New
New
Year 8

GIS: Visualising the geology of the UK

I can use GIS to visualise and analyse the UK's geology and the way this creates contrasting landscapes.

New
New
Year 8

GIS: Visualising the geology of the UK

I can use GIS to visualise and analyse the UK's geology and the way this creates contrasting landscapes.

These resources will be removed by end of Summer Term 2025.

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These resources were created for remote use during the pandemic and are not designed for classroom teaching.

Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. Understanding the UK’s geology is important, especially for building, mining and managing our energy and water supplies.
  2. The British Geological Survey is a government-funded organisation that studies the UK’s geology, resources, and hazards.
  3. GIS can be used to show the south-east to north-west pattern in the UK’s geology.
  4. The UK’s varied geology leads to contrasting landscapes.

Keywords

  • Sedimentary - rocks formed through the build up of sediments such as sandstone, limestone and chalk

  • Igneous - rocks formed through volcanic processes, such as basalt, obsidian and granite

  • Metamorphic - rocks that have changed due to heat and pressure, such as slate, gneiss and marble

Common misconception

All rocks formed during the same geological period will be similar.

Although many rocks formed during the same geological period will be similar, volcanic processes may be creating rocks at the same time as sedimentary rocks are being created. These rocks will be very different and create contrasting landscapes.


To help you plan your year 8 geography lesson on: GIS: Visualising the geology of the UK, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...

You may choose to project your use of the Geography Visualiser rather than using the video modelling in the slide deck.
Teacher tip

Equipment

Computers, tablets or laptops with an internet connection. You will need to access the Geography Visualiser, which is a free website, which doesn't require a password.

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2025), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Lesson video

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6 Questions

Q1.
What is the rock cycle?
How rocks are mined for use
Correct answer: The way rocks are formed, broken down and changed over time
A machine that cuts through rocks
How rocks are used in construction
Q2.
Match the type of rock to its description:
Correct Answer:Igneous,Formed from cooled magma or lava

Formed from cooled magma or lava

Correct Answer:Sedimentary,Formed from layers of broken-down material

Formed from layers of broken-down material

Correct Answer:Metamorphic,Rocks changed by heat and pressure

Rocks changed by heat and pressure

Q3.
Which natural resource is a type of fossil fuel?
Granite
Sandstone
Correct answer: Coal
Limestone
Q4.
What does "mining" involve?
Growing plants
Correct answer: Digging underground to get natural resources
Cleaning rivers
Planting new forests
Q5.
Why is quarrying different from mining?
It involves finding oil under the sea
Correct answer: It removes natural resources from near the surface
It uses machines to plant trees
It involves digging very deep underground
Q6.
Which of these is a correct statement about soil?
Correct answer: Soil supports plant life and stores carbon
Soil is just useless dirt
Soil only exists in deserts
Soil doesn’t change over time

4 Questions

Q1.
What is geology the study of?
The movement of rivers
Correct answer: The structure and history of Earth, especially rocks
The weather
Plants and animals
Q2.
Which of these is a sedimentary rock?
Basalt
Slate
Granite
Correct answer: Sandstone
Q3.
Which process forms igneous rocks?
Correct answer: Volcanic activity and cooling of magma
Sediment build-up
Weathering
Compression by glaciers
Q4.
Which statement is true about rocks formed during the same geological period?
They are always exactly the same type.
Correct answer: They can still be different types depending on how they were formed.
They must all be sedimentary rocks.
They are found only in mountains.

Additional material

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