red-hot lava seen through hole in black,cooled lava flow

Skylight on a lava tube, Kilauea, Hawaii
Photo ©USGS

Aims

The Earth is a dynamic planet, and understanding its history and how the Earth, oceans and atmospheres work today has never been more important.

We are proud to announce the inauguration of the first stage of our plan to take the basic science involved in understanding the workings of 'Your Planet Earth' out to school children of all ages.

With the backing of several professional bodies, and funding from Shell, the Geologists' Association – currently celebrating its 150th anniversary – launches the first set of talks for free use by earth sciences professionals as a basis for engagement and outreach science shows in schools.

The first eight talks have been prepared by Dr Jess Trofimovs and Dr Howard Falcon-Lang at the University of Bristol, UK, with extensive involvement from many colleagues. Aimed at the 14-15-years age group, they introduce key earth sciences subjects with a focus on current debate and basic science concepts. Each talk carries a full commentary/ script in the associated panels.

We encourage free and extensive use of these materials. You can personalise them by adding your own logo to the base slide design. We have made every effort to confirm copyright of all images, and the talks are made available freely for educational use. Images may not be used in commercial activitities without permission.

There is also a training module that may be used by instructors/ outreach coordinators in earth sciences institutes to train their students before they take the science show into schools. We strongly recommend that students are trained either through this module, or by some other qualified instructors. Sending ill-prepared students into schools can cause harm to both sides!

Enjoy!