www.earthscienceeducation.com

Life, the Atmosphere and Everything

A workshop for all specifications

Earth Science for KS4

Earth Science Education Unit

www.earthscienceeducation.com

© The Earth Science Education UnitCopyright is waived for original material contained herein if it is required for use within the laboratory or classroom. Copyright material included from other publishers rests with them.

Life, the atmosphere and

everything

A workshop for all specifications

Life, the atmosphere and everythingSummary

This ‘Life, the atmosphere and everything’ workshop offers you a range of activities to help you to teach Earth-related aspects of the new Science GCSE specifications in England and Wales, in particular:• Life – aspects of the biological parts of the specifications related

to evolution;• Atmosphere – the atmosphere and ocean and their evolution, the

carbon cycle and possible effects of global warming;• Everything – well, not quite – but activities that help with the

chemistry of limestone, cement and concrete, and physics-related activities on energy supplies and radioactive decay and dating.

The workshop allows you to sample a range of these interactive activities related directly to your specification. Try them with your students and enhance their lives, their atmospheres and – well – everything!

Life, the atmosphere and everythingWorkshop outcomes

The workshop and its activities provide the following outcomes: • an introduction to a series of activities designed to strengthen the

teaching of the Earth science-related aspects of KS4 biology, chemistry and physics teaching;

• activities focussed particularly on:– the fossil evidence for evolution and Darwin’s involvement in

evolution theory;– evidence for the evolution of the atmosphere and impacts on

climate change;– Earth materials;– energy supplies;– radioactivity.

• a wide range of teaching approaches, including practical and electronic simulations;

• approaches to activities designed to develop the thinking and investigational skills of students;

• insights into many of the Earth-related concepts commonly taught to secondary pupils through the KS4 National Curriculum for Science, as laid out in the GCSE Science specifications.

Life, the atmosphere and everythingThe activities covered by this ‘Life, the atmosphere and everything’ workshop are appropriate for the current GCSE Science specifications, as below:

ESEU ‘Life, the atmosphere and everything’ activity 

AQA ‘A’ 

AQA ‘B’

EDEX-CEL

OCR ‘A’

21st C

OCR ‘B’ Gate-way

WJEC ‘A’

WJEC ‘B’

Applied

WJEC Sep.

science

CCEA single

CCEA double

LIFE  What is a fossil? B1   C1 B3, C3 B2       2A B1The washing line of time B1 1   B3 B2       2A  Evolution in action: the evolution of the horse B1   B1 B3 B2          Did a meteorite kill the dinosaurs?     B1   P2          How life works: putting together Darwin’s big idea B1   B1 B3 B2       1B  The evolution of evolution B1   B1 B3 B2       1B  Deep time C1     B3         2A  ATMOSPHERE AND OCEAN  A year in the dome B1 1 B1 B3 B2 C1 B1 1   1B B1Our evolving atmosphere (balls in trays) C1 1 C1 C1 C1 C1 1   1B C2The ‘Do it yourself’ evolving atmosphere (Excel) C1 1 C1 C1 C1 C1 1   1B C2The PowerPoint evolution of the atmosphere C1 1 C1 C1 C1 C1 1   1B C2The E-carbon cycle B1 1 B1 C1, P2 B2 C1 B1 1   1B B1Melting ice and sea level change       P2     1      Global climate change summary C1 3 C1 P2 B2 P2 C1 1, 3   1B B1FROM THE EARTH  Material link C1 2 C1   C2          ‘Concrete’ crush test C1 2     C2          The limestone enquiry, 21st Century C1 1, 2 C1   C2     C3   C2ENERGY  Geothermal energy – renewable? P1 2   P3 P2          Energy crisis – what energy crisis? P1 2   P3 P2   1   3A P1Oil and natural gas UK – did they get it right?   2     C1 C1     3B C2RADIOACTIVITY  Radioactive countdown AQA

Add-itional

AQA Add-itional

EDEXCEL Add-itional

OCR ‘A’

Add-itional

OCR ‘B’ Add-itional

P1 WJEC Add-itional

  2A, 3B P2

C=Chemistry, B=Biology, P=Physics

Life, the atmosphere and everything

Think through the processes using this wide range of activities:

• What is a fossil?• The washing line of time• Evolution in action: the evolution of

the horse• Did a meteorite kill the dinosaurs?• How life works: linking up Darwin’s

big idea• The evolution of evolution headlines• Deep Time• A year in the dome• Our evolving atmosphere• The ‘Do it yourself’ evolving

atmosphere• The PowerPoint evolution of the

atmosphere• The E-Carbon Cycle• Melting ice and sea level change• Global Climate Change• Material link• ‘Concrete’ crush test• The limestone inquiry, 21st Century• Geothermal energy – renewable?• Energy crisis – what energy crisis?• Oil and natural gas UK – did they

get it right?• Radioactive countdown

Carry out risk assessments before the following activities:

Melting ice and sea level changeGeothermal Energy – renewable?

© Earth Science Education Unit

© Chris King

www.earthscienceeducation.com

Life, the Atmosphere and Everything

A workshop for all specifications

Earth Science for KS4

Earth Science Education Unit

www.earthscienceeducation.com

© The Earth Science Education UnitCopyright is waived for original material contained herein if it is required for use within the laboratory or classroom. Copyright material included from other publishers rests with them.