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Professor of Earth Science Education of both national and international acclaim

Chris studied Geology at the University of Bristol and, in 1971, became a successful diamond prospector for De Beers in Southern Africa and Australia. Realising the value of sedimentology in such work, he took an MSc at the University of Reading, followed by a PGCE in Science Education under David B. Thompson at Keele University. Chris soon became known for his trademark innovative and fun activities, which he developed for his A Level Geology students. These were published in the Association of Teachers of Geology (later ESTA) magazine, where he served continuously on Council, as Secondary Coordinator until 2021.

Raising the profile

Chris taught Geology A-Level and other science subjects at Altrincham Grammar School for Boys in Greater Manchester from 1978 until 1996, when he was appointed as Science Education Lecturer at Keele University. He rose to become Professor of Earth Science Education in 2006 until his retirement as Emeritus Professor in 2015. Chris fought to raise the profile of geoscience education with government and the learned societies, (including the Geological Society, where he was elected to Council in 2019), and to ensure that accurate material was taught in the National Curriculum. He was awarded the Society’s Distinguished Service Award in 2003; and its RH Worth Prize in 2011.

In 1999, Chris secured funding to establish the Earth Science Education Unit at Keele. During its 16 years existence, about 37,000 teachers attended its workshops led by around 50 facilitators, benefiting several million students. Later, he developed a Geoscience Summer School to provide a constant stream of qualified school geology teachers.  Indeed, his devotion to ensuring the survival of geology as a subject at GCSE and A Level made him a fit Chair of Examiners for one of the Awarding Bodies.

International influence

In 2007/9, linked to the United Nations Year of Planet Earth, Chris persuaded two colleagues to join him in forming a free web-based teaching aid, www.earthlearningidea.com (“ELI”), which still publishes a new teaching activity every fortnight. To date, over 5.7 million downloads have been achieved across the world, many of these translated in up to eleven other languages, assisted by Chris being actively involved in the international geoscience education scene.

Chris was a founder member of the International Geoscience Education Organisation (IGEO), and its first Chairman in 2000. As Chairman of the Education Committee of the European Geosciences Union (EGU), Chris has led the growing Geoscience Education Field Officer network across Europe and beyond.

Of his many articles and books, his most recent venture will surely stand out in his legacy. Chris has written a major online textbook to accompany the IGEO international syllabus, his intention being for the book to be plagiarised by geoscience teachers to provide an essential textbook for their own country that is completely free (Exploring Geoscience across the Globe – England; www.igeoscied.org).

Great encourager

Chris will be fondly remembered by his friends and colleagues, but none more so than his wife, Phoebe, four sons and two grandchildren. His Christian faith was almost certainly behind his lifelong ambition to present the wonders of creation to the world. Above all, his warm, cheerful personality led to him becoming a great encourager and many will be grateful for his life and work, especially the young.

By Peter Kennett and Pete Loader

Pictured above: Chris’s legacy will be a new generation of geoscience educators

The full version of this obituary appears below. Editor.

Christopher John Henry King (1949 – 2022)

Professor of Earth Science Education of both national and international acclaim

Chris studied Geology at the University of Bristol and, in 1971, became a successful diamond prospector for De Beers in Southern Africa and Australia for 5 years. Realising the value of sedimentology in such work, Chris took an MSc at the University of Reading, which he followed with a PGCE in Science Education under David B. Thompson at Keele University. David easily recognised the potential in his student and encouraged Chris to join the Association of Teachers of Geology (later to become the Earth Science Teachers’ Association, ESTA). Chris soon made his mark with his now trademark innovative, fun activities, which he had developed for his A Level Geology students. He promptly published these in the Association’s magazine, and it was not long before he was elected to Council, where he served continuously until shortly before his death, primarily representing the 11-19 stages of education, but also serving as Chairman 1990-92.
Geology teachers have long been aware of the low priority that successive Governments have allocated to the Earth Sciences, both in education and in the procurement of practitioners. Throughout most of his career, Chris fought to raise the profile, notably in encouraging the learned societies, including the Geological Society, where he was elected to Council in 2019, to ensure that accurate material was taught in the various iterations of the National Curriculum. He also spoke at the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Earth Sciences, in an attempt to educate MPs.

In 1999, a chance encounter with a representative of the (then) UK Offshore Operators Association led to a very fruitful partnership, lasting for 16 years, with the funding of the Earth Science Education Unit. During its existence, nearly 50 ad hoc facilitators were appointed to cover England, Wales and Scotland with occasional forays to Northern Ireland to enthuse and equip teachers and student teachers, at no salary costs to the institutions. Chris once calculated that a total of 37,000 teachers had attended one or more workshops, representing several million students who would have benefited. This is in addition to the Geoscience Summer School that he developed and ran to provide a constant stream of qualified geology teachers.  Indeed, his devotion to ensuring the survival of Geology as a subject at GCSE and A Level made him a fit Chair of Examiners for one of the Awarding Bodies.
In 2007, Chris proposed courses for three developing countries under the United Nations Year of Planet Earth, but the UN were unable to provide funding. Undefeated, Chris persuaded two retired colleagues to join him in forming a free web-based teaching aid, www.earthlearningidea.com (“ELI”), which still publishes a fresh teaching activity every fortnight. In the event, the reach of ELI has been many times greater than the original UN proposal, and to date over 5.7 million downloads have been achieved across the world, many of these translated in up to eleven other languages.

This success may have had something to do with Chris being actively involved in the international geoscience education scene since 1993, where he was well known through his attendance and leadership at many conferences, in locations ranging from India to Hawaii. Chris was a founder member of the International Geoscience Education Organisation (IGEO), and was its first Chairman in 2000, and latterly a Senior Officer. As Chairman of the Education Committee of the European Geosciences Union (EGU), Chris has led the growing Geoscience Education Field Officer network across Europe and beyond.  

Among the very many articles and books that Chris wrote, his most recent venture surely deserves to be his most lasting legacy. The IGEO has devised an international syllabus that it believes every 16 year old should experience, and Chris set about writing a major online textbook to accompany it. Chris’s typical clarity of wording and inspirational choice of examples make this an essential resource for every school student and, of course, it is completely free. The latest version is Exploring Geoscience across the Globe – England | International Geoscience Education Organisation (igeoscied.org)

Chris has received many honours during the course of his career, notably Honorary Life Membership of ESTA in 1994; the Geological Society’s Distinguished Service Award in 2003; and its RH Worth Prize in 2011, as well as the Geologists’ Association’s Halstead Medal in 2012. In 2018, the International Association for Promoting Geoethics (IAPG) honoured Chris with its Geoethics Medal.

Chris and his wife Phoebe have four sons, William, Tom, David and Peter, and two grandchildren, all of whom survive him. Shortly before he died on 17th February 2022, Chris’s firm Christian faith led him to declare that he had no fear of dying. His faith was almost certainly behind his lifelong ambition to present the wonders of this amazing planet to as wide an audience as possible. Above all, his warm, cheerful personality led to him becoming a great encourager and many will be grateful for his life and work, especially the young.

By Peter Kennett and Pete Loader