Geology PAG 12: Research skills

Suggested Activity 1: Integrating fieldwork into the basin model

Instructions for teachers & technicians

This practical activity is composed of two parts; a teacher/technician section and the learner activity which can be found on page 5. This practical activity supports OCR AS/A Level Geology.

When distributing the activity section to the students either as a printed copy or as a Word file you will need to remove the teacher instructions section.

This is a suggested practical activity that can be used as part of teaching the OCR AS and ALevel Geology specifications helping to fulfil the requirements of the Practical Endorsement.
These are not required activities, nor are they coursework tasks.
You may modify these activities to suit your students and centre. Alternative activities are available from, for example, ESTA, Earth Learning Idea, CLEAPSS and publishing companies. Support for mapping activities to the requirements of the Practical Endorsement is available from OCR – see or email us at .
Students can collaborate during the activities but each student must individually demonstrate competence in each of the practical skills being assessed (see Practical Skills below).
It is possible for a student to achieve some but not all of the practical skills involved in an activity (and this can be recorded as individual skills in the OCR PAG Tracker).
Further details are available in the specifications (Practical Skills Topics).

OCR recommendations:

Before carrying out any fieldwork based on this guidance, it is the responsibility of teachers to ensure that they have undertaken a risk assessment in accordance with their employer’s requirements, making use of up-to-date information and taking account of their own particular circumstances. Any local rules or restrictions issued by the employer must always be followed.

CLEAPSS resources are useful for carrying out risk-assessments: ().

Centres should trial experiments in advance of giving them to students. Centres may choose to make adaptations to this practical activity, but should be aware that this may affect the Apparatus and Techniques covered by the learner.

This document may have been modified– if in doubt check the master version on OCR Interchange.

Version 1.0 – February 20181© OCR 2018

Introduction

Students will be using their fieldwork observations from a sedimentary basin and integrating these with their research of the chosen basin. Students present the results of their research as an academic poster; introducing a form of appropriate communication of scientific ideas which they will use again as they progress in the geosciences. The activity provides students with an opportunity to develop their understanding of How Science Works (Appendix 5e) andthe skills of researching and referencing information from books, journals and the internet. This activity is specifically linked to specification content 7.2.3(b)(iii). Students are expected to have completed fieldwork at contrasting sites within a single basin, and have their own primary fieldwork records.

Aims

  • to integrate the students own field observations and secondary data on a sedimentary basin to illustrate the palaeoenvironments and geologically history of the basin
  • to produce an academic poster illustrating the context of the students own fieldwork within a basin wide study.

Intended class or independent learning time

  • 2 to 3 hours

Practical Skills – competence assessed by the teacher

1.2.1 (f) present information and data in a scientific way

1.2.1 (g) use a wide range of experimental and practical instruments, equipment and techniques

1.2.1 (h) use online and offline research skills including websites, textbooks and other printed scientific sources of information

1.2.1 (i) correctly cite sources of information

CPAC – competence assessed by the teacher

(4)makes and records observations.

(5)researches, references and reports

Links to Specifications

1.3.1 (a) the measurement and description of the diagnostic properties of rocks in the field

1.3.1 (b) the collection of valid data in the field relating to the igneous, metamorphic or sedimentary processes that formed the rocks

1.4.1 (a) the use of evidence in the field, photographs, diagrams and maps to recognise the rock cycle

5.1.1 (d) Walther’s law which relates vertical sequences in outcrop with the lateral facies changes seen in modern environments

7.2.3(c)practical investigation integrating field geology and secondary data (e.g. geological maps, seismic data, well logs, fossils) to understand the palaeoenvironments and geological history within the context of a basin wide study.

Equipment

Each learner will require:

  • asheet of poster paper of a standard size determined by the teacher, suggested size would be A2 (420x594mm) or A1 (594x841mm).

Notes

This is an individual task rather than a group activity:

  • this is intended as an activity that is suitable for Y13 students who are studying 7.2.2 or 7.2.3, however it should be accessible to students from 4.2.1 who have been introduced to the broad concepts of Basin Analysis;
  • it builds on skills, and synoptic application of knowledge and understanding from across the full course (see Geology sample planning table in the Practical Skills Handbook);
  • It can also be used as directed independent learning for students to research outside class before making their presentation using the academic poster format;
  • the Practical Skills Handbook contains guidelines on the Harvard and Vancouver referencing systems. Whilst there is no specific requirement as to which should be used for this exercise it is suggested that students start using a consistent, accepted referencing system throughout A level;
  • there is no specific mark scheme for this task, but a research briefing and peer assessment resource which may be used for guidance and demonstrates a clear indication of progression
  • display all the posters on the walls or display boards in an area where the students can walk around to carry out the peer assessment. Using the peer assessment resource the students can assess each other’s work. A useful strategy is to get each student to identify a poster that best exemplifies the assessment criteria and explain to you why it works. As formative assessment this can help students to identify how communicate scientific ideas more effectively to a chosen audience.

Linking to an EPQ

  • As the practical endorsement does not contribute to the overall grade at A level it would be permissible for a learner to be credited with the competences for researching and referencing by completing an Extended Project Qualification (EPQ);
  • Details and the specification for the OCR Extended Project Qualification H857 can found here

Records

As evidence for the Practical Endorsement, students:

  • should not need to re-draft their work, but rather keep all of their notes as a continuing record of their practical work, dating their work clearly,
  • field notebook or field work qualitative/quantitative data recorded in an appropriate format
  • academic poster produced to the research brief supplied by the teacher.

Extension questions help students develop their understanding of the underlying geological theory and are a preparation for the written examinations. They also help students to develop the practical science skills assessed indirectly in the written examinations and they should be encouraged to record their data appropriately, for example showing full workings in calculations, and stating final answers to the appropriate number of significant figures.

Document updates

v1.0February 2018Original version.

This document may have been modified– if in doubt check the master version on OCR Interchange.

Version 1.0 – February 20181© OCR 2018

Geology PAG 12: Research skills

Suggested Activity 1: Integrating fieldwork into the basin model

Learner activity

Introduction

In this activity you will beusing your own fieldwork from a sedimentary basin and integrating these observations with previous research on the geology of the basin. You will also be using the skills of researching and referencing information from books, journals and the internet.

You will be presentingyour research as an academic poster which is a standard way ofcommunicating scientific research as an undergraduate or postgraduate geoscience student.

Aims

to integrate your own field observations and secondary data on a sedimentary basin to illustrate the palaeoenvironments and geologically history of the basin

to produce an academic poster illustrating the context of the students own fieldwork within a basin wide study.

Intended class or independent learning time

  • 2 to 3 hours

Procedure

Before starting your practical work, read the information below.

  1. Research your chosen sedimentary basin identifying new knowledge and understanding going beyond what is taught in the geology classroom.
  2. Identify how you can use your own field observations (qualitative and quantitative) to illustrate the palaeoenvironments and geological history of the basin you have discovered from your research.
  3. Produce an academic poster to the research briefing that your teacher has set.
  4. You should include information taken from suitable resources, and you must properly cite the sources of information that you have used.

Records

As evidence for the Practical Endorsement, you need records of:

  • field work qualitative/quantitative data recorded in an appropriate formatsuch as in a field notebook
  • academic poster produced to the research brief supplied by the teacher.

All work should be clearly dated.

This document may have been modified– if in doubt check the master version on OCR Interchange.

Version 1.0 – February 20181© OCR 2018

Resource Sheet

Academic Poster: research briefing

An academic poster is a visually striking way to communicate your research. For scientists the academic poster is the equivalent of a short story. An academic poster will only cover key points, contain fewer than 500 words and should grab the reader’s interest from three metres away. A good poster will have a logical flow, be uncluttered and the graphics will guide the eye rather than the text. If you cannot read thetext from 1.5 metres it will be ignored.

Academic Poster: peer assessment

Read through the assessment criteria and then walk around the display area. Never stand closer than two steps away from a poster; if you cannot read the content the author does not intend it to be read so ignore it. Rank the posters from most effect to least effective based on the research brief and the criteria below. For the best posters you should be able to explain why each works. Finally review your own poster and identify what improvements you could make to more effectively communicate your geological ideas and conclusions.

Poster Layout and Content
Logical structure and suitable fonts and graphics: it is easy to work out how to navigate (look and read) through the content. The headings are clear and the graphics have captions. Graphics (e.g. photographs, drawings, diagrams, graphs, tables) captions are used as visual aids to tell the main story on the poster.
Well presented, with appropriate graphic; well-chosen supporting graphs, maps, diagrams or tables. / Relevant graphics, maps, graphs, tables or diagrams are used but are not always linked clearly to the arguments presented. / Diagrams graphs or tables (if included) are irrelevant or not linked to the main argument.
Language and communication: the language used is free of errors and appropriate for the audience chosen (e.g. appropriate use of technical terms for geologists, or clear explanation of technical detail for non-geologists). The language is effective in communicating the objectives, and outcomes of the author.
Well-written in good English, and is clear and succinct. It is wholly in the student’s own words, except for clearly identified short and relevant quotations, which are integrated into the argument. / The briefing is neatly produced. It has some flaws of logical structure or written English. Quotations are identified and are relevant, but are not always linked clearly to the arguments presented. / The writing lacks structure, and its logic is hard to follow, with key points omitted or hard to identify. The relevance of parts of it may be doubtful. Quotations from sources are not identified.
Quality of Research
Use of sources: appropriate range and variety of sources, including seeking to crosscheck information between different sources. There is a complete list of the sources consulted, with suitable referencing. It is made clear how the various sources contribute to the final presentation. / Use of sources: Several relevant sources of information were used, perhaps without crosschecking. The sources are identified in a list of the sources. There is some but not always complete information about where these sources were found, or how they contribute / Use of sources: At least one source has been identified and the presentation may simply report the content of one or two sources. It may not be clear where the original sources were found, or how they contribute. Any list of the sources is inadequately documented.
Scope of geology included: The poster has identifies the key ideas, and no important aspects of the understanding required are ignored or missed. Involves ideas or applications new to the student that go beyond or lie outside A level geology. / Scope of geology included: poster requires some knowledge of A-level geology to be understood. Some ideas new to the student have been tackled, but not necessarily completely. The geology included might not all be of A-level standard. / Scope of geology included: Knowledge of geology is required for the poster to beunderstood, but the ideasare simple, needing littleuse of A-level geology. Many aspects of the understanding required are ignored or missed.

Academic poster research briefing and peer assessment guide