An understanding of the branch of earth science, geology, is essential for all levels of society. This is because every aspect of human life depends on geological phenomena, from energy and natural resources to disasters.

One group that can be taught about earth science is high school students. High school students are still considered to have a significant need to learn more fundamental aspects of earth science, including geological phenomena, such as how various types of rocks are formed.

Understanding the Earth is already taught in schools, and is included in geography lessons. This course teaches how the Earth interacts with social life on it. However, more engaging activities are needed to ensure the knowledge is better absorbed and retained in students’ minds.

With the above background, a number of lecturers in the Geology Study Program (Prodi) of the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, University of Indonesia (FMIPA UI) who are members of the Community Service (Pengmas) team held an activity entitled Earth Science Learning House, at the Parangtopo Laboratory of FMIPA UI, UI Depok Campus, on Monday, November 27, 2023.

Participants in this activity were 11th-grade students from SMA Negeri 1, Depok City, West Java. A total of 25 students participated in this educational and engaging activity.

“Our activities focus on hands-on introduction to various types of rocks that are common and frequently found in nature, as well as the dynamics of Earth’s movement. This way, students don’t just learn from textbooks but can see and touch these rocks and minerals directly,” said Reza Syahputra, Ph.D., Head of the Geology Study Program and Head of the FMIPA UI Community Service Team.

The activity method, continued Reza, was to play a game identifying rocks in the mini museum at the Parangtopo Laboratory.

“This activity is expected to provide an opportunity for students to gain a deeper understanding of the Earth’s geological diversity and its benefits, through the introduction of various types of rocks based on the variations in their formation, as well as linking earth science theories with the realities around us,” he said.

At the beginning of the activity, participants were invited to understand the dynamics of Earth’s movement, which is closely related to the movement of tectonic plates. Essentially, Earth is 4.5 billion years old and has survived various extreme weather conditions, starting with the Earth’s high CO2 content.₂ Extreme temperatures, including those from the Ice Age, led to mass extinctions of various species. All of the natural disasters (volcanic eruptions and earthquakes) that wiped out many living things were caused by the movement of tectonic plates in the continental and oceanic crust. The team also explains how these plate movements significantly impacted the diversity of minerals and rocks on the Earth’s surface. As a result, the Earth has diverse geological zones with unique rock compositions.

“To understand how the Earth works, we can do so by observing the products of geological processes, one of which is rocks and minerals,” Reza told the participants.

After the presentation, the activity continued with a tour of the mini rock museum at the Parangtopo Natural Laboratory to introduce various minerals and rocks to the participants.

Besides being educational, the mini-museum at the Parangtopo Natural Laboratory provides an engaging place for students to explore various collections and physically identify minerals and rocks. Students are also given the opportunity to directly observe rock material that has been sliced using a microscope.

During this activity, the team introduced participants to common rocks including basalt, gabbro, granite, and pumice. Participants were also introduced to rocks with economic value, such as coal, and precious minerals like chalcedony, quartz, and jasper. Several types of minerals were also introduced, such as amethyst, pyrite, azurite, and malachite.

This activity not only provides academic knowledge but also provides students with hands-on experience to deepen their understanding. It is hoped that this will foster a greater awareness and motivation among the younger generation to further understand the complexities of Earth’s geological diversity.