The Geological Society

Education and Careers

Resources: Geological Time & UK Geology

Geological Society Resources: Geological Time

Dinosaurs

What is a dinosaur? When did they live? What were the different types of dinosaur.

Dinosaur presentation

Dinosaur activity

Dinosaur footprint activity

Fossils

What are fossils? How do they form? Why are they important?

Fossils factsheet

Fossils presentation

Fossils activity

Radio programmes for 8-12 year olds developed by Fun Kids and the Geological Society, bringing the world of geology to life. Topics range from geological time and fossils to volcanoes, how different rocks form and how they are used in our everyday lives.

Geology for Society: The Anthropocene

Human activity has had dramatic impacts on landscape, the subsurface and Earth systems, driving significant atmospheric, chemical, physical and biological changes. Are these changes sufficiently significant and permanent to mark the beginning of a new geological epoch – the Anthropocene? Find out more in our resource aimed at policy and decision-makers as well as the wider public.

Anthropocene Activity Pack

Has human impact on the Earth contributed to a new epoch of geological time? Download resources from our schools event in Earth Science Week 2015.

Earth science classroom activities on Geological Time:

Silurian Death Assembly Cupcakes | Geological Time | Relative Dating

Poster: Geological time chart

A timechart poster from the British Geological Survey (BGS) that shows geological time and the evolution of life on Earth.

Geological Society Resources: UK Geology

Plate Tectonic Stories

Learn about the tectonic history of the UK and elsewhere!

100 Great Geosites

Explore our list of 100 great geological sites across the UK and Ireland, featuring some of the most diverse and beautiful geology in the world and spanning most of geological time.

Factsheets

UK Geoheritage: Find out more about the geoheritage of the UK and Ireland, and why we have such an amazing range of geological sites.

William Smith: Find out how fossils were used to make the first ever geological map.

The Stratigraphy Commission: Summary of UK Stratigraphy

A resource for students, academics and organisations who already have some knowledge of Earth science. The main details of UK stratigraphy are summarised, covering over 3 billion years of geological time recorded in the rocks.

Resources from other organisations

Self Guided Geowalks

Explore your local area.

Gower Peninsula field guide

Read Ted Nield's guide to the solid geology of the Gower Peninsula.

British Geological Survey: Make-a-Map

A simple interactive geological map of the British Isles for amateur geologists, students and teachers. View the main rock units with accompanying timecharts, create custom maps highlighting specific rocks, or print outlines for students to colour in.

International Geological time scale

The International Commission on Stratigraphy (ICS) defines units of geological time based on changes recorded in rock stratigraphy, setting a global timescale for the history of the Earth. The timescale is regularly updated; find the current version on the ICS website.

Small and medium scale maps of UK geology, available for free in several formats. The iGeology smartphone app lets you take geological maps wherever you go. The Maps Portal has high resolution scans of maps and sections, including 1:63,360/1:50,000 scale maps of England, Wales & Scotland.

iGeology app Maps Portal