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

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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Mobile Minerals

In this resource, students investigate the raw materials that are used to make smartphones. Students participate in two activities: My Smartphone is Made of What?! and The Problem with Smartphones. In My Smartphone is Made of What?!, students investigate the minerals and elements that are used to make an average smartphone. ...

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Stone Tools

In this series of activities, students investigate stone tools and how the properties of a stone influence its use. Students justify what type of stone would be best for making different tools and analyse how the properties of a stone determine its use, then conduct an investigation to assess the grinding potential of different ...

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Edible Igneous Rocks

In this activity, students explore how igneous rocks are formed by creating delicious igneous rock lollies, and identify how the properties of rocks determine how they are used. This resource is part of a suite of activities from Queensland Museum focused on plate tectonics and volcanoes.

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Geography: Landscapes and Landforms

Join Shona from Geoscience Australia and explore the formation of Australia's coastal, desert and mountain landforms and landscapes.

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Volcanic hazards: What would an Emergency Manager do?

This activity examines a hypothetical city and its vulnerability to volcanic hazard risk. It includes background information for teachers, PowerPoint presentation, student activity sheet and worked answers.

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

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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Identifying Minerals - Determining Density

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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To mine or not to mine

In this activity, students outline the choices that need to be made when considering whether to use scientific and technological advances to obtain a resource from Earth's spheres.

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Ice Power

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

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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Liquefaction In Action

This short video examines the process of liquefaction and its impact on buildings and other structures. The video encourages students to investigate some of the ways engineers lessen the impact of earthquakes on buildings and to make their own liquefaction demonstration and extend it into an inquiry activity.

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Geological Timewalk Booklet

This 58 page booklet explores geological timescales in the context of the Australian continent. Each section discusses a single geological time interval, and outlines the major geological, climatic and biological events which occurred in that interval, including continental drift, the break-up and amalgamation of continental ...

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Landslides: Teachers Notes and Student Activities

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

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

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

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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Rocks from volcanoes

This short video introduces rocks from volcanoes and their features using some of the samples in the Geoscience Australia Education Centre. Students are shown different types of lava rock, bombs, obsidian and pumice. The video is suitable for middle primary and older students as well as a general audience; it introduces ...

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Fossil Shell Stories

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

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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Identifying Minerals - Streak Test

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.