HighSchool Workshop 2010

The Externals Committee of UP Geological Society (Geosoc) launched the High School Workshop (Workshop) as part of Geosoc’s advocacy in educating students about geology. Geosoc held the Workshop at the National Institute of Geological Sciences during the afternoon of 2 October 2010, right after the annually-held Geoquiz; the participants consisted of the Geoquiz contestants, accompanied by their teachers and younger schoolmates.  The National Institute of Geological Sciences, Nannoworks Laboratory, and Geosciences Foundation Incorporated provided the food and the necessary materials.

The Workshop had one simple objective: introduce the principles and practices of geology through hands-on approach. The Workshop presented principles and practices in geology through interactive stations, each manned by instructors (sophomore to senior BS Geology students). The Workshop catered to all levels and backgrounds of high school students, unlike the Geoquiz which only catered to the students already knowledgeable in geology. Even the less-inclined-to-geology participants easily digested the concepts being taught in the Workshop.

The stations of the Workshop hosted various specific topics: mineral hardness; mineral color and streak; field mapping; rock cycle; field mapping; rock types; carbonate rocks; fossils; and optical mineralogy (thin sections and polished sections). The instructors showcased an interesting hands-on exercise for each of their stations. For example, the exercise in optical mineralogy allowed the participants to see the kaleidoscopic view of thin sections of rocks under the microscope. Active discussions followed the hands-on exercises. For example, after showing off a gold specimen under the microscope, an instructor discussed the interesting facts about the economics of mining in the Philippines.

The sponsors of the Workshop greatly contributed to the success of the Workshop: the National Institute of Geological Sciences provided the rooms, petrographic microscopes, and rock samples; the Nannoworks Laboratory provided fossils and specialized microscopes; the Geosciences Foundation Incorporated provided funds for the Workshop stations’ materials and the food for the participants.

The participants and their teachers, as well as the organizers and instructors, gave positive feedbacks regarding the Workshop. The participants enjoyed the activities in the stations, especially the stations in optical mineralogy. Some participants even expressed their newfound interest in geology; some considered including the BS Geology program among their choices in college. The teachers also participated in the stations, most of them asking a lot of questions out of curiosity. One teacher from Rizal National Science High School commented the Workshop presented a very fresh concept in teaching geology to high school students; the teacher also requested the Workshop to be held in her school. The Workshop actually provided a good start for the future educators of geology. The instructors, consisting of the sophomore to senior members of Geosoc, found the Workshop a rather exhausting yet very rewarding experience. After the Workshop, some of the members started entertaining the idea of teaching geology after finishing their BS degree. Nikko Rivera, one of the brains behind the concept of the Workshop, expressed his interest in continuously supporting the Workshop. He vowed that once he gets to work, he would donate rare and interesting rocks from the various parts of the world for the Workshop. #

- Rico dela Pena