Contents
[
hide
]
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
Regionally Important Geological and geomorphological Sites [RIGS]
In the United Kingdom, important geological and geomorphological sites are protected in several ways. Nationally important ones
are protected in law as Sites of Special Scientific Interest [SSSIs]. Several of these have been designated National or Local Nature
Reserves. Non-statutory sites have less protection and are called Local Sites. These include Regionally Important Geological/
geomorphological Sites [RIGS], as well as Wildlife Sites, and are protected through the local authority planning process.
RIGS were established in 1990 as part of a national review of all sites. The four nationally agreed criteria for their selection are:
Educational value, Scientific study, Historical value and Aesthetic value.
More than a thousand sites have been designated throughout the UK, mostly for their educational value. Two of the aims
of
are to increase public awareness of geoconservation and geodiversity, and encourage the educational
use of sites by teachers and others.
The GeoConservationUK Education Project -
Earth Science On-Site
The GeoConservationUK Education Project [
Earth Science On-Site
] uses former aggregates sites to develop and publish examples
of high quality Earth Science field teaching activities for schools. They have been produced in collaboration with partners in the Earth
Science Teachers’ Association (ESTA), the Earth Science Education Unit (ESEU) and the National Stone Centre (NSC). The materials
have been devised to address the requirements of the National Curriculum at key stage 2 [7 - 11 yrs]. KS 3 [11-14yrs], KS4 [14 -16
yrs - GCSE]. These are intended as exemplars and may be adapted by teachers for use at other sites.
The Project is funded by DEFRA’s Aggregates Levy Sustainability Fund, administered by
(formerly English
Nature).
The pilot project ran from August 2004 to March 2005 and four sites were chosen:
The major grant ran from May 2005 to March 2007 and a further eight sites were completed:
The continuing grant from July 2007 to March 2008 and enabled us to run several teacher-workshops and to work on three further
sites:
As part of the
Black Country Geodiversity Action Plan
we were able to produce field teaching materials for:
The selected sites are designated
RIGS
or
SSSI
sites, mostly have open access or are owned by public bodies.
Earth Science On-Site
was unable to obtain further funding.
Purposes of the Project
The purposes of the project are:
to encourage non-specialist science teachers to undertake Earth Science fieldwork with pupils from primary to GCSE level;
to demonstrate the educational value of RIGS and SSSI sites to local planning and education authorities, to the aggregates
industry and to the wider public community;
to foster the wider use of RIGS and SSSI sites by providing teaching materials as exemplars that may be adapted for use at
similar sites elsewhere;
to provide links between these field teaching activities and the classroom or laboratory practical activities produced by
the
, the
and other partners, hosted on the
web-site.
The
Earth Science On-Site
Guides
The guides to the sites will include the following information to assist group leaders and teachers when planning field activities:
details of location, access and initial risk assessments
background information relating to the site and its geological (Earth science) and geomorphological (landscape) interest
materials to support field activities, their preparation and follow-up primarily by teachers and their pupils. These are
informed by the
National Curriculum
at Key stages 2, 3 or 4, and the requirements of the syllabuses of the various GCSE
examination boards. Although use is made of specific terms, they are written for appreciation by a wider, less technical,
audience
The guides have been written on the assumption that
Earth-Science On-Site
visits by Key Stage 2 pupils in year 3; Key Stage 3
pupils in year 8; and Key Stage 4 visits will take place in year 11. However, it is anticipated that teachers, and others, will freely
adapt the materials here to their own context and their own programmes of study as they see fit, and in the light of their own
experiences.
Acknowledgements
This project was supported by: DEFRA’s Aggregates Levy Sustainability Fund, administered by
Natural England
(formerly
English Nature);
Earth Science Teachers’ Association
,
Earth Science Education Unit
, the
National Stone Centre
, the
team of ESTA writers, members of RIGS Groups and the schools which trialled the materials.
Contacts
Notes
was previously known as UKRIGS
Earth Science On-Site was devised and managed by John Reynolds, assisted by Alan Cutler.
The main authors were Rick Ramsdale and John Reynolds, with help from the Earth Science Teachers’ Association and local
GeoConservation Groups.
The design and production team were Pauline Jones, Susannah Lydon and Craig Slawson(web master).
Video clips were by Peter Williams and Maggie Williams, who also restored the website.
For further information about Earth Science On-Site please contact: geohub@liverpool.ac.uk
The Earth Science On-Site website domains unfortunately lapsed during the shutdown of many
organisations from late March 2020 as the Government responded to the Covid-19 pandemic. This
followed the sudden death in February of Craig Slawson, our webmaster.
All the materials have been rescued from CDs distributed at teachers’ conferences and backed-up
copies on the computers of the original contributors. Peter and Maggie Williams have uploaded
everything onto the GeoHubLiverpool website.
Many thanks to all concerned.
