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These resources have been reviewed and selected by STEM Learning’s team of education specialists for factual accuracy and relevance to teaching STEM subjects in UK schools.

London rocks

Tunnelworks is a series of teaching and learning resources linking mathematics and science to the Thames Tideway Tunnel project, a major new sewer that will help protect the River Thames from increasing pollution. Background to the project is given in the introductory video.

Lesson one of this activity explores the properties of three main rock types (igneous, sedimentary and metamorphic) and investigates in detail the reactions of sand, clay and chalk in both water and acid based liquids as they represent the main rocks that the Thames Tideway tunnel will be built through. An extension task allows further investigation into hardness and permeability of granite, chalk, slate and limestone. Lesson two considers where the sewer is being constructed and how deep the excavation process is as well as how it will operate and key roles of people who are involved in the project. The student worksheet and teacher notes are to be used in conjunction with the slides in the presentation.

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