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TEACHING EARTH SCIENCES ● Volume 30 ● Number 1, 2005 Geological re-assessment of the rocks at Mungrisdale/ Raven Craggs (Lake District, Cumbria). Victoria Buck Receives P T Carr Award for her Research Proposal BY VICTORIA BUCK, YORK COLLEGE Congratulations to Vicky on receiving an award from the Peter Towsley Carr bequest (the P T Carr Award). Vicky’s final report will be published in a later issue of Teaching Earth Sciences. Ed. In October 2004 field week we experienced weather conditions that required the use of our ‘emergency’ field day. This day, although operable, has not been used before and was to a certain extent unproven as an enquiry driven investigation for students. Nevertheless, the students worked well and came up with some excellent and surprising observations which led me to reconsider my understanding of the outcrop within the broader context of Ordovician/Silurian Lakeland geology. Subsequent reading of published materials and discussions with fellow geologists has not resolved the issues raised from the students’ observations in the field. It is on this basis I would like to carry out a detailed re-investigation of the Mungrisdale/Raven Craggs outcrop, and subsequently develop the findings into an enquiry based learning resource that can be used for A Level students. 1.1 Context and Contribution This work falls into two clear elements: the first is the field and literature based study to try and resolve the issues highlighted by preliminary observations in the field. The second, the development of the site as an enquiry based learning resource that requires students to integrate basic geological field observations with underlying principles to determine the geological history of the outcrop (i.e. ordering geological phenomena). Funding is requested primarily to facilitate the field and literature based re-assessment of the outcrop within a broader context of Lakeland Geology. However, as the site lends itself well to the integration and development of field based teaching and learning strategies, it is this aspect that will form the basis of an ESTA publication and presentation. 1.2 Primary Objectives 1. Re-assessment of the available published material. 2. Field Mapping of Mungrisdale and Raven Craggs. 3. Development of the outcrop as an enquiry based learning field site. 1.3 Methodology ● Literature search of previous published material. ● Building on existing data sets acquire the field data at a 1:5000 and 1:2500 scale (mapping) and produce fair copy geological maps and cross sections based on the Ordnance Survey digital data set. ● Acquire Geographical Positioning System (GPS) data as necessary. ● Develop the enquiry driven field day and student materials (focus on A Level initially). ● Trial the field day in the 2006 A2 residential fieldwork. 1.4 Approximate Schedule The schedule is based on the projected available time outside the contracted teaching hours of 2/3 hrs per week plus alternate weekends. It is anticipated that the majority of the field work will be carried out during the academic holidays (half terms and summer vacations) of 2005/6. 1.5 Expenditure ● Purchase of Ordnance survey digital data set for field area (to be used with GIS packages Arc View and IDRISI which I already own/hold licence for). ● Purchase of a hand held armoured Global Positioning System (GPS) for field mapping. ● Assistance with travelling and subsistence (camp site fees) to and from Lake District. 1.6 Dissemination of findings Given the nature of the investigation, it is anticipated that an interim report of the re-investigation will be forwarded to the committee and, should it warrant, subsequent publication in an appropriate journal. The enquiry based field investigation and accompanying student materials to be submitted to Teaching Earth Sciences for publication and acceptance for presentation at the Annual Conference 2006/7. Continued on page 13 Month/Year O N D J F M A M J J A S 2004/5 Literature search Field Mapping of the investigation area 2005/6 Development of enquiry driven investigative field day and student materials Field trial of day and materials York College A2 Geology residential 2006 Additional field trial in partnership with Blencathra Field Centre, Lakes District. 2006/7 Report writing, publication and presentation to ESTA conference 2007 www.esta-uk.org 8
TEACHING EARTH SCIENCES ● Volume 30 ● Number 1, 2005 Cash For Research: The P. T. Carr Award (call for further applications) In 1996 the late Peter Towsley Carr left a bequest of £3,000 to create an award to be administered by the Earth Science Teachers Association (ESTA). The purpose was to fund geological research by practising schoolteachers. Peter Carr was born in 1925, and began his working career at High Duty Alloys in Slough. While working he studied part-time at Chelsea Polytechnic for a geology degree (with subsidiary maths) which he obtained around 1950. He joined the staff of what eventually became Herschel School, Slough, a technical high school, and remained there for the rest of his career. Initially he taught both subjects to A-level, but with only a small number of A-level geology students and an increasing shortage of qualified maths teachers, the school eventually decided that he was better() employed as a full-time mathematician. His brother Alan thinks he understood their logic in this, even if he was reluctant to agree with it. Peter himself struggled to do a research project on the Lizard in Cornwall, and was anxious that others might be funded in such a project to enable a successful outcome without undue financial difficulties. He died in February 1996. Aim of the award The aim of the award is to help to fund a practising schoolteacher wishing to undertake geological research, or to enable such a person to complete research already begun. ‘Geological research’ is here interpreted in a wide sense, to include research into: ● an aspect of the geology of an area, particularly one local to the teacher’s school; ● geological and Earth science education at all levels; ● the role of conservation in geology and Earth science; ● improving the use of geological collections in education; ● improving the public understanding of geology and Earth science; ● the use of Information Technology in any of the above. Finance The legacy of £3000 has been invested to produce an income. This income will be used to fund an award every THREE years. It is anticipated that the award will usually be of the order of £500, but this cannot be guaranteed. Procedure for making the award ESTA Council will delegate responsibility for administering the award to a sub-committee which must include at least one from the Chairman, Secretary or Treasurer of the Association. Notice of the award will be publicised by the sub-committee in Teaching Earth Sciences (or its successor journals) and by other appropriate methods as decided by the sub-committee to try to maximise the number of potential applicants. A deadline for the receipt of applications will be set. The sub-committee, with the approval of ESTA Council, may suggest a specific area of geological research for which the award might be made on a particular occasion. This discretion is intended to allow the sub-committee to encourage research that may be of particular value to geological education at a given time. Applicants will be required to supply sufficient personal details of their qualifications and experience, including previous research if any, at least two referees who can attest to their suitability to undertake research and receive the award, and an outline of the research proposal in such format as the subcommittee may from time to time determine. Applicants will also be required to outline how the award will be used to enable the research to proceed. The sub-committee will scrutinise and evaluate the applications, and may ask to interview applicants if it is felt to be necessary. The sub-committee’s decision will be ratified by Council, and that decision will then be final. Wherever possible, the selection procedure will be timed to enable an announcement and presentation of the award at the Annual Conference of the Association, usually held in September. No serving member of ESTA Council will be eligible for the award, although an award-holder may later be elected or coopted to Council without prejudice. Expectations of the award-holder The award-holder will be expected to... 1. undertake and complete the planned research project within an agreed timescale, in general before the next award is due to be made (normally three years); 2. keep the sub-committee informed of the progress of the research by means of a brief annual report in a form specified by the sub-committee; 3. inform the sub-committee without delay if a change in circumstances may lead to a delay in completing the research project within the agreed timescale, or to abandonment of the project; 4. return such part of the monies awarded as the sub-committee may determine to be reasonable should he or she fail to complete the research project within the agreed timescale, or within such extended timescale as the sub-committee may grant at their complete discretion; 5. publish his or her work as a paper in Teaching Earth Sciences, and present his or her work to members as a talk at an Annual Conference of the Association. Further details and application forms can be obtained from Susan Beale, ESTA Secretary, Email: beales.lowrow@virgin.net 9 www.esta-uk.org
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