Education
The Geologists’ Association has established a committee to champion geological education at all levels. One of the committee’s first initiatives is to provide support for A level teachers, particularly with the practical skills developed through fieldwork. It is hoped that the links provided will be of value to both teachers and students.
A Level Geology Practical Skills.
Links to support teachers and students.
OCR
Practical Activity Group
1.3 Practical skills developed through fieldwork and assessed in a written examination.
1.2.2(a) location of geological features in the field using traditional navigation and basic field survey skills without the use of GPS. Good introduction. Ordnance Survey. Beginners Guide to Grid References.
1.2.2(b) identification of geological structures in the field recording observations as field sketches.
Excellent teaching resource: AS/A Level Geology Drawing Skills Handbook.
Loch Ranza Field Centre. Excellent power point introducing essential geological skills, including notebook setup, rock descriptions, sampling and graphic logs. Click Courses then Study Resources.
1.2.2(c) use of a compass clinometer to measure two and three-dimensional geological data across a range of scales such as the dip and strike of planar surfaces, or the apparent dip of fold limbs exposed on a hillside or cliff section.
GEOCOAST – Using Geological Compass: Measuring Strike, Dip & Dip Direction
1.2.2(d) construct graphic logs using appropriate scale and symbol sets for unfamiliar geological sequences and exposures.
Institute of Petroleum Engineering. Includes standard symbols anda blank log sheet.
Eduqas A level Geology. How to plot and interpret graphic logs of sedimentary sequences
How to produce a sedimentary log in the field
1.2.2(e) use sampling techniques in fieldwork.
Field Studies Council for geographers but applicable to geology.
Royal Geographical Society also for geographers
1.2.2(h) produce full rock descriptions of macro and micro features from conserved hand samples and unfamiliar field exposures.
GeoBus St Andews How To Describe Rocks In The Field. An introductory video.
Rock and Mineral Identification. A study guide made for the students of Fleming College in Lindsay Ontario Canada.
Earth Learning Idea. The Virtual Rock Kit is a good source of a wide range of photos showing rocks in hand specimen, in location and in thin section.
1.2.2(l) use methods to increase accuracy of measurements, such as use of a fiducial scale (in photograph/field sketch). Eduqas A level Geology explains this in a practical situation.