Moving Mountain Modules
The table below gives an overview of the modules being developed mapped to a variety of curricular.
The table is also available as a PDF - Click Here
Whichever modules you choose your learners will be using the multi-media resources and developing their skills.
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Curriculum |
Geology |
Geography |
Science |
Environmental Science |
Biology |
Applied Science |
Business |
L&T |
Construction |
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WBQ Core |
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Moving Mountains –Module Descriptions
Life Cycle of a Quarry
1 Exploration to extraction
Particularly good for geologists, this module will look at the development of a quarry. Students will carry out a desk study in which they estimate the volume of a reserve, before visiting a local quarry to investigate the structure and properties of the rock.
2 Reclamation
This module looks at the suitability of a quarry as a landfill site. Students will investigate the properties of the surrounding bedrock to assess whether waste disposal is an environmentally sound proposition.
Growth and Decline of an Industry
Quarried limestone once played an important role in the iron-making process, an industry that has largely gone from this country. This module looks at the reasons for growth, and decline of iron making in South Wales and the associated socio-economic and environmental impacts. Fieldwork will involve visits to former industrial sites in the local area, and the communities and environments affected by the loss of this heavy industry.
Alternatives to Aggregates
1 Properties and Uses
An investigation of quarried materials and their alternatives. Students will find out where the materials that are the building blocks of their everyday world come from and why they have been chosen for that job. These materials represent a finite resource that needs to be managed to sustain our need for building materials and alternatives sought. This study therefore also looks at the secondary/alternative aggregates that are now supplementing quarry products in the building industry and their suitability for that purpose. The day will involve visits to quarries and secondary aggregate producers and fieldwork to investigate the properties of that material.
2 Business and Environmental Issues
This module investigates the quarrying industry and its sustainability. Students will be involved in a decision making exercise that investigates the viability of a quarrying enterprise, looking at the limitations to extracting material at a given site, demand for that material, environmental impacts long-term sustainability. Given the high costs (both environmental and financial) when setting up a quarry, is it more economical to work with secondary and recycled aggregates?
Quarrying: a Local Environmental Issue
Using quarrying in place of the traffic issues in units 12 and 20 from the Department for Children, Schools & Families Standards schemes of work at Key Stage 2. How would quarrying affect the local community, what are their views on it and what would be a suitable solution?
Case Study – Disused Quarry
Worked-out quarries offer opportunities for redevelopment and regeneration. This study investigates the options for a disused quarry in the local area: should it be left to re-vegetate naturally, used for landfill, turned into a nature reserve/country park or redeveloped for housing/shopping/industry?
Land Use Conflict
Role-play exercises in which students will be asked to decide whether quarrying/extraction should be allowed to go ahead in environmentally sensitive areas. The locations used in these studies are currently subject to planning applications/proposals/policies that would result in a conflict between the economy & the environment. Having spent the day investigating the impacts of quarrying/extraction on the environment, assessing the value of the habitat in question, and looking at the options for restoration/redevelopment, students will assume the role of an interested party and take part in a mock inquiry/planning committee meeting to decide whether to grant planning permission.
Case Study 1 - Sand and Gravel in the Usk Valley –Talybont-on-Usk
In South Wales, land-won sand and gravel reserves are not very common, so the considerable deposits on the floor of the Usk valley have had to be safeguarded against sterilisation. Should a gravel pit be opened at Talybont-on-Usk?
Case Study 2 – Sand Dredging, Swansea Bay
The majority of sand and gravel produced in South Wales is dredged from the Bristol Channel and is a large part of the nation’s economy. It has been suggested that the process increases coastal erosion, particularly in sand dune systems, where a continuous supply of sand is needed to maintain the fragile balance. Should dredging in the Bristol Channel be allowed to continue?
Case Study 3 – Quarry Extension or Opening –Livox/Tirpentwys
The operators of Livox quarry in Wye Valley have applied to extend the planning permission currently in place there, as the current permission expires before the reserve will be exhausted. Should this be allowed?
Torfaen County Borough Council are currently considering an application to reclaim sandstone left behind after opencast mining. We will investigate the impact this would have on the local environment.
Road Building
An investigation of the processes and materials used in road building, comparing the old (roman), with the new, including secondary aggregates.
Succession/Colonisation
Quarry floors offer an ideal opportunity to investigate lithoseral succession (i.e. succession beginning on bare rock). We will investigate the floral diversity of quarry floors at different stages of the process.
Habitats
The Clydach Gorge is an environment that has been exploited for heavy industry in the past, providing the raw materials for iron making and the associated industries. As part of the Moving Mountains project, we will be producing an interactive guide to the Gorge, which will describe its role in history and inform visitors about the flora, fauna & natural features that can be found there. For this element of the project, students can study the habitats of the Gorge, which includes beech woodland, rocky streams, quarry walls and floors, and limestone grassland.
Case Study – Tourism in a Rural Area
Clydach Gorge is an area rich in industrial archaeology and as such offers a clear opportunity for heritage tourism. This module looks at the options available for the development of the tourist industry in the Gorge, and estimates the impact of tourism on the local area. Students will identify the needs of the tourist industry locally, and come up with a business opportunity to complement it, or design interpretation material to tell the story to new visitors.
Case Study – Business Model, Viability of Exploitation
Preparing a business plan for a new quarry. Looks at the viability of exploiting a reserve, and the stages that must be gone through to start a new quarrying enterprise.
Case Study - Developing a Business in a Rural Community
Reviewing the business opportunities in a rural, tourism based community. What opportunities are available? How best can a new business serve visitors and or the resident community?
Sustainable Development
Looks at the use of quarried materials and how sustainable they are, investigating the alternatives to using rock resources. Also looks at the use of quarries as landfill sites and waste management strategies.
Environmental Impact Assessment
Using the habitats of the Clydach Gorge and/or a local quarry, students will gain the skills necessary to carry out an Environmental Impact Assessment that can be applied in their home/their school.
Developing a Business
In a similar vein to the above studies discussing development of new quarries/tourist facilities, depending on the needs of the group in question.
Multi Media – Presenting Your Message
Learn how to use multi-media to make your voice heard. You will learn to prepare reports and documentaries using movies, images and sound. There will be an opportunity to showcase your media on an international stage.
Multi Media – Images
Focus on use of images whether for scientific presentations, factual reporting or as an artistic medium. Learn how to prepare and manipulate images.
Multi Media – Film Making
Focus on film making. Learn how to story board and prepare a shooting list. Edit your footage and present your film. There is an opportunity to showcase your film on an international stage.
Other Options
Other options also exist for fieldwork in quarries: for example when studying limestone environments. Clydach and other communities affected by quarrying offer further opportunities to do human geography fieldwork.
