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TEACHING EARTH SCIENCES ● Volume 31 ● Number 4, 2006 News and Views OIKOS The First OIKOS newsletter has been published. It aims include: Originating, Innovative elaborate, develop and test new methods to learn and teach Knowledge in the training methods and new resources in the field of Earth and natural sciences in general and Original and combined specifically in Earth sciences. The project consortium consists of 15 partners from all over Europe including: DIDACTICS OF SCIENCES: University of Cyprus University of Crete Polytechnic of Leira University Babe-Bolyai University of Saragozza University of Bayreuth University UMEA (Sweden) PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS: National Association of Teaching of Natural Sciences (ANISN) Association for Science Education (ASE) NATURAL AND EARTH SCIENCES: University of Sannio University of Barcelona see www.e-oikos.net Permo-Triassic crater explains extinctions? Researchers believe they have identified a crater using gravity images. The impact crater, beneath the East Antarctic, is 483km wide and could be 250 million years old, and may be linked to the Permo-Triassic extinctions which killed about 85% of the life on Earth. Von Frese et al., presented at American Geophysical Union 2006 Joint Assembly, May 26, 2006 and printed in Geotimes ‘News in Brief ’ August 2006. Geological conservation: a guide to good practice – free downloads English Nature has published this 145- page colour document which draws on the practical experience of English Nature’s partners in the voluntary geological conservation sector, geological societies and local authorities as well as their own experience managing their network of nationally important geological Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). It is clear and concise, well written and has some fabulous photographs and can be downloaded from www.englishnature.org.uk/pubs/publication/PDF/ GeologyhandbookPart1.pdf and from www.english-nature.org.uk/pubs/ publication/PDF/Geologyhandbook Part2.pdf From an article by Colin Prosser (Head of Geology, English Nature) New RIGS leaflet from Welsh RIGS groups The Association of Welsh RIGS Groups, comprising North East Wales RIGS (NEWRIGS), Gwynedd and Mon RIGS Group and Central Wales RIGS Group, has produced a new general leaflet about Regionally Important Geodiversity Sites (RIGS) and RIGS groups in Wales. Aimed at landowners and the public, the leaflet describes what ‘geodiversity’ and ‘geoconservation’ are, what RIGS are and how they are chosen and what RIGS groups do and how to get involved in their activities. From an article by Stewart Campbell (Countryside Council for Wales) in Earth Heritage, issue 27, Summer 2006 ‘Stonehenge’ found in the Amazon Geologists and archaeologists recently discovered an observatory about 30m in diameter filled with 127 blocks of rock up to 3 metres tall. The observatory is at the top of a hill in northern Brazil and aligns with the winter solstice. From an article in Associated Press, June 27, 2006-10-02 Earth Heritage Earth Heritage is a twice-yearly magazine produced by the Joint Nature Conservation Committee, English Nature, Scottish Natural Heritage and the Countryside Council for Wales. A database listing all of the articles carried up to issue 17 is available on CD. Key articles from all issues of Earth Heritage item, can be found on: www.seaburysalmon.com/earth.html. Earth Heritage is FREE to anyone interested in the subject. To be placed on the mailing list, forward your name and full postal address by emailing eheritage@seaburysalmon.com The National Coal Mining Museum In May the National Coal Mining Museum for England in Wakefield launched a new interactive CD-ROM resource for primary teachers. ‘Materials’ and ‘Rocks’ are included in the seven topics of the resource. A virtual tour of the Museum’s Hope Pit adds to the curriculum-based worksheets etc. Further information from the Museum Tel: 01924 848806 www.esta-uk.org 32
TEACHING EARTH SCIENCES ● Volume 31 ● Number 4, 2006 Does gender matter in science? An article by Ben A Barres in inSECT, the newletter from the Wales’ Resource Centre for Women in Science, Engineering and Technology, notes that some Professors have suggested that women are not progressing in science because of an innate inability rather than discrimination. In his book Manliness, Harvey Mansfield, a Harvard Professor, states that women don’t like to compete, are risk adverse, less abstract and too emotional. Barres argues that available scientific data do not provide credible Rolls-Royce Science Prize support for these suggestions – but instead support the hypothesis that women are not advancing because of discrimination. In her book Why so slow? Virginia Valian highlights many studies demonstrating a substantial degree of bias against women. She says “Simply raising expectations for women in science may be the single most important factor in helping them make it to the top”. Further information about inSECT and to receive a copy of the newsletter Tel: 029 2049 3351 Just think of any science teaching project idea that meets a need in your school or college and send it in online. Register on the website and receive monthly newsletters and guidance on how to put together an entry. Deadline for entries 28 February 2007. Register now on www.rolls-royce.com/scienceprize 1,000 candidates sit GCSE Astronomy For the first time since the introduction of the GCSE in the late 1980s, over one thousand candidates sat the GCSE examination in Astronomy. This summer’s largest ever cohort maintained the high standards shown in previous years, with 75% of students gaining an A* - C grade. There has also been a shift in the composition of students. Although originally a qualification taken mostly by adults and sixth form students (years 12 and 13) the past few years have seen a steady rise in the number of secondary schools beginning to run the course as a GCSE option for Key Stage 4 students (years 10 and 11) or even as an ‘early start’ GCSE course for year 9 students. For many schools this provides a popular component within a Science Specialist School or Gifted and Talented provision. From an article by Julien King (Principal Moderator for GCSE Astronomy Edexcel Examinations) in Gnomon, the Newsletter of the Association of Astronomy Education, Vol. 26, No. 1, Autumn 2006. A new science resource website from the ASE From January 2007 www.schoolscience.co.uk (sponsored by industrial partners and providing free on-line resources) will merge with the Association for Science Education’s (ASE’s) www.scienceonestop.com (the information resources directory) to provide an enhanced resources site simply called www.schoolscience.co.uk and managed and administered by the ASE. The site will be free for all users and aims to provide a comprehensive directory of resources, information and contacts for teachers and learners of science everywhere. Further details contact Rebecca Dixon-Watmough on Tel: 01254 247764 or Rebecca@ase.org.uk Giving scientists some good press New York University’s film school is one of six schools across the US where students are eligible to receive award money from the Alfred P Loan Foundation for incorporating science into their films. Winning films are then featured on the Sloan Science Cinematheque Web site. Creators of Sloan Science Cinematheque cite Apollo 13 starring Tom Hanks, as a prime example of a film that brings science to broad audience with good excitement and drama. From an article in Kathryn Hansen in Geotimes July 2006, pp 46-47. Wow and Vow In an article about the experiences of primary science teachers and when they were exposed to a new and innovative teaching strategy for the first time, Nelofer Halal noted that one teacher went through at least three stages that were termed: ● Wow and vow ● Muddling through ● Second thoughts stage The challenge for teacher educators is to design and implement teaching strategies where the teachers can undergo 203 cycles of the ‘muddling through’ stage and to finally integrate these new ideas into their pre-workshop repertoire of teaching tools. Science Education International, Vol. 17, No. 2, June 2006, pp 123-132. 33 www.esta-uk.org
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