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Leonie
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| Posted: April 30 2006 at 8:54pm | IP Logged
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I was reading Elizabeth's note in the unit studies thread - she siad that her hopes were that we could share rabbit trails and units in this forum.
I found a brief article I wrote last year, about our high school geology unit study. Thoguht I'd include the notes here, if they are of help to anyone!
Living Science – a unit on geology for high school students
I tend to plan loose literature/living books themes - similar to those described by Valerie Bendt in her books. I use books like DYOCC, TWTM and the state outcomes as a guide.
When we have the topic, I find good books/movies on our shelves or at the library or I look at some living book guides for ideas of a book I may want to purchase. I look at TWTM etc for a guide for topics. I list any possible excursions. I do an internet search for any ideas or for books from Australian publishers/curriculum suppliers.
These plans are all loose and develop as the boys and I read and do activities together.
Here I have combined both the original loose list and the actual “what we did” items.
Hawker Brownlow also have an independent integrated unit on Geology for upper primary/lower secondary.
Possible topics for research/activities/reading on Geology
Planet Earth
Rocks and Minerals
The surface of the earth
Geological Processes
Fossils and the process
Volcanoes, deformation, faults and folds
Ways to date the earth
Young earth/old earth theories
Careers in geology/mining/mining in Australia
Books -
Journey to the Centre of the Earth
Hatchet
The Usborne Science Encyclopedia
How and Why Books - Volcanoes, Our Earth
Heineman Investigate series (from the library) - Volcanoes, Mining in Australia
World book Encyclopedia of Science - The Planet Earth
Pigeon Post (mining, hydro-geology) - Swallows and Amazons series
Over Sea, Under Stone (mostly a mysterious adventure, but includes sea caves) ( Dark is Rising sequence)
The Silver Chair (underground) ( Narnia book)
Some of these were for reference, some read aloud, some read silently, some used for copywork. Some we own, some we borrowed from the library.
Videos -
Volcano (a disaster film!)
The Core
National Geographic Volcanoes
Geology units
Make a word sleuth with vocabulary words from references.
Make a jumbled word sheets and unjumble - find definitions.
Radiositope Decay
http://www.acad.carleton.edu/curricular/BIOL/classes/bio302/ Pages/Half-life.html
Karst Topography - research , write narration and do activity with sugar cubes below
http://www.watersheds.org/teacher/rd.htm
Volcano proformas
http://www.abcteach.com/directory/theme_units/science/volcan oes/
Earthbowl pie ( shows the layers of the earth) Write "lab" report.
http://www.proteacher.net/cgi-bin/asrchwrap.cgi?string=earth bowl+activity&number=0
http://www.proteacher.net/cgi-bin/asrchwrap.cgi?string=earth bowl+activity&number=0
Make "petrified" wood then research and report. Make a mind map.
http://www.tmm.utexas.edu/education/lessonplans/wood/index.h tml
Make "fossils" and write about how fossils are formed
http://www.canteach.ca/elementary/life19.html
.Make glacial models - research/narrate/write essay on glaciers.
http://interactive2.usgs.gov/learningweb/teachers/paper_mode ls.htm
Use some of the lessons below - esp the one on folds and faults and The Day the Earth Shook and the earthquakes one below.
http://www.thesolutionsite.com/lpnew_bin/UI_Metadata/public/ 4651
http://www.thesolutionsite.com/lpnew_bin/UI_Metadata/public/ 810
Outings and Activities
Visit local cave and beach/cliff areas.
Observe rocks and minerals from local area with a magnifying glass and sketch in nature books. Use Leach's Australian Nature Studies to help with classification - Moh's Scale of Hardness
Visit the fossil, rocks, minerals display at the museum. Sketch in nature books.
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Leonie in Sydney
Living Without School
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lapazfarm
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| Posted: April 30 2006 at 9:31pm | IP Logged
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This is awesome! Can't wait to dig in to some of those links!
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Theresa
us-schooling in beautiful Fairbanks, Alaska.
LaPaz Home Learning
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Shari in NY
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| Posted: May 01 2006 at 7:56am | IP Logged
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This looks wonderful Leonie, I love your choice of fiction books. Thanks for posting.
Shari in NY
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TracyQ
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| Posted: May 04 2006 at 5:54pm | IP Logged
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Leonie,
This is excellent, thanks so much! 
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Blessings and Peace,
Tracy Q.
wife of Marty for 20 years, mom of 3 wonderful children (1 homeschool graduate, 1 12th grader, and a 9th grader),
 homeschooling in 15th year in Buffalo, NY
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materdei7
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| Posted: May 08 2006 at 11:56pm | IP Logged
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Thanks Leonie! I've just printed it off!!! Looks awesome.
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Kathleen, mother of five on earth, three in heaven.
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MacBeth
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| Posted: May 09 2006 at 9:27am | IP Logged
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Leonie, we did a similar trail, and included some great field trips. We posted some of the adventure in photos after our diamond mining expedition, and our visit to a cavern and Erie Canal. In following Trip's interest in geology, I discovered that NY State is incredibly geologically diverse!
One of the best parts of the trip was listening to The Silver Chair in our cabins at night, and then taking an underground boat ride...the kids kept saying, in gloomy voices, "Many fall down...and few return to the sunlit lands." 
Of course, they are all clamouring to go to Australia to find Ediacaran Fauna...
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God Bless!
MacBeth in NY
Don's wife since '88; "Mom" to the Fab 4
Nature Study
MacBeth's Blog 
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Leonie
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| Posted: May 10 2006 at 12:37am | IP Logged
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MacBeth wrote:
| Of course, they are all clamouring to go to Australia to find Ediacaran Fauna... |
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Well, get it to coincide with the World Youth Day in 2008 in Sydney and you can all come!
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Leonie in Sydney
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MacBeth
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| Posted: May 10 2006 at 10:25am | IP Logged
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Leonie wrote:
Well, get it to coincide with the World Youth Day in 2008 in Sydney and you can all come! |
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Um...funny you should mention that...  . The older two are already making plans! I'd just like to see them saving a bit more money!
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God Bless!
MacBeth in NY
Don's wife since '88; "Mom" to the Fab 4
Nature Study
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4Real Forums : Exploring God's Creation in Nature and Science
Topic: A high school rabbit trail.. Geology
