Curriculum

NZ Curriculum icon.

All LEARNZ field trips targeting primary and secondary schools are closely linked to the New Zealand curriculum, in particular science, social studies and geography. They can also be used by other subject teachers.

Key concepts

Auckland, community involvement, disasters, earthquakes, emergency management, extreme natural events, future focus, government, hazards, infrastructure, landslides, leadership, management, perspectives, planning for earthquakes, publicity, risk management, story telling, tsunami, values, viewpoints

The New Zealand Curriculum - NZC

Key Competencies

LEARNZ virtual field trips contribute to the development of all five key competencies:

Key competencies	Examples of related field trip components
Thinking	Constructing questions to put to experts during Audioconferences and via Ask-an-Expert.
Using language, symbols and texts	Interpreting and making meaning of a variety of language and symbols in the Background Pages and throughout the web site.
Managing self	Numerous content-related Activities provide students with chances to engage with the material and create their own interpretation of the content.
Relating to others	Videos connect students with a range of expert opinions. Students listen actively when seeking answers to video questions.
Participating and contributing	LEARNZ Virtual Field Trips are an ideal medium for group-based topic inquiry. They also enable students to transfer new learning into the context of their own communities where they are encouraged to take action.

(See page 12-13 NZC 2007)

Values

The What's the Plan, Stan? field trip encourages, models and explores these values:

innovation, inquiry and curiosity
ecological sustainability
community and participation

(see page 10 NZC 2007).

E-learning and pedagogy

The What's the Plan, Stan? field trip directly involves learning that is supported by information and communication technology (ICT).

In particular, the trip will:

Assist the making of connections by enabling students to enter and explore new learning environments, overcoming barriers of distance and time.
Facilitate shared learning by enabling students to join or create communities of learners that extend well beyond the classroom.
Enhance opportunities to learn by offering students virtual experiences and tools that save them time, allowing them to take their learning further (Page 36 NZC 2007).

Social Science

Strand

Achievement Aims

Related background pages

Social Studies

Continuity and Change

Level 2: Understand how time and change affect peoples' lives
Level 4: Understand that events have causes and effects

Place and Environment

Level 2 Understand how places influence people and people influence places
Level 3 Understand how people view and use places differently
Level 5 Understand how people's management of resources impacts on environmental and social sustainability

Identity, Culture, and Organisation

Level 4: Understand how formal and informal groups make decisions that impact on communities
Level 4: Understand how people participate individually and collectively in response to community challenges

Understand how people participate individually and collectively in response to community challenges

Level 5: Understand how systems of government in New Zealand operate and affect people's lives, and how they compare with another system

English

The selected processes and strategies indicators used in the table below are from Level three of the NZC, but aim to cover indicators from levels two to four.


Strand	Processes and strategies indicators	Example of related field trip component
Speaking, Writing and Presenting	uses an increasing understanding of the connections between oral, written, and visual language when creating texts creates a range of texts by integrating sources of information and processing strategies with increasing confidence	making the connection between Audioconferences, Background Pages, Videos, and own discussion when generating written responses assimilate information from Audioconferences, Background Pages, Videos, and Ask-an-Expert to create a range of texts
Listening, Reading and Viewing	selects and reads for enjoyment and personal fulfilment recognises connections between oral, written, and visual language integrates sources of information and prior knowledge confidently to make sense of increasingly varied and complex texts thinks critically about texts with increasing understanding and confidence	printed copies of Background Pages could be part of classroom library making links between Audioconferences, Background Pages, and Videos Audioconferences, Audioconference Backchannel, Videos, Diaries, and Ask-an-Expert can be used to make sense of Background Pages and Diaries and generate questions to put to experts for further clarification