Earth Learning Idea

Earth Learning Idea was set up in May 2007, for the International Year of Planet Earth, with the intention of reaching as many children throughout the world as possible, particularly those who suffer from lack of resources and from lack of thought-provoking teaching.[http://www.earthscienceeducation.com/resources/web_links.htm Earth Science Education Unit (ESEU)] The aim is to foster a better knowledge of the natural world and how it works, encouraging the joy of knowledge about the Earth in those who may not otherwise have the opportunity to receive it.{{Cite web |url=http://www.esta-uk.net/resources.htm |title=Earth Science Teachers' Association (ESTA) |access-date=2012-01-29 |archive-date=2012-01-17 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120117001524/http://www.esta-uk.net/resources.htm |url-status=dead }}

Earth Learning Ideas enhance learning by being fun to carry out and so enjoyable for pupils and teachers.{{Cite web |url=http://www.geolsoc.org.uk/gsl/geoscientist/page6109.html |title=The Geological Society of London |access-date=2010-11-02 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111021050343/http://www.geolsoc.org.uk/gsl/geoscientist/page6109.html |archive-date=2011-10-21 |url-status=dead }} All ELIs are directed at teachers to encourage maximum pupil participation. One of the main aims is to encourage interactive teaching and the development of thinking and investigational skills in pupils. It is a global effort offering unique teaching resources.[http://www.earthsciweek.org/newsletter/Aug2008.html#geo Earth Science Week] All activities are free to download in pdf format and all are accompanied by ´back-up´ notes for teachers.{{Cite web |url=http://www.newport.ac.uk/research/researchcentres/researchcentres/CELT/News/Pages/default.aspx |title=University of Wales CELT News |access-date=2011-02-03 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110312092721/http://www.newport.ac.uk/RESEARCH/RESEARCHCENTRES/RESEARCHCENTRES/CELT/NEWS/Pages/default.aspx |archive-date=2011-03-12 |url-status=dead }}

The activities range widely from ´Rock cycle in wax´, ´Craters on the Moon´ to ´Quakeshake´, an investigation into why some buildings survive in an earthquake and others do not.{{Cite web |url=http://www.geolsoc.org.uk/gsl/geoscientist/features/page2634.html |title=Geoscientist August 2007 |access-date=2010-10-11 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110605134741/http://www.geolsoc.org.uk/gsl/geoscientist/features/page2634.html |archive-date=2011-06-05 |url-status=dead }} Other popular activities are ´Trapped! Why can't oil and gas escape from their underground prison?´ and ´How to weigh a dinosaur´.[http://www.scienceinschool.org/2010/issue15/earthlearning Science in School] ELIs are popular in schools especially when earthquakes, volcanoes or tsunamis have been in the news.[http://www.uwiseismic.com/General.aspx?id=84 University of West Indies Seismic Research Centre] A rich collection of exciting and imaginative activities {{Cite web |url=http://www.the-eggs.org/news.php?id=714&typeid=4 |title=The Eggs EGU Newsletter |access-date=2011-02-03 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101018055044/http://www.the-eggs.org/news.php?id=714&typeid=4 |archive-date=2010-10-18 |url-status=dead }} covering a wide range of Earth-related topics can be found on the website.

Each week an activity is posted on the ELI blog. New activities are published here and comments and suggestions are encouraged. The suggestions are incorporated into ´Extension´ ideas for the activities.

At 10 January 2019, more than 4,000,000 activities in PDF format have been downloaded worldwide.{{Cite web | url=http://www.earthlearningidea.com/home/ELI_around_the_world.html | title=ELI Around the World}}

Earth Learning Idea activities are written on a voluntary basis and, with the exception of Norway, they have been translated voluntarily too. The Norwegian team received a small grant. ELI activities are now available in the following languages:-

• Spanish - translations by AulaGEA, a service for teachers and learners of the Dept. of Geology of the University of Buenos Aires.[http://www.exactas.uba.ar/ Dept. of Geology of the University of Buenos Aires]
• Catalan and further Spanish translations - are published by AEPECT, Asociación Española para la enseñanza de las Ciencias de la Tierra: La organización de profesores de Ciencias de la Tierra de España, Portugal e Hispano-América.[http://www.aepect.org/ AEPECT][http://www.redires.net/?q=node/1076 Investigación y Renovación Escolar]
• Norwegian - the translations are sponsored by the Norwegian Committee of the Year of Planet Earth[http://www.naturfag.no/nettstedbeskrivelse/vis.html?tid=894608 Naturfag.no]{{Cite web |url=http://www.geologi.no/cgi-bin/geologi/imaker?id=19880&visdybde=2&aktiv=19880 |title=Geologi.No |access-date=2011-02-03 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110724175731/http://www.geologi.no/cgi-bin/geologi/imaker?id=19880&visdybde=2&aktiv=19880 |archive-date=2011-07-24 |url-status=dead }} and Earth Learning Idea activities are listed as resource material on the Naturfagsenteret website.{{Cite web |url=http://www.geanor.no/Skole/Nyttige-lenker |title=Naturfagsenteret |access-date=2011-02-03 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110719235327/http://www.geanor.no/Skole/Nyttige-lenker |archive-date=2011-07-19 |url-status=dead }}
• Italian ANISN - translations by members of ANISN Associazione Nazionale degli Insegnanti di Scienze Naturali.[http://www.anisn.it/ ANISN]
• German - translations supported by the Department for Geography Education, Institute for Science Education, Leibniz University, Hannover.[http://www.didageo.uni-hannover.de/download.html Department for Geography Education, Institute for Science Education, Leibniz University, Hannover]
• Portuguese - translations by members of the Institute of Geosciences, Campinas State University, São Paulo, Brazil.,[http://www.ige.unicamp.br/ Institute of Geosciences, Campinas State University, Sao Paulo, Brazil]
• Polish - translations by the Institute of Geology, Faculty of Geographical and Geological Sciences, Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznan, Poland.[http://international.amu.edu.pl/ Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznan]
• Slovak - translations by the Lepšia Geografia (Better Geography) Project. Bratislava, Slovakia[http://www.lepsiageografia.sk/earthlearningidea.html Lepšia Geografia Earthlearnigidea page]
• Chinese (Mandarin) - translations by members of the Geoidea team.[http://geoidea.org/ Geoidea]
• Tamil - one translation so far by a member of Arul Anandar College, Tamil Nadu, India.

{{Reflist}}

• [https://www.earthlearningidea.com/ Earth Learning Idea]
• [https://www.earthscienceeducation.com/ The Earth Science Education Unit (ESEU)]
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20120117001524/http://www.esta-uk.net/resources.htm Earth Science Teachers' Association (ESTA)]
• [http://www.esta-uk.net/jesei/index.htm Joint Earth Science Education Initiative (JESEI)]
• [https://www.rockwatch.org.uk/links/learning.html Rockwatch]

Category:Earth sciences