Japanese Gardens Let’s embrace some tranquility – rock therapy can work wonders. Japanese Gardens are ultimately a landscape designer’s paradise. The gardens may not always be large, but they make a statement with topiary and gravel raked in distinctive patterns. Simplicity is beautiful. I wonder how a rock garden can be applied as a science... Continue Reading →
Rivers of ice have always fascinated me. Ice ages have been greatly influenced by Earth’s climate over the past three billion years, if not longer. Various theories suggest that processes such as tectonic uplift and rock weathering, sunspot activity and orbital variations have all impacted on climatic conditions and glaciations. Despite the threats of global... Continue Reading →
Unusual rock landscapes are distinctive. Bizarre rock formations are twisted and contorted depicting an ancient story of thousands of years of erosion by wind and water. Memories from seeing some of the vast and unique formations in Bolivia inspired thoughts of how weathering and geological processes have sculptured such beauty. It was rock art. Rock Tree (Arbol de... Continue Reading →
Let’s mix up some ‘Cenozoic’ for a little adventure. Making fossils is not only fun but also a creative way for kids to learn about paleontology. A dash of plaster, paper cups and various objects, paints and colour pens does the trick. I find students have a particular fascination with fossils and exploring Earth’s species... Continue Reading →
The museum is such a great place to inspire learning, I think of them as ‘an enchanted classroom’. Even if the logistics of getting to a museum is difficult, there are often great resources available on their websites, catered primarily for teachers and school curriculums. New Zealand Museums While at teacher’s college, I naturally spent... Continue Reading →
3,2,1 lift off! A significant component of the new science curriculum engages students interests in space. I often found students fascinated by this topic - it inspires some imagination and philosophical questioning. What really is out there? Just how big is our universe? New Zealand has a number of planetariums and tours that are run... Continue Reading →
Geological time frame is not always easy for students to conceptualise. In fact, drafting maps and diagrams is a great start, along with the use of analogies. I remember being told by my teacher, that plate tectonics move at about the speed that your fingernails grow, which is actually the plate tectonic movement in New... Continue Reading →
I think wetlands deserve some recognition. Although a little removed from the blog’s hot spot activity on tectonic forces, it’s still connected to the process. I have always been intrigued to see the Everglades National Park in Florida. Accredited as being the first national park for the protection of an ecological wilderness in the USA,... Continue Reading →
Are destructive earthquakes still predicted to happen in Christchurch? Apparently. Cantabrians have had their overdose of earthquake experiences. The emotional scars have run deeper than the physical scars in many cases. It was just by chance that during my time back in Christchurch over the Easter break that the Christchurch Community Response Team (CCR) knocked... Continue Reading →
The Earth knows how to rock and roll. Tragedy hit Ecuador last Saturday with an earthquake of 7.8 magnitude. It’s unavoidable - the power of geological forces struck, taking over 500 lives and injuring over 4000 people. Such devastation. I was in Ecuador three months ago and discovered a beautiful country with a poor economy. Now... Continue Reading →
Rebecca John 