reduction of boiling point due to reducing the pressure. This provides an analogy with rocks melting at a lower temperature when the overlying pressure is reduced, notably at a divergent plate margin.
Other activities related to pressure or to plate tectonics can be found by using the search engine or alphabetical index on our website.

Laying out the rock cycle

Today's new videos are 'Laying out the rock cycle'.

Pupils are asked to place a series of rock cycle products in the correct places on a diagram of the rock cycle, then to consider how all these are linked by rock cycle processes.
Other teaching videos and a copy of the Dynamic rock cycle workshop can be found in our new Teaching videos and workshops page on the website.

NEW - online workshops and teaching videos 

Freeze-thaw weathering

The new activity today is 'Breaking up – classroom freeze-thaw weathering; showing how freezing and thawing can break porous rocks in the classroom'.

This activity is a classroom demonstration of the physical weathering process, freezing and thawing.
Also, you may like to try 'Ice power' to accompany this.
Other weathering processes can be found in the alphabetical index or by using the search engine.

Teaching videos

New ELI teaching videos! A new teaching video will be published every two weeks. Videos and question scripts will show how, by using the CASE methodology, Earthlearningideas can be used to develop critical thinking skills as well as knowledge and understanding.
 Video - Explanation of CASE
 Video - 'Atmosphere and ocean in a tank' - an example of using the CASE method of teaching


The videos plus their associated question scripts can be found on our website under ELI Teaching Videos

Create your own music - inspired by the natural world

Today's new ELI is 'Geo-music - music inspired by all things ‘geo’: create your own geo-music'

Much of our great music was and is inspired by the natural world. This activity encourages pupils to listen to such music and to compose their own.
The activity creates a cross-curricular link between the sciences and arts.
Other cross-curricular activities can be found in Teaching strategies and in Children's Fun on our website.