rockstrailteachersguide

Rocks Trail

Teachers’ Guidance Notes

Rocks Trail: Teachers’ Guidance Notes

Essential Information about the Rocks Trail

What you need to know and do before your visit

Lesson Plan

Brief overview of the day’s activities

Rocks Trail: Location Activity Guide

Observations, activities and learning objectives for the Trail

Rocks Trail: Location Map

Trail Stops, underground tour and coach park locations

Glossary

Definitions of terms used on the Trail

Stop by Stop Guide

Copies of all of the activities cards found at each Trail Stop

Rocks Trail Worksheet

Double-sided worksheet for you to photocopy for your class

National Coal Mining Museum for England Trust Ltd.

Caphouse Colliery, New Road, Overton, Wakefield, WF4 4RH

Tel: 01924 848806 Fax: 01924 840694 www.ncm.org.uk

Registered in England and Wales as a limited company by guarantee no. 1702426 VAT no. 457 5483 14 Reg. Charity 517325 Reg. Office Caphouse Colliery

Essential information about the Rocks Trail

Before your visit, please:

Read the Risk Assessment advice in the Education Pack and add your

own comments after your preliminary visit. Photocopy all the necessary information for the supervising adults that

you bring with you, and worksheets for your students.

Bring clipboards and pencils for your students.

How the trail works:

The rocks trail is a self-directed trail.

When you arrive on site, seven boxes will have been set out at various

locations (see Rocks Trail Locations sheet). You should guide the students

to each box, and encourage them to look at the activities card and the rocks

in the box. The students have a worksheet to fill in (enclosed), which should have been photocopied by you before visiting.

Questions for students are marked by a light-bulb symbol on the

cards. They will often involve asking the students to make

observations at and around the Trail Stop. Sometimes, students will

need to make inferences based on what they see and what they know.

Aim: Children should recognise that rocks are found underneath the surface of the

earth, and that there are different sorts of rock with different properties.

Teaching Objective Learning Objectives

Children will be encouraged to observe

the occurrence of rocks in the natural

and built environment through an

underground tour and buildings trail.

To know that rocks are found

underground.

To be able to identify the manner in

which rocks are used in buildings.

Children will be introduced to the

properties of rocks and how these relate

to their uses.

To be able to give reasons for suitability

or unsuitability of different rocks as

building materials.

Children will begin to test rocks for

properties.

To be able to conduct basic fair tests

into the properties of the rocks.

Children will begin to use appropriate

vocabulary.

To know the meaning of the following

words:

slate; marble; clay; granite; sand;

rock; pebble; texture; permeable;

impermeable

National Curriculum Links: QCA Links:

KS1, Sc3, 1a, b and d; Science Unit 3d, rocks and soils;

KS2, Sc1 2c – m; Plus some links to Science 1c, 2d

KS2, Sc3, 1a and 1d;

Lesson plan

Subject QCA Unit 3d, Rocks and Soils

Key Stage Key Stage 2

Aim To develop an understanding that rocks occur naturally beneath the surface of the earth, and can be used in different ways by people.

Location Caphouse Colliery at the National Coal Mining Museum for England: 1. Underground & 2. On the surface.

Activity Objective Teacher Activity Pupil Activity Resources

Underground

Tour To know that rocks are

found underground.

A miner will lead this session, but at least two adults from the school to

supervise each group of 17

children underground.

Emphasise the existence of rock

under the ground whilst the Mining

Guide explains the history of coal

mining.

Observe rocks

underground.

Cap lamps and

batteries

Sturdy shoes, warm

clothes*

Rocks Trail

To be able to identify

the way that different

rocks are used in the

built environment.

Adult supervisors to help children

find trail stops and complete

activities.

Help children work in pairs or small

groups.

Supervise the handling of rocks and

resources at trail stops.

Aid children’s observation of rocks

in the environment through

interpretation of photographs at

each stop.

Find trail boxes.

Observe and identify the

use of rocks in buildings

using trail-stop resources

(photographs and

questions).

Handle and observe rocks.

Answer questions to

complete worksheets.

Maps and other

plans

Plastic containers at

trail stops containing

rocks and laminated

photographs

Worksheets

* No contraband items (includes electrical items, batteries, tobacco, cigarette lighters etc.) to be taken underground.

Rocks Trail: Location Activity Guide

Stop Location Type of

Rock Observe with your group…

Help your group to…

(worksheet activities) Learning Objectives

1

Conveyor

Gantry

Support

Concrete,

breezeblock,

brick

The red brick, the breezeblocks

and the concrete, which are not

rocks or stones, but modern and

man-made

The close-up texture of concrete

Draw the close-up of concrete.

Use appropriate words to

describe the differences

between bricks and

breezeblocks.

Be able to recognise that modern building

materials are often man-made (concrete,

breezeblocks and bricks).

Know the meaning of the words CONCRETE,

BRICK and MAN-MADE.

2 Control

Room

Slate,

sandstone

That not all the buildings are made

from man-made materials

That the roof is made from a

natural material (slate)

The differences between roofing

materials


describe the slate sample.

Draw the shape of the roof tiles.

Be able to recognise that some building

materials are natural (sandstone, slate).

Know the meaning of the words SANDSTONE,

BRICK, PEBBLE, SLATE and NATURAL.

3 Stables Granite,

sandstone

The shape of the granite cobbles

How hard the granite cobbles are

compared to the sandstone walls

Draw the granite cobbles.

Decide why granite is used in

this way.

Be able to recognise that sandstone is natural

whilst breezeblocks and bricks are man-made.

To know that bricks and breezeblocks are

usually used in modern buildings.

Know the meaning of the words COBBLE and

GRANITE.

4 Lancashire

Boilers Sandstone

The erosion of the sandstone wall

Sandstone and its properties


describe the sandstone sample.

Consider why the steps are

worn.

Know that rock can wear away. To know that

wear can happen because of the way the rock is

used and because of the weather.

Be able to recognise the occurrence of

hardwearing rock in the built environment, and

to be able to recognise where rock used in

buildings has worn away.

Use the word WEATHERING.

You may photocopy these pages to give to all your group leaders.

5

Winding

Engine

House

Sandstone,

limestone

The colour and texture and shape

of the sandstone blocks and walls

Compare the steps to the Winding

Engine House with the older steps

to the boilers - which are the most

worn?

Look at the shape of sandstone

brick compared to red brick.

The similarities and differences

between the two sedimentary rock

samples, sandstone and chalk

Draw the shape of the

sandstone bricks.

Understand why sandstone is

used in so many buildings

locally.

Be able to recall that natural rock produces

building material of an irregular shape.

Know that brick and breeze-blocks are usually

more modern than sandstone.

Know that rock used in buildings is often that

found locally. Sandstone is easy to find in

Wakefield, and granite has to be transported

from another location.

6

Cobbles

outside

Learning

Curve

Granite

The hard granite cobbles are used

in the newer parts of the Museum,

because it is very hard wearing.

The similarities and differences

between the igneous granite

samples and the sedimentary

sandstone

Draw the cobbles.

Think about the differences

between the cobbles here and

at the stables, consider the

different uses.

Know that granite is hard and often used for

paving. It wears, but over a very long time.

7 Locomotive

tracks

Sandstone,

limestone

The sandstone and limestone in

the gravel on the locomotive

tracks

There is so much sandstone used

onsite because it is easy to find in

Wakefield – granite has to be

transported from another location.


describe the sandstone and the

limestone.

Know that sandstone is found locally

(underground) at the colliery.

You may photocopy these pages to give to all your group leaders.

Rocks

Trail:

Location

Map

Key:

Rocks Trail Stop Location

Coach Park

Main Entrance

Entrance to Underground Tour

Please refer to the main map supplied with the Education Pack for further details relating to the other buildings and areas on site.

You may photocopy this map to give to all your group leaders.

Glossary

This glossary is intended to clarify some of the key words used in this booklet and

on the trail. Underlined words can be found elsewhere in the glossary.

Brick A man-made building material usually made by forming clay into regular rectangular blocks

and baking.

Clay A fine-grained material which can be moulded when wet and which hardens when dry.

In geological terminology ‘clay’ is a sedimentary material with grains of a diameter of 0.002

millimetres or less.

Cobble A small hard paving stone with a curved top.

In geological terminology a ‘cobble’ is a rounded rock fragment with a diameter between 64

and 256 millimetres.

Erosion A term used to describe the natural wearing away and transportation of material on the

earth’s surface. Weathering is a part of this process.

Granite An igneous rock containing a minimum of 80% quartz, which forms naturally from magma

beneath the earth’s surface.

Impermeable Used to describe rocks which do not allow water to penetrate their surface or be absorbed

into them.

Man-Made Used to describe anything made by people at any point in history.

Marble A metamorphic rock formed naturally underground at high temperatures from limestone.

Natural Used to describe anything which is made or happens without any influence from people.

Pebble A naturally occurring small, rounded, smooth stone.

In geological terminology a ‘pebble’ is a rounded rock fragment with a diameter between 4 and

64 millimetres.

Permeable Used to describe rocks which do allow water to penetrate through their surface and travel

through them.

Rock A hard, naturally occurring material made up of minerals. Rocks can be sedimentary

(formed from deposits of eroded rock/plant matter); igneous (formed from molten rock

which hardens underground or on the surface as lava); or metamorphic (formed deep

underground from rock that has been heated to high temperatures).

Sand Small loose grains of rock.

In geological terminology ‘sand’ is a sedimentary material with a particle size between 0.06and

2 millimetres.

Sandstone A sedimentary rock made up of particles of sand.

Slate A fine-grained metamorphic rock that can easily be split into layers.

Stone Rock, or a small piece of rock.

Texture The physical appearance or character of a rock, includes grain size and shape.

Weathering The physical, chemical and biological processes which break down rocks at their surface,

and contribute to erosion.

You may photocopy this page to give to all your group leaders.

** These cards are found in the boxes at each Trail Stop **

Trail Stop 1

The Conveyor

Take a look around you. From this point you should be able to see several different buildings

and structures.

Control Room

What materials have

been used in the

buildings around you?

How many different

materials can you find?

Notice the red brick of the Control

Room and Lamp Room. This red

brick is a modern, man made building material. Conveyor Gantry

Support

Coal Screening Plant

Concrete is another man made building material.

Concrete supports the conveyor gantry.

Concrete is modern and made from a mixture of

sand, cement, and limestone (or similar) pebbles.

Look closely: the pebbles can be seen in

the texture of the concrete.

Breezeblocks are another modern

building material. Breezeblocks

have been used to build the Coal

Screening Plant.

How are the breezeblocks

and the bricks different?

Think about colour,

texture, shape and size.


Trail Stop 2

The Control Room

Not all building materials are man-made though. If you look across the yard to the Winding

Engine House, you can see that it is made from stone. Stone is a natural building material.

Look at the roof of the Control

Room. The tiles are made

from a natural stone called

slate.

How is this different to

the brick or sandstone?

Think about colour,

texture, shape and size.

Look at the roofs on the

other buildings. What

is the same, what is

different?

Winding Engine House

The walls are made from sandstone.

There is a sample in the box.

Notice the colour and texture

of the sandstone.

Notice the shape of the

sandstone blocks.

Control Room



Trail Stop 3

The Stables

Notice the cobbles on the ground in the stables. The speckled cobbles are made from granite.

Brick wall of

Boiler House

Why do you think the cobbles look worn

away here?

Look at the building materials used in the

Stables. How many can you see?

What does this tell you about how the

Stable Block was built?

Sandstone

in Stables

Compare the shapes of the

building stones with the shapes of

the bricks and breezeblocks.

Which are regular shapes and

which are irregular shapes?

Breezeblock

s Brick and breezeblocks are very

regular shapes. Sandstone blocks are

very irregular.

Sandstone is natural and has been

roughly shaped or ‘dressed’ into

blocks. Often it has begun to wear

away.


Trail Stop 4

The Lancashire Boilers Notice the weathering of the sandstone along the wall.

Notice the way the steps have worn away

What do you think has made the wall

look weathered?

Why do you think the steps are worn

away here?

Look at the wall behind the boilers. Compare the way it looks to the photograph above.

This picture is of the same building, but taken from the other side, next to the road.

Why do you think one wall is more weathered than the other?

What might have caused the weathering to be greater on the wall nearer the road?

Steps to

Boilers

Sandstone wall


Trail Stop 5

The Winding Engine House

Notice the dry stone walling. Natural building material is often irregular in shape.

Dry Stone Walling

Look at the wall that the red

wheel is leaning against.

This is the lamp room exit.

The sandstone is highly

weathered. It is possible to

touch the wall and feel the sandstone crumble away.


Why do you think so much

sandstone has been used at

the colliery?

Sandstone is a rock that is found

locally. Other natural building

materials like granite and limestone

have to be transported from other places.


Trail Stop 6

The Visitor Centre

Trail Stop 7

The Locomotive Tracks

Warning! Do not climb over, or reach through the barrier!

Notice the gravel on the tracks of the locomotive. How many different types of rock

do you think there are?

The gravel is made from sandstone and limestone. Sandstone has been used because it is easy

to find locally.

Why do you think gravel has been used in this way, at the end of the railway track?

Learning Curve

The Visitor Centre was opened in 2002,

and is the Museum’s newest building.

How can you tell from looking

around that this building is new?

Notice the granite cobbles at the Learning

Curve.

Have these cobbles worn away

like those at the Stables?

The cobbles in the Stables are only

twenty years older, and granite is a

very hard stone, but the way that

they are used could affect how fast they are worn away.

Notice the regular modern

bricks of the Visitor Centre.

This building is very different from

the Winding Engine House and

Lancashire Boilers because it is much newer.

Rocks Trail Worksheet

Can you identify the rock samples on the trail and their properties?

Stop 1 Look at the sample of concrete in the

box. Use the magnifying glasses to have

a close look. Draw what you can see.

As you can see, man-made materials come in

many shapes and sizes.

Breezeblocks are

than bricks.

smoother rougher

bigger smaller

Stop 2 Can you find the slate sample?

Is it: hard crumbly

soft smooth

rough

Slate makes a good roof tile because it

splits easily into thin sheets.

Draw the shape of the roof tiles here:

Stop 3 Look at the granite sample. Draw a place

in the stables where granite is used.

Why do you think granite is used to

make roads and steps?

Because it is:

strong crumbly

hardwearing permeable

(lets water through)

Stop 4 Look at the sandstone sample. Choose words to describe it:

Can you see something made of sandstone which has worn away (weathered)?

What do you think has made this sandstone wear away?

crumbly rough smooth permeable worn

Name

Date

Stop 5 Look again at the sandstone sample.

Can you see sandstone on a wall near

you?

Draw the shape of the bricks.

Are they regular or irregular?

Why do you think so many buildings

here are made out of sandstone?

Because

Stop 6 Look at the granite sample. It is used in

the cobbles. Draw the cobbles.

Compare this drawing to the one you made at

trail stop 2.

What are the differences?

Think about the different uses of the cobbles in

the stables and those at the visitor centre!

Stop 7 Look at the sandstone and limestone sample.

Choose a word which best describes each rock sample and complete the sentence.

crumbly permeable weathered soft impermeable light hard

Sandstone is

Limestone is

Well done! Why not go and see if you can investigate the different rocks which

are used around your home or school?

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