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Science Learning Experience: Volcanic Rocks

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Science Learning Experience: Volcanic Rocks

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Learning Intention:

Understand there are differences between different volcanic rocks.

Success Criteria:

Take notes on the 3 different types of volcanic rocks.

Match the different kinds of volcanic rocks.

Materials:

Printed copies of the note-taking sheet

Video

Sorting Chart: pre-cut into bags (found on here)

Glue Stick

Sequence:

1. Start with a discussion on prior knowledge about rocks. e.g. provocation: What are rocks?

2. Introduce the first part of the lesson: note-taking on different kinds of volcanic rocks.

3. Hand out note-taking sheets.

4. Watch the video while students are note-taking. (You May need to pause the video to allow for students to keep up)

5. Share between trios, prompt students with: what were similar findings? Are there differences from your peers?

6. Within these trios, hand out the sorting activity.

7. Get students to complete the sorting activity by sticking them into the right columns.

8. Get students to explore when finished, walking around and looking at the others, allowing for sharing.

9. Review answers, and discuss any discrepancies.

(Participating and Contributing, Interpreting Representations)

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Rocks are not all the same. Some are heavy, some are light. Others are dark, while some can be almost pure white. Even igneous rocks that are all formed from magma in the Earth's mantle can look very different.

Igneous rocks

Rocks are broadly classified into three groups - igneous, sedimentary and metamorphic. Igneous rocks are formed from magma in the Earth's mantle. They generally don't contain fossils, don't react with acids, don't usually contain obvious layers, can be made of different minerals, sometimes have holes or bubbles and may be glassy in appearance. Volcanologists look for these igneous rocks so that they can learn more about where these rocks have come from and whether they were formed during a volcanic eruption.

Geologists use the visual appearance of the rock as an initial clue to its composition but will then verify their ideas using specialised techniques. For example, scientists at The University of Auckland use an electron microprobe to measure the exact quantities of silicairon, magnesium and many other chemicals that are in rock samples they collect. This information helps them to classify the rock and may give them direct clues about the volcano and the eruption that formed the rock.

Lava solidifies to rock

New Zealand has 3 main types of volcanoes, and each has been formed from a different type of magma. Once the lava has erupted, it cools and solidifies into rock:

Basalt magma often forms shield volcanoes.

Andesite magma often forms cone volcanoes.

Rhyolite magma often forms calderas. Depending on how much gas the magma contains, it can also form cone volcanoes.

Basalt

The Earth's crust is mainly basalt rock. It is a heavy, dark, grainy rock. Basalt is associated with great rock columns that are found in many places around the Earth, for example, the Organ Pipes in Dunedin or the Giant's Causeway in Ireland.

Basalt magma is formed at high temperatures (around 1,200ºC). When it comes out of the volcano, it is hot and liquid. It contains very little silica (less than 50%) and a lot of magnesium and iron, which makes the rock look dark.

The Auckland volcanic field has erupted this type of hot, runny iron-rich lava, and the landscape is dotted with mountains made from basalt and scoria (a red-coloured rock that contains large amounts of iron-rich minerals). Both rock types are excavated for building materials and landscaping.

Andesite

Andesites are lighter coloured than basalt because they contain less iron and more silica (50-60%). Some scoria rocks fall within the andesite classification because of their chemical composition.

Magma that contains andesite is generally around 800-1,000ºC and forms steep-sided cone volcanoes (stratovolcanoes). Mount Ngāuruhoe is an example of an andesite volcano.

Rhyolite

Rhyolite is light-coloured or white - this is a clue that the rock contains a lot of silica (more than 70%) and not much iron or magnesium.

Rhyolitic magmas are associated with low temperatures (750-850ºC) and are often thick, which means gases can't escape. Some rhyolitic rocks are quite light, for example, pumice, which may still have evidence of the bubbles of gas trapped as the rock solidified.

Nature of Science

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Rocks are not all the same. Some are heavy, some are light. Others are dark, while some can be almost pure white. Even igneous rocks that are all formed from magma in the Earth's mantle can look very different. Rocks are broadly classified into three groups - igneous, sedimentary and metamorphic.

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Technology Learning Experience: Excavation Tool Prototype*

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Technology Learning Experience: Excavation Tool Prototype*

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Learning Intention:

Create a prototype based on a design to use as an excavation tool in the sand.

Success Criteria:

Use my plan to inform my prototype.

Create my first prototype.

Materials:

Paper

Pens

Task Visual

Task:

You have been tasked to create an excavation tool to use in the sand to explore what lies within the sand's surface.

Make sure you have the task always visible throughout the entire process!

Support students as a 'guide on the side' and let them explore their designs. Prompts could include: do you have what you need? Do you need anything from me? Have you checked your design?

*Make sure you complete a lesson on initial design before the prototyping stage as this will give you what materials will be required.

(Technological Knowledge)

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Soil excavation tools and machines of various types are used in construction. Soil excavation is essential from a construction perspective, and depending

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Engineering Learning Experience: Boat Design

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Engineering Learning Experience: Boat Design

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Learning intention:

Create a design for a solution to a relevant problem.

Success Criteria:

Brainstorm initial ideas.

Draw up an initial solution.

Research to support solution.

Materials:

A3 Paper

Pens/pencils

Devices

Problem:

We need to get supplies to the DOC workers on Rangitoto quickly.

Sequence:

1. Introduce the environment: Takapuna Beach and Rangitoto.

2. Discuss prior knowledge; beaches, boats, sailing, swimming etc.

3. Introduce the problem, and tell the students they will be engineers in order to solve it.

4. Get students to brainstorm possible ways to solve the problem (do not mention the boat solution until it is mentioned by the ākonga).

5. Hand out A3 paper for students to start creating solutions.

6. Allow time for research and discussion in problem-solving.

7. Display designs ready for the next lesson. Have the problem visible with the designs.

Next steps: create, evaluate and present results.

(Engineering Cycle)

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BOATERexam.com® - Educating Boaters Online

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Leading provider of safe boater education and certification across the United States and Canada. Our online boat safety course and exam allows boaters to meet mandatory education requirements.

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Maths Learning Experience: Termly Temperatures

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Maths Learning Experience: Termly Temperatures

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Learning Intention:

To visually represent our data.

Success Criteria:

Use a bar graph to show the water temperature.

Use a bar graph to show air temperature.

Use a bar graph to show both, water and air temperature.

Materials:

A3 Paper

Pens

Rulers

Data (collected over the year)

Bar Graph Support

Task:

After collecting data for a week straight at the beginning of each term, use this to create a bar graph. There will be 2 data sets: water temperature and air temperature.

Go over representing data and why we do this (to show trends and interpret data).

Using either plain paper or grided paper, draw in the x and y-axis, and proceed with labelling the graph before finally plotting the bar graph data with the collected data. Do one data set at a time. Model the first data set, then get students to optionally make the second one independently.

Display data.

Next steps: draw conclusions from the data and answer investigative questions from the beginning of the data collection cycle.

(Statistics)

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Up to the minute information on water quality and swimming conditions at your favourite swimming spots.

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Science Learning Experience: Shell Types

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Science Learning Experience: Shell Types

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Learning Intention:

Organise shells according to their physical characteristics.

Success Criteria:

Notice differences between shells.

Group similar shells together.

Materials:

Shells

Camera/phone

Note Pads

Pens

Task:

Using collected shells from Takapuna Beach, organise shells into groups.

While students are doing this, listen to the conversation and ask prompting questions like: why are those shells together? How are you sorting the shells? How are these different?

Support note-taking of the student's observations, as this is their evidence to support their choices.

Have a class discussion on final agreements and disagreements.

Photograph the arrangements.

Next steps: Research the different types of shells, what are they? What is their purpose?

(Investigating in Science)

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This is in alphabetical order by common name. We have used Crowe, Andrew. Mini Guide to the Identification of New Zealand Seashells New Zealand, Penguin, 2010, Paperback. Please use the comments…

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Maths Learning Experience: Making a Quadrant

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Maths Learning Experience: Making a Quadrant

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Learning Intention:

Create a quadrant to use on the rocky shore at Takapuna Beach.

Success Criteria:

Measure material into 1 metre² (4 pieces).

Cut out material.

Join pieces.

Materials:

Metre Ruler

Brown Paper

Flute Board

Craft Knife

Hot Glue Guns

Hot Glue

Sequence:

1. Prior knowledge check: vocab: quad, sides, metre², cm, m, perimeter, area.

2. Using metre rulers, in trios, practise measuring 1-metre lengths onto brown paper, with 5cm of width.

3. Get students to cut these out and using a glue stick, stick them together to form a quadrant.

4. Discuss perimeter and area here.

5. Repeat the measurement process on the flute board.

6. Teacher to cut out flute board.

7. Students glue the flute board together to finish the quadrant.

Next steps:

Practise using the quadrants around the school before the Takapuna Beach trip.

(Measurement)

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Marine Metre² | Help Us Understand New Zealand’s Seashore

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Join citizen scientists across New Zealand in our mission to have the best understood coastline in the world.

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This map shows the area of the Hauraki Gulf, nature, DOC, and marine reserves, including boundaries.

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This video explains how tides work in relation to the moon and the Earth's axis. The visuals and explanations are easy to follow along and are clear for ākonga.

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This Audiobook is all about volcanoes; the layers of the earth, and how scientists work with volcanoes.

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This image from the archives allows a unique and special perspective of the 1919 physicality of Takapuna Beach.

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Looking north west along Takapuna Beach from the vicinity of Clifton Road, showing houses with frontages on the beach

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This website details the history of Takapuna Beach and the surrounding area, including waka, original names, prominent chiefs, and more.

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What is Takapuna? The te reo Māori proper noun has been a place name, a personal name, and many other things over many centuries.

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This website includes a map of the water bodies around the motu, weather, water quality, temperature and tidal information can be found here, along with the water quality and if swimming is permitted at any given time.

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Up to the minute information on water quality and swimming conditions at your favourite swimming spots.

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This Kahoot! is all about the tides and the moon and their relationship, it can be informative and summative.

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SCI07 Tides and the moon - Details - Kahoot!

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Join a game of kahoot here. Kahoot! is a free game-based learning platform that makes it fun to learn - any subject, in any language, on any device, for all ages!

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This website is rich in teacher and learner support in conducting a metre² investigation with guides and resources.

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Marine Metre² | Help Us Understand New Zealand’s Seashore

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Join citizen scientists across New Zealand in our mission to have the best understood coastline in the world.

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This website explores different hull types and their purposes.

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BOATERexam.com® - Educating Boaters Online

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Leading provider of safe boater education and certification across the United States and Canada. Our online boat safety course and exam allows boaters to meet mandatory education requirements.

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This podcast episode includes a discussion with a DOC expert on whale and dolphin standings.

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Listen to this episode from DOC Sounds of Science Podcast on Spotify. Marine species expert Hannah Hendriks talks whale strandings, post-mortems and crucial data. www.doc.govt.nz/podcast

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This handy tool allows the practice of labelling the anatomy of a beach environment. Great for scientific vocabulary!

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This online quiz is called Anatomy of a Beach Labeling Game. It was created by member Blessedone210 and has 19 questions.

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This article shows the impact of coastal erosion as a contextual example for ākonga and the implications involved.

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The steps were a surprise, but nothing special, Menzies, who is aged in his 80s and had lived in the area for 50 years, said.

"They will just be buried again when the work is done ... we can't leave a big hole there. I've got two things to preserve - an old changing shed and a protected pōhutukawa."

He was unsure of either's age but both were special, he said.

"The shed I'm protecting was built at the time people used to bathe at the beach and change in there. It's a reminder of what it was like years ago. But when we get big waves coming in, the tide washes over the whole base of the shed."

He'd already lined the walls of the shed with marine timber to protect it.

Menzies, who has deliberately left his front lawn unfenced so those visiting the beach can sit on its lower section, said the tree was special and familiar to many.

"It's a lovely old tree. Some families have picnicked under it for 30 or 40 years. It's got a lot of history and the old bathing shed is a reminder of a time past."

However, a big north-east storm, which struck at the peak of a king tide about five years ago, had caused serious erosion.

While his home, set 8m back, isn't at risk, the shed and tree are, Menzies said.

The works, which are expected to take about two weeks, involve replacing the stormwater disposal system and building a retaining wall.

"The retaining wall will act as a barrier so the sea doesn't erode [any more land]. The shed would be secure and the tree would be secure."

He didn't want to say how much the work cost. It was part of the cost of owning a property and wanting to protect the environment around it.

"You've got a responsibility to look after it for the generations ahead.

"What is the reason we're here? I'm a Christian and I think I understand why we're here ... responsibility for the environment is fundamental to a Christian person's faith."

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Hidden history: Works reveal popular North Shore beach's secret

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They dug to preserve the history above, and stumbled across a glimpse of it below. Erosion protection work has revealed a relic of Takapuna Beach's past,...

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This database is a treasure trove search engine of all different kinds of marine animals and plants.

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Welcome to the Marine Life Database 2020

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Find out more about the local marine animals and plants.Identify the animals that you have seen.

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This website explains the importance of safe drinking water and provides an audio explanation in more detail.

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The simplest water supply is just a well with a pipe from it, or a pipe from a river or lake, perhaps with a pump and storage tank. Water needs to be free of contamination and safe to drink.

Risks to drinking water

Chemical contamination of New Zealand water supplies is a small risk. Here and throughout the world the greatest risk to water supply comes from bacterial contamination. Animal, bird and even human effluent, introduced upstream from a water supply, can make that water unfit for drinking.

There are two ways of minimising the risk from bacteria:

1. Keep the source as clean as possible, by protecting the catchment and minimising the chance of contamination.

2. Treat the water to destroy any introduced contaminants.

Often both methods are used along with regular monitoring of the water quality.

Water treatment plants

Treatment plants are used to remove actual or potential contaminants and ensure water is safe to drink. The most common treatment is chlorination, where a chemical compound is mixed with the water to kill any bacteria from the source. This treatment will also continue to provide some protection from any bacteria that later enter the water as it moves through the network of pipes to homes and businesses.

Other treatment processes include coagulation (making fine particles drop out), filtration and the removal of other contaminants. Removal of cloudiness is important because chlorination is not as effective otherwise.

Treated water is transported to users through a network of pipes. Additional pumping may be required to hill suburbs. Larger cities have more than one treatment plant.

Treating Wellington's drinking water

There are four water treatment plants in the Wellington Region:

1.The Te Marua Water Treatment Plant usually supplies Upper Hutt, Manor Park, Stokes Valley, Porirua and the western suburbs of Wellington, as far south as Karori. Production from Te Marua typically accounts for just over 40% of the region's total supply.

2.The Waterloo Water Treatment Plant is supplied by eight wells from the Waiwhetu aquifer beneath Lower Hutt. Water drawn from the wells has been underground in an airtight environment for more than a year, making it free from bacterial contamination and safe to drink without any treatment. However, lime is added to reduce the acidity of the water so it does not corrode pipes. The natural level of fluoride is also adjusted to help promote dental health. Waterloo supplies 40% of the region's water to Lower Hutt (apart from Manor Park and Stokes Valley) and, mixed with water from Wainuiomata supplies Wellington's CBD and southern and eastern suburbs.

3.Wainuiomata Water Treatment Plant receives water from the Wainuiomata and Orongorongo rivers and three smaller creeks. It usually supplies 20% of the region's water to Wainuiomata and, mixed with the Waterloo Water Treatment Plant, Wellington's CBD and the city's southern and eastern suburbs.

4.Gear Island in Petone - used for emergency and back up for Waterloo Water Treatment Plant.

The Wainuiomata Water Treatment Plant - an example of how water is made safe to drink

Water collection

1. Before the water treatment plant water is collected from a natural source.

2. Screening the water - The water that has been collected must be screened to remove any debris. Big items, such as, grit, sand, gravel, rocks, sticks and leaves, are flushed back into the river. Although water is collected from the cleanest possible source, there will still be impurities in it that are too small to see or catch in the bar screens.

Inside the treatment plant

1. Clumping impurities
Because the impurities floating in water can be very small, it's easier to get them out if they can clump together in bigger groups. Chemicals can be added to the water to attract the suspended particles like a magnet and bind them together into larger particles that we can see (called floc).

2. Separating out the floc to remove impurities
Millions of tiny bubbles of air are pumped into the water. The bubbles join onto the floc, floating them to the surface where they form a 'floc blanket' which can then be removed and treated. This waste is sent to a centrifuge, which spins really fast, removing the excess water like the spin cycle in a washing machine, returning the clean recycled water to the inlet to the water treatment plant and leaving behind solid sludge which is taken to the landfill at Wainuiomata.

3. Filtering the water
The water that is left under the floc blanket flows through a sand filter at the bottom of the tank. This acts like a very fine screen, trapping and separating out any last particles that didn't float to the top. The clean drinking water has a long way to go from the water treatment plant, through pipes to local storage reservoirs and then through more pipes before it reaches taps.

4. Adding Chlorine and Flouride
Before the water goes to the treated water reservoir, chlorine is added to kill any bugs that may remain in the water or that might enter the water over the long journey. About 5 million litres can be stored in the treated water reservoir at Wainuiomata at a time. Fluoride is also added before it reaches our taps, to help keep our teeth strong and healthy.

5. The water is monitored throughout the treatment process to make sure it meets New Zealand's drinking water standards.

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The simplest water supply is just a well with a pipe from it, or a pipe from a river or lake, perhaps with a pump and storage tank. Water needs to be free of contamination and safe to drink. Chemical contamination of New Zealand water supplies is a small risk.

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This video shows how our local water is processed, where it comes from, and where it goes and is aided with a simple step-by-step guide and visual.

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This website is all about stormwater management, and how it works. It has great posters with concise information for ākonga to digest.

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One the major prerequisites we need to build the houses we need to combat our housing crisis is infrastructure, without it, the development can't happen. This post is about a highly but often forgotten element of infrastructure Three Waters - Water Supply, Wastewater & Stormwater. In part 1 I focused on Wastewater, part 2 focused on Water Supply, part 3 will focus on Traditional Stormwater Systems or Grey Infrastructure compared to Green Infrastructure.

The stormwater system is public pipes, manholes, catchpits and other assets which assist in collecting water from rain & safely managing it. The stormwater system in Auckland is managed directly by Auckland Council as opposed to Wastewater & Water Supply which is managed by Watercare.

The recent LTP has the following Stormwater infrastructure as needed

1. Freeman's Bay stormwater upgrades ($21m) Due to frequent flooding in Daldy Street, Fanshawe Street, parts of Victoria Street and Victoria Park upgrades are needed to address - 2017 - 2020

2. Artillery Tunnel ($22m) Due to be completed this year this one-kilometre long tunnel from McLennan Park to Pahurehure Inlet will serve Takanini growth areas - 2015 - 2017.

3. Takanini Conveyance Cascades ($22) New open channel incorporating cascading weirs and associated green space to convey the 100-year flood in Takanini growth areas - 2015 - 2019.

4. Ports of Auckland Outfall ($22m) A new stormwater pipe to replace the existing pipe in poor condition on Quay Street - 2015 - 2019

5. Oakley Creek Conveyance ($30m) Upgrading culverts and widening of Oakley Creek through Walmsley Park to convey flood flow to allow growth in South Auckland - 2015 - 2019

These projects are also integral if we are to provide for the growth to tackle this housing crisis, however, it is key that an integrated approach is taken to infrastructure where AC/AT/NZTA/Watercare/Panuku/Crown work together on each area as a complete package of Three Waters, Transport, Planning & Community/Social Services to make work & not in isolation of each other.

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Three Waters Infrastructure; What does Auckland need? - Part 3 - Traditional Stormwater - Greater Auckland

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One the major prerequisites we need to build the houses we need to combat our housing crisis is infrastructure, without it, the development can't happen. This post is about a highly but often forgotten element of infrastructure Three Waters - Water Supply, Wastewater ... Continued

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This website identifies dolphins and whales found in our local harbour and provides some further information on each type.

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7 Whale and Dolphin Species to See in Auckland - NZ Pocket Guide

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What are the different species of whale and dolphin seen in Auckland? Look at this list of the whale and dolphin species to see in Auckland.

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This video explains the workings of echolocation.

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How do dolphins use echolocation to navigate the deep seas?

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This live camera feed shows a scrolling view of Takapuna Beach.

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- The most accurate forecast data available

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This PDF is a concise document with main and important information regarding Rangitoto, including eruptive history, creatures, material, monitoring, and more.

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This website offers a time-lapse of tidal action and graphics showing how tides work using gravity.

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We've talked a lot about the effect of the Moon's gravitational pull on Earth. But what about Earth's much bigger gravitational influence on the Moon? After all, Earth has 80 times the Moon's mass. Well, just as the Moon's pull slightly distorts Earth's sphere, Earth's gravity slightly deforms the Moon. It's not as dramatic as the ocean tides ― think of it as the difference between trying to squish a balloon filled with water and a balloon filled with sand ― but these tides on the Moon are measurable using lasers, and in some cases their effects are visible. Young cliffs on the Moon, called lobate scarps, form due to the combined forces of the Moon contracting as its hot interior cools and Earth's gravity pulling on the surface. The contraction causes the Moon's crust to buckle, pushed together and upwards to form the cliffs, but scientists examining these cracks have observed that their positions are related to the pull of Earth's gravity.

Writer: Tracy Vogel
Graphic Designer: Vi Nguyen
Science Advisors: Vishnu Viswanathan, Joseph Renaud, NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center

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You walk along a beach, seashells, driftwood and seaweed left by the retreating tides at your feet. Look up at the Moon, and you're seeing the main cause of the surge and retreat of oceans from our shores. As distant as the Moon may seem, its gravitational pull on Earth plays a huge role in [...]

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This website offers information on different kinds of volcanic rocks; their properties and additional information. There are also images and a video for extra explanation.

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Rocks are not all the same. Some are heavy, some are light. Others are dark, while some can be almost pure white. Even igneous rocks that are all formed from magma in the Earth's mantle can look very different.

Igneous rocks

Rocks are broadly classified into three groups - igneous, sedimentary and metamorphic. Igneous rocks are formed from magma in the Earth's mantle. They generally don't contain fossils, don't react with acids, don't usually contain obvious layers, can be made of different minerals, sometimes have holes or bubbles and may be glassy in appearance. Volcanologists look for these igneous rocks so that they can learn more about where these rocks have come from and whether they were formed during a volcanic eruption.

Geologists use the visual appearance of the rock as an initial clue to its composition but will then verify their ideas using specialised techniques. For example, scientists at The University of Auckland use an electron microprobe to measure the exact quantities of silicairon, magnesium and many other chemicals that are in rock samples they collect. This information helps them to classify the rock and may give them direct clues about the volcano and the eruption that formed the rock.

Lava solidifies to rock

New Zealand has 3 main types of volcanoes, and each has been formed from a different type of magma. Once the lava has erupted, it cools and solidifies into rock:

Basalt magma often forms shield volcanoes.

Andesite magma often forms cone volcanoes.

Rhyolite magma often forms calderas. Depending on how much gas the magma contains, it can also form cone volcanoes.

Basalt

The Earth's crust is mainly basalt rock. It is a heavy, dark, grainy rock. Basalt is associated with great rock columns that are found in many places around the Earth, for example, the Organ Pipes in Dunedin or the Giant's Causeway in Ireland.

Basalt magma is formed at high temperatures (around 1,200ºC). When it comes out of the volcano, it is hot and liquid. It contains very little silica (less than 50%) and a lot of magnesium and iron, which makes the rock look dark.

The Auckland volcanic field has erupted this type of hot, runny iron-rich lava, and the landscape is dotted with mountains made from basalt and scoria (a red-coloured rock that contains large amounts of iron-rich minerals). Both rock types are excavated for building materials and landscaping.

Andesite

Andesites are lighter coloured than basalt because they contain less iron and more silica (50-60%). Some scoria rocks fall within the andesite classification because of their chemical composition.

Magma that contains andesite is generally around 800-1,000ºC and forms steep-sided cone volcanoes (stratovolcanoes). Mount Ngāuruhoe is an example of an andesite volcano.

Rhyolite

Rhyolite is light-coloured or white - this is a clue that the rock contains a lot of silica (more than 70%) and not much iron or magnesium.

Rhyolitic magmas are associated with low temperatures (750-850ºC) and are often thick, which means gases can't escape. Some rhyolitic rocks are quite light, for example, pumice, which may still have evidence of the bubbles of gas trapped as the rock solidified.

Nature of Science

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Rocks are not all the same. Some are heavy, some are light. Others are dark, while some can be almost pure white. Even igneous rocks that are all formed from magma in the Earth's mantle can look very different. Rocks are broadly classified into three groups - igneous, sedimentary and metamorphic.

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This blog displays all kinds of shells and information on each with images.

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This is in alphabetical order by common name. We have used Crowe, Andrew. Mini Guide to the Identification of New Zealand Seashells New Zealand, Penguin, 2010, Paperback. Please use the comments…