Learning objectives:

1. Distinguish dikes, sills and plutons based on their shape, orientation and contact with host rocks
2. Use cross-cutting contacts to identify age relationships between intrusions

Key Visible Geology skills:

1. Apply dikes and change their orientations
2. Create sills using the dike feature
3. Create plutons and change their dimensions

This ~1 hour workflow is a standalone tool for students to either work through as part of a guided lab exercise that builds on lecture material, or as an independent exercise to consolidate learning. It builds concepts from the ground up so it is appropriate for high school to junior college level students.

Visible Geology needs to be available for each student, along with the attached worksheet .pdf. Students work through the worksheet, following instructions and exploring the model as it is developed. Key learnings are highlighted in the worksheet at every step. Questions towards the end of the worksheet interrogate students' understanding, before an exercise getting them to apply their new knowledge finishes the worksheet.
Workflow handout for Igneous Intrusions (Acrobat (PDF) 1.9MB Jul24 26) 

To save and share their work in Visible Geology, students are encouraged to log in with their Google Account.

If students are able to answer the questions and complete the final exercise adequately, then they have met the learning objectives of this workflow.

For tips, tricks and how-to videos for using Visible Geology, check out the Visible Geology Help & Resources.