Secondary Schools

Students will get a chance to explore the Museum independently and answer questions about some of the incredible objects and displays in the galleries.

Questions on the Lapworth Geology trail are tailored to suit each groups age and ability. You can download each trail below:

• Key Stage 3 Geology Trail
• Upper Key Stage 3 Geology Trail
• Key Stage 4 Geology Trail
• Key Stage 5 Geology Trail

Uncover our planet’s incredible evolutionary history!

Pupils will examine the different ways organisms can become fossils. They will have a go at identifying different fossils and work out what this can tell us about how an organism lived and died. Using our geological timeline, pupils will learn how the Earth’s atmosphere has changed and when different animal groups evolved.

National Curriculum and Science Specification Links:

• Fossils and evolution
• Animal adaption and extinction
• The Earth and its atmosphere
• Working scientifically

Workshop length - 1 hour

Find out what the Earth is made from and how it is structured.

Pupils will work through a series of experiments to identify how and where sedimentary, metamorphic and igneous rocks form. They will examine the processes behind transforming one rock type into another in the rock cycle. Pupils will discuss which rocks are useful resources and where they might be located.

National Curriculum and Science Specification Links:

• Composition and structure of the Earth
• The rock cycle
• Earth’s resources
• Working scientifically

Workshop length - 1 hour

This session is currently being piloted and we are open to any feedback from teachers and pupils!

Coasts are dynamic environments, the interface between the land and the sea. Many processes shape our coastal landscapes and geology plays an important role in these processes.

Pupils will work through a series of activities to help them understand how coastal landscapes develop and how coastal processes work.

National Curriculum and Geography Specification links:

• Coastal features, processes and landforms
• Coastal management
• Landscape change through time
• Working scientifically

Workshop length - 1 hour

This session is currently being piloted and we are open to any feedback from teachers and pupils!

Understanding climate change is crucial to tackling the challenges posed by it.

Students will examine how climate change affects various global ecosystems, how it compares to the Earth’s climate record, and do an experiment on how ice melt affects sea level rise. Students will also discuss how to reduce their own carbon footprint.

National Curriculum links:

• Climate change causes, effects, and mitigation techniques
• Data handling
• Working scientifically

Workshop length: 1 hour 15 minutes

We live on a planet that is over 4.5 billion years old! Unearth our planet’s active history, examine Earth’s structure and ponder at plate tectonics.

Pupils will discover just how active the Earth beneath our feet is by re-creating plate tectonic movements and linking these to earthquakes and volcanoes. Pupils will step back in time and walk through the entire history of the Earth on our geological timeline!

National Curriculum Links:

• Plate tectonics
• Structure of the Earth
• Geological timescales
• Evolution
• Working scientifically

Workshop length - 1 hour

Some of the most destructive natural hazards are associated with earthquakes and volcanoes.

Students will examine and describe different volcanic rocks and deposits. They will link these to specific volcanic hazards and plate tectonic boundaries. Using this knowledge students will be able to explore the characteristics of shield and composite volcanoes. Students will explore what an earthquake is and how different seismic waves move. Optional KS5 activity of plotting the epicentre of an Earthquake.

Geography Specification Links:

• Plate tectonics
• The structure of the Earth
• Volcanic hazards 
• Seismic hazards 

Workshop length - 1 hour to 1 hour 30 mins

Our geology workshops can be tailored to suit your learning requirements. Workshops can focus on a range of topics including:

• fossil identification, morphology and mode of life
• diagnostic properties and characteristics of minerals and rocks
• the geological history of the West Midlands

Geology Specification Links:

• Fossils and time
• Minerals and rocks
• Petrology
• Practical skills in geology

Academic talks require advanced notice and are subject to availability.

The Lapworth Museum of Geology’s unique position as part of the University of Birmingham allows us to offer talks to groups interested in learning about some of the exciting and current research taking place at the University.

Talks are given by post graduate students and academics from the School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences and can cover the following topics:

• Palaeobiology
• Palaeoclimatology and Palaeoceanography
• Volcanism
• Earthquakes and Seismics
• Plate tectonics
• Climate change