Acid Rock...

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Categories: Limestone, s1 and s2, Advanced Higher
Going to mash two previous lessons together tomorrow, providing I have a) the time, and b) the kind co-operation of my colleagues in the Chemistry department. We are just about done with Glaciated Landscapes. I think the kids are ready to move on, and anything that we need to go back over can be done in revision sessions and mapwork catch up. We are going to begin looking at limestone scenery in the British Isles and will start by an activity based around experiences. I have previously given out small pieces of limestone and let students examine them for a few minutes- What do they feel like to touch, how would you describe the appearance, looking closer under the glass-what do you see, are there any shiny crystals and so on? Then, we use the acid dropper on a larger limestone piece and see what happens. Some of the students are usually able to work out that acid and alkali are reacting, and that's where the idea of rainwater as a weak acid would normally come into the lesson. We then try and guage what kind of impact that would have on this type of rock surface-great for bringing to the fore weathering, but a different kind to the freeze-thaw that the class have already learned about. Tomorrow, I would hope to follow this up with a lights out activity above, hiding the pavement above malham and asking students to describe a landscape that very few will have seen.
s1 were experimenting with etherpad on Thursday and our biggest task will be to move away from that experimentation I feel. We will probably spend ten minutes research time at the start of the lesson before focusing on our debate, quite similar, but not entirely the same as last year. I also might ask for each group to make a closing statement to give them a chance to round up their thoughts.
Finally, I see Advanced Higher for all of one double period this week as they go off to do some physical fieldwork with Miss Armstrong for a few days. I don't see any point in doing any new GMT work as I think we are reasonably well prepared for the exercises, so it's Issues tomorrow, and, I fear, some people looking for a new topic...