What is GeoBus ?

GeoBus is an educational outreach project developed by the Department of Earth Sciences at the University of St Andrews.

GeoBus is run from the University of St Andrews.

The project was developed, and is managed, by geologist Dr Ruth Robinson and the GeoBus coordinator is Kathryn Roper.

Kathryn has a BSc in Geosciences from the University of St Andrews and has a Teaching Diploma in Science Teaching from the University of Aberdeen.

GeoBus Aims

1. To support Earth Science teaching in secondary schools by providing resources that are not readily available to educators.
2. To inspire young learners by including new research outcomes in the teaching packages, which at times will be presented by researchers.
3. To provide a bridge between industry, HEIs, Research Councils, and schools to highlight career opportunities in geology specifically, and Earth sciences and STEM areas generally.

Sponsors

Advisory Panel

GeoBus Launch

GeoBus was officially launched at Buckhaven High School on Wednesday 18th January by TV Presenter Professor Iain Stewart. This exciting new educational outreach project has been developed by the Department of Earth Sciences at the University of St Andrews. It is sponsored by the Natural Environmental Research Council, the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council, Scottish Government, Maersk Oil, Shell, Centrica, the Geological Society and Mineralogical Society.

GeoBus is available to visit secondary schools in all educational authorities around Scotland, and will visit schools in northern England in 2013. Teaching packages cover broad areas of Earth science aimed at supporting STEM subject teaching generally, and highlighting career opportunities in Earth science and other STEM subjects.

 

Iain Stewart launches GeoBus with a suitable eruption cause by de-pressurisation of a familiar fluid. Present with the enthusiastic Buckhaven pupils were Professor Peter Cawood (Earth Sciences, St Andrews), Russell Reekie (Maersk Oil), and Paul Herrington (Centrica). Photo courtesy of East Fife Mail.

 

The fundamental aim is to engage with pupils to enhance their understanding of Earth science, and provide resources and support to teachers across the UK whose main subject may not be geology.

Earth science builds on all the pure science subjects, and concepts in physics, chemistry and biology can be easily conveyed through Earth science topics and principles.

GeoBus is a mobile unit that can support teachers who are introducing Earth science concepts into the secondary school chemistry, physics, and biology curricula, as well as the geology and geography curricula.

All of the GeoBus teaching packages are based around hands-on and interactive learning, and all the resources involved in the activities are brought to the school.

Career prospects in geology, or Earth sciences more generally, are very good at the moment. Another aim of GeoBus is to improve the linkage between schools, universities, and industry, and to promote careers in Earth sciences.

An innovative aspect of GeoBus is that early career researchers across STEM subjects will develop research-led teaching packages. These early career researchers are also inspirational teachers and effective communicators of what it's like to be a scientist.

GeoBus teaching packages and resources include:

• The Magic of Minerals
• FUNdamentals of Rocks
• Geological Time and Radioactivity
• Monitoring Volcanoes
• Sediment Coring
• Fascinating Fossils
• Fluvial Processes
• Geological Mapping
• A Journey to Mars
• Geothermal Energy
• Drilling for Oil and Building a Windfarm
• Discovering Dinosaurs

Teaching packages are developed to support cross-disciplinary teaching within the Curriculum for Excellence framework.

Materials brought to schools include extensive mineral, rock and fossil collections, microscopes and thin sections, and geological maps, as well as datasets from universities and industry.

Certain materials (hand-outs and teacher instructions, and basic rock and mineral sets) will be left with the schools for future use.

GeoBus can support outdoor education, particularly geological field skills training, and can provide transport to local field sites for small groups (up to 15). Undergraduate students will be involved in the outdoor field trips.

GeoBus will fit into the school schedule with minimal amount of disruption.

GeoBus offers 3 main types of teaching package:

1. Workshops
2. Enterprise Challenges
3. Field Excursions

Workshops last 50—70 minutes and cover a wide range of topics. They can be run with up to 30 students. Workshops can be adapted so that they are suitable for different secondary school stages.  If required, workshops can be linked together to provide a half day or full day session.

Enterprise challenges are full day sessions. These challenges are group activities and up to 150 children can be accommodated, depending on available space and supervising staff.

Field excursions can be run over a full or half day, and the GeoBus team can take out groups of up to 15 students. The students will have the opportunity to see what real scientists get up to "in the field" and practise a range of data gathering methods.

With advanced notice, visits can be adapted to suit a wide range of additional support needs.

Details of courses available (pdf)

If you would like GeoBus to visit your school, please contact geobus@st-andrews.ac.uk to book a time and select the teaching packages best suited to your pupils.

Where does GeoBus go?

GeoBus will visit all educational authorities across Scotland throughout the school term. In addition, GeoBus will visit schools in northern England from 2013.

The schedule for this term outlines when Geobus will be in your area.

For more information, please contact Kathryn Roper (geobus@st-andrews.ac.uk).

 

Group	Local Authority	Week Beginning
1	Highland	18/03/12 27/05/12
2	Aberdeen/ Aberdeenshire/ Moray	26/02/12 29/04/12 24/06/12
3	Angus/ Fife/ Dundee	29/01/12 25/03/12 03/06/12
4	Argyle & Bute/ Perth and Kinross/ Stirling/ Clackmannanshire	05/02/12 15/04/12 10/06/12
5	Edinburgh/ Lothian (E/W)/ Midlothian/ Falkirk	19/02/12 22/04/12 17/06/12
6	Glasgow/ Dumbartonshire (E/W) Lanarkshire (N/S)/ Inverclyde	12/02/12 06/05/12
7	Ayrshire (N/S/E) / Renfrewshire (E)	11/03/12 13/05/12
8	Dumfries and Galloway/ Scottish Boarders	04/03/12 20/05/12
9	Western Isles Shetland Orkney	Special Request

If you'd like to book a visit from GeoBus, please contact us through email:

or by post:

GeoBus is funded by sponsorship and we are very grateful for the support from RCUK, industry and professional societies. If your organisation would like to sponsor GeoBus, please contact us at the email above.