So you want to run a field trip? 20 tips and tricks!
So you want to run a field trip? I have been leading field trips for over 30 years, and have ...
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Climate change and understanding science
I have spent a lot of time measuring the weathering rates of marble gravestones. During my studies, I have discovered ...
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Why I don’t start Earth science by teaching rock and mineral identification
For many educators who are not Earth science trained, and many who are, they flounder when trying to work out ...
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Understanding Polar Reversals
Understanding polar reversals helps us to understand an important piece of evidence for Plate Tectonics. When molten rock cools, some ...
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Divergent Plate Boundaries
One of the most amazing places on the Earth's crust is where two massive continental plates are moving apart. Almost ...
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Volcanoes as a STEM teaching tool
Trying to teach STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) in the classroom can often seem disjointed. Having a STEM teaching ...
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Geologist Field Gear – the six “H” essentials!
What are the essential pieces of field gear for a geologist - or in fact any geology enthusiast? What ...
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Olivine – one of simplest rock-forming minerals
Olivine is one of the simplest silicate minerals that can be found in igneous rocks on our planet. All the ...
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Conference Posters – tips to make an impact
So you have been successful in having your topic selected as one of the conference posters. Good job! Presenting a ...
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Silicates – a simple guide to the Earth’s rock forming minerals
While high school students are taught about chemistry using simple examples of inorganic and organic substances, very few are exposed ...
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Geoscientists need to talk to the public
Too often scientists ignore talking to the public. They would rather spend all their “communication” time and energy talking about ...
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Geological hammer – a beginners guide to buying your “forever hammer”
A geological hammer is often seen as an essential part of any field geologists equipment. Often called rock picks ...
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Cinder Cones – a unique volcanic feature.
Cinder cones are volcanic features that are found at volcanic sites where there has been some form of fountaining activity. Fire Fountains ...
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Evidence for Plate Tectonics
The evidence for Plate Tectonics is very conclusive. It is a very well supported theory, and while scientific debate continues ...
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Boundaries – how the crustal plates interact
The Earth's plates don't just sit there. They move and interact at their boundaries - and that is what makes ...
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Plates – understanding the tectonic jigsaw pieces.
The Earth's crust is broken up into around seventeen major pieces that we call tectonic plates. These plates form ...
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The Earth’s Crust – a simple way to view it.
The Earth's crust - that outermost rocky layer of our planet - can be daunting to understand. To start ...
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Field Boots – an essential piece of equipment.
If you are a geoscientist you are going to need field boots. Even if you are being a "geoscientist" just ...
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Field Notes – what students need to learn to do.
Taking solid field notes is a skill that many students are not taught. The days of a geologist's life recorded ...
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There’s mica in my toaster!
Mica has been used for many purposes over time and even in my short lifetime I have seen it in ...
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Space Geeks Timeline
Understanding time is something that geoscientists are just great at doing. But we get a little sick of people not understanding ...
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Lava flows – can you outrun a lava flow?
Most people believe that one of the major hazards of volcanoes are lava flows. They are surprised to find ...
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Diamonds are NOT a girl’s best friend
Diamonds are NOT a girl's best friend - or so I tell my wife. And here is why. All minerals ...
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Field trips – they are critical for teachers!
Field trips are critical. Learning Earth science in the field is as important as learning to cook in a kitchen ...
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Spot the cleavage – a characteristic often misunderstood.
Cleavage is an important diagnostic feature of minerals. However it is often misunderstood. And more often mistaken for another mineral ...
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I love a dike – my geology hook.
One of the reasons I fell in love with geology was finding evidence of igneous activity in the form of ...
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Not all that glitters is gold!
Gold - the metal on which many empires have grown (and withered) is a strange metal indeed. In nature it ...
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EarthCache – Let the Earth be your teacher!
An EarthCache is a special place that you can visit using GPS technology to learn more about the geology of ...
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How hard is mineral hardness?
How hard is a mineral? Geoscientists still use mineral hardness as a way to identify an unknown mineral. This ...
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Using a Circular Data Calendar
We are all looking at ways to collect and display data with our students. Most of the time the data ...
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The strange thing about Basalt.
Basalt. It's the fine grained igneous rock that makes up the sea floor and sometimes spews forth from volcanoes on ...
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How long is deep time?
Deep Time is the term used by scientists to describe the vast amount of time that has passed since the ...
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What happened in the Permian?
The Permian period of time started around 299 million years ago when the Earth was in the deep freeze of ...
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Welcome to GEOetc
G'day, Howdy and Hi, My name is Gary Lewis and I am an enthusiastic and passionate geoscientist. I grew up ...
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