E;*+ - Geological Curators

3)
are up to 60 or 70 children on each visit. Such large numbers require
not only large sites but groups need to be well prepared and well directed
to ensure that children know what they are to do and have plenty of work.
Upper secondary school groups are less likely to be so large and more
often up to 15 in number. The teachers are more likely to be geologically
trained. Although the children are still likely to want to collect
specimens, they are usually required to collect information in terms of
measuring bed thicknesses and structures, or to make field sketches.
Teachers therefore are usually interested in sites with good exposures of
large scale structures which cannot be seen at first hand in school.
This age group contains a vandalistic element.
Development of use of sites
The first need is to make information of the selected sites available to @
teachers. Photocopies of recording cards or sheets are unlikely to
provide all the information required and could contain confidential or
restricted details. We have a number of duplicated sheets for sites which 4
are available to teachers and the general public. They provide details
of access and a description of the basic geology, together with references
and some indication of the main interest of the site. Conservation risks
should be made clear, whether geological, biological or historical.
A more positive approach is to organize guided visits for teachers.
These can be arranged through Teacher's Centres or L.E.A. advisers. At
Bristol Museum we arrange a regular programme of up to 5 fieldwork visits for
local geology teachers each term. These approved "in-service" courses
normally take place on school days. They involve an examination of the
geology of a site as well as investigating its educational potential.
We are currently extending this development of organizing a group of
teachers who are writing resource packs of booklets, worksheets and slides
about a few prime educational sites. These will be published by the Avon
L.E.A.
I would urge all my colleagues in recording centres to liaise with
teachers in order to develop the best educational use of their local sites.
This should help in the management of the conservation of sites as well as
helping the improvement of fieldwork education in geology.
I would be pleased to pass on copies of information sheets, details of
teacher's courses or give any other help that I can.
Andrew Mathieson
Assistant Schools Organiser (Geology)
City of Bristol Museum and Art Gallery
*A.T.G. has recently established a working party to promote better educational
use of sites and hopes to publish fieldwork guides for teachers.
Andrew Mathieson is a member of the working party and Assistant Editor of
"Geology Teaching" (A.T.G.) and would welcome information on educational use
of sites from Record Centres.
[What about University and Polytechnic teaching needs? Ed.]