Telford college students qualify for national finals of geology competition after dinosaur death puppet show
A group of students at Telford College have qualified for the national finals of a prestigious geology competition.
A strong team of five students - made up of a mixture of First and Second Year geology A-level students - is heading to the Geological Society of London’s headquarters in Piccadilly on March 18 to compete for this year's Schools Geology Challenge title.
Students were invited after judges were impressed by their puppet theatre video which told the story of the death of dinosaurs.
It is only the second year that the college has been running an A-level course in geology, and the first time it has entered a team into the competition.
Geology tutor Ffion Butler will travel down with students Chris Ross, Alissa Warrender, Sui Talens, Lily Pugh and Lloyd Smith to the finals in London where they will face one final 90-minute problem-solving challenge to stake their claim for the national title.
The Schools Geology Challenge sees students showcase their interest in geology, learn more about the way geoscience impacts our lives, and put their teamwork and presentation skills to the test.
The annual competition is open to any interested students who are currently studying geology, geography or science A-levels at schools or colleges across the UK, and only the top 10 teams in the UK are invited to the finals.
First prize includes the coveted Schools Geology Challenge trophy, £500 towards geoscience education at the school or college, a year’s student membership with the Geological Society for each team member, and a winner’s certificate.
"We’re so proud of the students, who have shown real flair, imagination and enthusiasm for this project which they began working on back in November," said tutor Ffion.
"For their submission, they made a puppet theatre which tells the story of the death of dinosaurs, and used it to create a video.
"They built the theatre with help from our art department, wrote the script, and shot and edited the film."
Judges described Telford College's entry as "fantastic" and said the students "absolutely smashed the brief".
One of the judges added: "It was so creative and interesting to watch. I could see this being shown in schools."
