Clarification details
Updated May 2015. This document has been updated in its entirety to address new issues that have arisen from moderation.
To reach Achieved, students must:
- identify the types of rock(s) found in the locality
- describe the plate tectonic and rock cycle processes that have formed the types of rocks in the locality
- describe the erosional processes that have shaped the current landforms in the locality.
The locality can be anywhere within New Zealand, the Cook Islands or Niue. The geological processes described must reflect the current geological knowledge of the chosen locality. For example, a general description of how marble is formed as part of the rock cycle would not be sufficient for explaining the Takaka marble in Nelson.
Actual rock names (e.g. rhyolite) are not required, although this may be useful for describing the relationships between plate tectonics and the rock cycle. What is required is an identification of the correct rock type(s) (e.g. igneous rocks).
Students are required to carry out an investigation to collect primary and/or secondary evidence. They will then use their findings to describe the geological processes in a New Zealand locality. The investigation may include a field trip.
The critical component of this standard is the requirement of the student to report on geological processes in a New Zealand locality and demonstrate understanding of how these processes contribute to the geology of the chosen locality.
Information, research, experiments, videos, etc., may be supplied by the teacher, and can include primary and/or secondary information.