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

Argo Floats, carbon, carbon cycle, chemical reactions, climate, climate change, detectors, earth processes, earth science, electronic navigation, environment, environmental issues, expedition, future focus, gadgets, geographic issue, geospatial, GIS, GPS, human impacts, location based information, monitoring change, ocean acidification, oceans, offshore, Pacific Ocean, scientific research, sea, sustainability, technological change, technological innovation.

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 Argo Floats field trip encourages, models and explores these values:

innovation, inquiry and curiosity
diversity
community and participation

(see page 10 NZC 2007).

E-learning and pedagogy

The Argo Floats 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

Background Pages

Related Activities

Social Studies

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

All

Activities

Science


Strand	Achievement Aims	Background Pages	Related Activities
The Nature of Science	Participating and contributing Levels 1-2: Explore and act on issues and questions that link their science learning to their daily living. Level 3-4: Use their growing science knowledge when considering issues of concern to them. Understanding about science Levels 1-2: Appreciate that scientists ask questions about our world that lead to investigations and that open-mindedness is important because there may be more than one explanation. Level 3-4: Identify ways in which scientists work together and provide evidence to support their ideas. Communicating in science Level 3-4: Begin to use a range of scientific symbols, conventions and vocabulary.	The Argo Float Programme	Activities
Planet Earth and Beyond	Earth systems Level 2-5; Explore and describe natural features and resources Interacting systems Level 2-5; Describe how natural features are changed and resources affected by natural events and human actions.	The World's Oceans	Activities
Physical World	Physical inquiry and physics concepts Level 2-5; Explore everyday examples of physical phenomena, such as movement, forces, electricity and magnetism, light, sound, waves, and heat. Seek and describe simple patterns in physical phenomena	Properties of the sea: currents, layers and pressure	Activities
Material World	Properties and changes of matter Level 2-5; Observe, describe, and compare physical and chemical properties of common materials and changes that occur when materials are mixed, heated, or cooled.	Properties of the sea: salinity and temperature	Activities
Living World	Ecology Level 2-5; Expalin how living things are suited to their particular habitat and how they repsobnd to environmental changes.	Properties of the sea: food webs and food chains	Activities

Technology


Strand	Achievement Aims	Background Pages	Related Activities
Technological Knowledge	Technological Products Level 1-3; Understand the relationship between the materials used and their performance properties in technological products.	What is an Argo Float?	Activities
Technological Practice	Planning for practice Level 1-3; Undertake planning to identify the key stages and resources required to develop an outcome. Revisit planning to include reviews of progress and identify implications for subsequent decision making. Brief development Level 1-3; Describe the nature of an intended outcome, explaining how it addresses the need or opportunity. Describe the key attributes that enable development and evaluation of an outcome. Outcome development and evaluation Level 1-3; Investigate a context to develop ideas for potential outcomes. Trial and evaluate these against key attributes to select and develop an outcome to address the need or opportunity. Evaluate this outcome against the key attributes and how it addresses the need or opportunity.	The Argo Float programme	Activities
Nature of Technology	Nature of Technology Level 1-3; Understand how technological development expands human possibilities and how technology draws on knowledge from a wide range of disciplines.	The Argo Float programme	Activities

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
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
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