Hidden Changes in the Earth

This resource, produced by the Earth Science Teachers' Association consists of three units which investigate the effects of heat and pressure on rocks through a series of practical assignments. Many of the activities are suitable for group work, although some may be set as homework. The three units are:

HC1: Overheated - introduces students to thermal metamorphism - the way in which rocks are changed by heat. An experiment shows how heat makes permanent changes to rock and a variety of activities lead students to make conclusions about whether a selection of rocks have been metamorphosed or not.

HC2: Under pressure - looks at metamorphism of rocks under pressure through practical assignments and analysis of photographs

HC3: Under heat and pressure - introduces regional metamorphism, related to the geological map of the British Isles. This unit brings together the effects of both heat and pressure, studied in units HC1 and HC2, to consider how they work together and the resulting deformation of highly altered rocks.

Each unit is designed to take 80 minutes.