Science / Year 8 / Science understanding / Earth and space sciences

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Curriculum content descriptions

describe the key processes of the rock cycle, including the timescales over which they occur, and examine how the properties of sedimentary, igneous and metamorphic rocks reflect their formation and influence their use (AC9S8U04)

Elaborations
  • comparing the observable properties of different types of rocks and identifying them using a provided dichotomous key
  • exploring the major processes of the rock cycle including weathering, erosion, deposition, melting, crystallisation, uplift, heat and pressure in the formation of different types of rocks
  • analysing the role of forces and heat energy in the formation of different types of rocks and comparing how quickly or slowly different processes can occur
  • examining fossil evidence, such as body, trace or opalised fossils, to predict how and when a rock was formed
  • explaining the uses of different types of rocks with reference to their properties and formation
  • exploring the traditional geological knowledges of First Nations Australians that are used in the selection of different rock types for different purposes
  • investigating how First Nations Australians have used quarrying to access rocks for use as or production of everyday objects such as grindstones, hammerstones, anvils and cutting tools
  • exploring how the mining of ores and minerals impacts on local environments and examining environmental rehabilitation initiatives
General capabilities
  • Critical and creative thinking Critical and Creative Thinking
Cross-curriculum priorities
ScOT terms

Rock layers

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20 direct matches to AC9S8U04

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Geological Timewalk Booklet

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Weathering, erosion, landforms and regolith - Teacher notes and student activities

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This 112 page booklet explores the processes of weathering, erosion and deposition. It highlights the different types of weathering, erosion and transport and provides examples of famous landscapes to enhance the understanding of these processes. It includes case studies about the formation of many Australian landforms ...

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Landslides: Teachers Notes and Student Activities

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This 50 page booklet explains the nature of landslides and gives examples of various historical landslides that have occurred in Australia. It contains a glossary, links to online resources, activity ideas and answer sheets.

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Earthquakes - Teacher Notes and Student Activities

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This 85 page booklet explores earthquakes. The booklet includes the causes and types of earthquakes, how earthquakes are recorded, magnitudes of earthquakes and case studies of significant Australian earthquakes. The booklet contains a glossary, links to online resources, activity ideas and experiments for students and ...

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The Australian Coast - Teacher notes and student activities

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This 100 page booklet explores the major physical environmental characteristics of the Australian coast. It also provides an outline of the major physical processes which shape the coast and introduces the human-induced processes which impact upon Australia’s coast. The booklet contains a glossary, links to online resources, ...

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Exploring Minerals and Crystals: Teacher Notes and Activities

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This 101 page booklet explores minerals and crystals. The resource includes sections on identifying minerals, significant minerals and gem resources in Australia and the uses of crystals. The booklet contains activity ideas and experiments for teachers and students.

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Fossil Shell Stories

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This video presents examples of shell fossils that help us to understand where oceans were located in Australia millions of years ago. The shells lived in shallow marine environments before they died and became part of the rocks formed from sand and silt at the bottom of the water. Brachiopods from Woolshed Creek in Canberra ...

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Introduction to fossils

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This video demonstrates different types of fossils, explains how fossils form and discusses why fossils why fossils are so useful for learning about life on Earth.

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Ice Power

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This activity demonstrates how much water expands when frozen. Students quantify water's expansion when it freezes and establish how this can lead to weathering (breakdown) of rocks in areas exposed to frequent freezing and thawing temperatures. It is best to set up the demonstration one day ahead and examine the results ...

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Sugar Shake: Erosion experiment

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This activity introduces weathering and erosion by investigating why river pebbles are often rounded. The download includes background information for teachers and an activity sheet for students. The activity demonstrates the process of erosion using sugar cubes. Students are asked to predict what might happen (a hypothesis) ...

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Identifying Minerals - Determining Density

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This short video demonstrates how to determine the density of a mineral sample. The video explains how to calculate density, then shows students how accurately measure the mass and volume of a mineral sample.

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Liquefaction In Action

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Rocks from volcanoes

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Identifying Minerals - Streak Test

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This short video demonstrates how to determine the streak colour of a mineral sample. The video shows how to rub a mineral sample across a streak plate, and how to use a streak colour chart to help identify a mineral. The video also shows the difference in streak colour for pyrite (fool's gold) and real gold.

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World's deltas subsiding, says study

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This brief ABC News in Science article from 2009 describes how two-thirds of the world's major deltas, home to nearly half a billion people, are caught between sinking land and rising seas, according to a new study. A very good example of an explanatory text dealing with examples of the impacts of human activity including ...

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The price of peak fuel

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This ABC In Depth feature article discusses the projections of how long will our energy resources will last given that our need for fossil fuels is insatiable, but coal, oil, gas and uranium reserves are finite and some may even be in decline. This article is comprehensive, but it is dated at 2008.

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Robert Jones Masterclass

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Robert Jones is a palaeontologist at the Australian Museum. In this masterclass of 16 video segments he answers questions from teacher Helen Thompson and students from Balmain High School about the fossils of Gondwana and Australian fossils in general. The resource includes teaching notes and links to related websites.

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