Tagged: rocks

Penshurst Volcano Discovery Centre and Mt Rouse


Today we visited the Penshurst Volcano Discovery Centre to learn about our local volcanic history and the formation of our landscape. After completing a worksheet at the Discovery Centre we went up Mt Rouse to this quarry site, which clearly shows the two eruptions – a scoria layer on the bottom and a basalt lava flow on the top (with soil and vegetation above that layer). We learnt about Maar volcanoes, formed when magma erupts into a water table and massive amounts of steam are produced, blowing material out of the crater. Tower Hill is an example of a Maar volcano. Mt Rouse is a scoria cone, produced when lots of gases shoot material into the air, where it cools and falls into a cone shape. Mt Eccles is a fissure volcano, formed when lava escapes from a split in the earth’s crust.

Year 8 students finished their Earth Science Assessment tasks today. Kirsten’s My Studiyo Rock Quiz  and Maddy’s My Studiyo Rocks! are great examples of student-created, online tasks. Georgia produced an excellent video using Photostory that is available at TeacherTube.

After walking down Mt Rouse we had a BBQ lunch and planted about 1,000 trees at Green’s Lane, Hawkesdale. One of my students asked “Why are we planting trees?”

  • To reduce erosion – the tree roots hold the soil together
  • To provide habitat for insects, birds, reptiles, mammals and other organisms
  • To provide shade and shelter for stock
  • Trees use carbon dioxide to produce oxygen and store carbon
  • Trees add value to farms
  • Trees reduce salinity by lowering the water table
  • Trees reduce evaporation from the creek and keep the water cooler
  • Aesthetic reasons – they look nice!

Please leave a comment below telling me two things you learnt at the Volcano Discovery Centre and what you enjoyed most about the day.


Kanawinka Global Geopark


Lake Surprise at Mt Eccles National Park

Hawkesdale is right in the middle of a geologically significant area, recognised by UNESCO as a Global Geopark, for it’s volcanoes, caves, tumuli, sink holes and lava flows. This week you are required to complete two of the following tasks:

  1. Take a photo of a geologically significant feature near your home – it could be basalt (bluestone), scoria, a rock wall or sandstone building. Upload the photo to Flickr, with the CC license and tag it #kanawinka; #rocks #pics4schools #earth and #geology. See if you can identify whether it is an igneous, sedimentary or metamorphic rock.
  2. Use CC photos on Flickr to create a Voicethread about the different types of rocks and the rock cycle. or you can add your voice to the one I have uploaded here. Make sure you speak clearly and describe how each of the rock types are formed.
  3. Imagine you lived in the Kanawinka area 40,000 years ago, when the volcanoes were active. Write a short story (at least 400 words) about what life was like for you – your family, food, shelter and activities – when one of our volcanoes erupted (Mt Eccles, Tower Hill or Mt Rouse). Check out the images at the Budj Bim Tours site to see rock huts, fish and eel traps and the wetlands.
  4. Design a reptile area (20 metres square) for our threatened species of striped legless lizards, corangamite water skinks and other snakes and lizards. What features do they need to survive? Bruce Mirtschin (from Hopkins Moyne Landcare Group and HADDAC) will assist us to construct this area at the Hawkesdale Common, opposite Apex Park. Design interpretative signs about the different reptiles for visitors to the area. You will find more information about the species of lizards that live in Victoria at the Museum Victoria site.
  5. Create a 60-second science video for the competition that explains clearly a science concept – how igneous rocks are formed, how slow cooling produces larger crystals, the different types of volcanoes, how fossils are formed, what weathering and erosion does to a landscape etc. Videos must be uploaded by November 7th to qualify for the competition (great prizes!).

Year 8 Assessment tasks:

You may choose one of the following tasks:

  1. Test on Friday 29th October (Revision questions on pages 142 and 143 must be completed)
  2. Make your own My Studiyo Quiz (at least 15 questions with images) and embed it in your blog.
  3. Create a Voicethread or Photostory about the types of rocks and rock cycle
  4. Film an entry for the 60 second science video about types of rocks and the rock cycle; how fossils are formed; tectonic plates and continental drift; how life began on earth or another relevant topic (see me before you start your storyboard).

Earth Science Week – Hong Kong Geopark

Elly and volcano

Today we had an exciting opportunity to link up with Ng Young C. Y., a Hong Kong national who is a driving force behind the establishment of the Hong Kong Geopark. He is an expeerienced presenter, member of and advisor to  numerous committees and boards of management for conservation of geologically significant areas. Young had lots of information about the difficulties establishing a geopark in a metropoliton area, wonderful images of the park and it’s significant features and ways they market the geopark using appropriately named dishes of food (such as the tempura prawn volcano!).

Students learnt about the igneous rocks that we passed around, drew a labelled cross-section of a volcano and were able to ask questions about the geology of the park. We also look forward to tomorrow’s presentation by Ian Lewis about caves, sink holes, fossils, volcanoes and bats. Ian is an ex-teacher, geologist and member of the Kanawinka Global Geopark committee. He was born on the side of a volcano, loves caves and diving and will be sharing lots of his photos and knowledge about all things volcanic!

Friday 15th October


Image Source

On Friday I will be attending the “21st Century Learners in Rural Communities” seminar in Melbourne, so you will have some work to go on with. Go to the Interactives Rock Cycle site and work through the activities:

  1. Types of Rocks
  2. How Rocks Change and
  3. Rock Cycle Diagram
  4. Test Your Skills (15 Questions)

When you have completed the test, take a screen shot of your results or save the assessment result page that comes up at the end and send it to me at my gmail address. I am still waiting for the Google doc worksheet  (“Plates of the Earth”) from all except four students. This needs to be sent to my email too.

If you finish the test questions, go to FUSE and copy the Learning Resource Package ID number into the Search box: WMCL9X

These are the Kanawinka Global Geopark resources for you to explore. Try “Rock Back in Time“; “Down to Earth – Paleotraveller” and “Shaping the Land“. If computers and/or the internet is unavailable you will complete work from the textbook – read “Weathering and Erosion” and answer the review questions.

 You could also go to the Volcano Web Cam site and check out some volcanoes in real time. Choose ten different volcano cams and find their location on a map of the world. Create your own Volcano Google map, showing the longitude and latitude of each site. Which of these are in the “Pacific Ring of Fire“?

The Tramline Virtual Volcano Field Trip helps you to answer the following questions:

  1. How are volcanoes formed?
  2. How can they create islands?
  3. What kind of destruction can they cause?
  4. How do volcanoes affect our environment?
  5. Where in the earth can you find active volcanoes?
  6. Are there volcanoes on other planets?
  7. What are the different types of volcanoes?

Year 8 Earth Science and Energy


Image Source

This remarkable picture is an aerial photograph of the Manam volcano in Papua New Guinea. It shows the lava flows and ash plume of an active volcano. This week we have learnt about the structure of the earth, continental drift and tectonic plates. We know the difference between convergent, divergent and plates that slide past each other. What is the difference between magma and lava? When are small crystals formed in rocks? What are the differences between igneous, sedimentary and metamorphic rocks? What are three pieces of evidence that suggest that the earth is broken up into separate continental plates that are slowly moving? What does a world map showing the location of earthquakes and volcanoes demonstrate? Where are the main fold mountains around the world? What happens in deep ocean trenches that explains why rocks further from the trench are older than those closer to the trench?

Next week is Earth Science Week and we will be having a special guest to speak to us about the Kanawinka Geopark, volcanoes, caves and bats. Ian Lewis, an ex-teacher and limestone and groundwater geologist, will be speaking to us from his home in Mt Gambier using Elluminate. You might even like to submit a video for next year’s “Geologi” short film competition. Kanawinka Geopark (“Land of Tomorrow”) is the world’s 57th Global Geopark and Hawkesdale is right in the middle of this region. (Download a map here).

For FUSE Learning Resource Package, type in the Learning Resource ID code WMCL9X.

Mr Distel has asked that students complete an on-line survey about the ultranet. Please go to this link: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/Ultranetevaluation_studentsurvey