Geology PAG 12: Research skills

Suggested Activity 1: Integrating fieldwork into the basin modelInstructions for teachers & techniciansThis 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 A Level 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 www.ocr.org.uk/positiveaboutpractical or email us at PASS@ocr.org.uk.

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: (http://science.cleapss.org.uk).

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.

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updated over time, which means there may be contradictions between the resource and the specification, therefore please use the information on the latest specification at all times. If you do notice a discrepancy please contact us on the following email address: resources.feedback@ocr.org.uk

IntroductionStudents 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) and the 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 teacher1.2.1 (f) present information and data in a scientific way1.2.1 (g) use a wide range of experimental and practical instruments, equipment and techniques1.2.1 (h) use online and offline research skills including websites, textbooks and other printed scientific sources of information1.2.1 (i) correctly cite sources of information

CPAC – competence assessed by the teacher(4) makes and records observations.(5) researches, references and reports

Links to Specifications1.3.1 (a) the measurement and description of the diagnostic properties of rocks in the field1.3.1 (b) the collection of valid data in the field relating to the igneous, metamorphic or sedimentary processes that formed the rocks1.4.1 (a) the use of evidence in the field, photographs, diagrams and maps to recognise the rock cycle5.1.1 (d) Walther’s law which relates vertical sequences in outcrop with the lateral facies changes seen in modern environments7.2.3 (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.

EquipmentEach learner will require:

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a sheet of poster paper of a standard size determined by the teacher, suggested size would be A2 (420x594 mm) or A1 (594x841 mm).

NotesThis 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 www.ocr.org.uk/qualifications/projects-extended-project-h857/

RecordsAs 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.

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OCR Resources: the small printThis formative assessment resource has been produced as part of our free A Level teaching and learning support package. All the A Level teaching and learning resources, including delivery guides, topic exploration packs, lesson elements and more are available on the qualification webpages.If you are looking for examination practice materials, you can find Sample Assessment Materials (SAMs) on the qualification webpages: http://www.ocr.org.uk/qualifications/as-a-level-gce-geology-h014-h414-from-2017/ that is required by the Board, and the decision to use them lies with the individual teacher. Whilst every effort is made to ensure

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Geology PAG 12: Research skills

Suggested Activity 1: Integrating fieldwork into the basin modelLearner activityIntroductionIn this activity you will be using 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 presenting your research as an academic poster which is a standard way of communicating 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 basinto 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

ProcedureBefore 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.

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

field work qualitative/quantitative data recorded in an appropriate format such as in a field notebook

academic poster produced to the research brief supplied by the teacher.

All work should be clearly dated.

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Resource SheetAcademic Poster: research briefingAn 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 the text from 1.5 metres it will be ignored.

Academic poster research briefing and peer assessment guide

All the posters will be the same orientation and size. Only use one font style and a limited number of font sizes, three or four is enough.

Your title should be simple straight forward and say what the reader is going to find out by reading your poster.Researchers will usually include their institution’s logo but there should be no other content here.

Your name and details go immediately under the title block. At conferences young researchers often include a photograph so that other scientists can find them to ask questions about their research.

Lay out your graphic and text in a way that makes it clear how you want it read for example: each column in turn clockwise around an

important graphic left to right in rows

Build your story around the graphics, not around the text. Get rid of all the padding. Readers should get the gist before they read your commentary

Choose a mix of graphic images and diagrams that tell your story. Lay it out, stand back and check that it makes sense before you fix it down.

1. You will need to be clear about – why you did this research, what methods you used (e.g. graphic logs, palaeocurrent analysis, filed sketches), what you found out and what you have added to what was already known.

2. Who is your audience? What do they already know about geology?

3. Leave breathing space and do not overcrowd your poster. Left justified text works best as centre or fully justified text will give weird word spacing that looks very untidy

4. The Introduction should set the scene but avoid waffle – why should I keep reading your poster? Sometimes it makes more sense to put the Conclusions first (in the upper left).

5. PowerPoint is an easy way to make graphics if you are unfamiliar with graphic programs. As a guide try titles 85pt, headings 36pt and body text 24pt.

Academic Poster: peer assessmentRead 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 ContentLogical 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 ResearchUse 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 be understood, but the ideas are simple, needing little use of A-level geology. Many aspects of the understanding required are ignored or missed.

Academic poster research briefing and peer assessment guide