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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

Adding value, aquaculture, biodiversity, biofouling, biosecurity, border security, consumer, disease, engineered timber, farm, food, food processing, food safety, forestry, future focus, innovation, mussels, Nelson, pests, quarantine, risks, seafood, sheep milk cheese, soil, sun, sustainability, timber, timber processing, water, water quality, wood, wood processing.

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 Web conferences.
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 Our Primary Industries 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 Our Primary Industries 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

 

Continuity and Change

  • Level 2: Understand how time and change affect people's 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

Economic World

  • Level 3: Understand how people make decisions about access to and use of resources
  • Level 4: Understand how producers and consumers exercise their rights and meet their responsibilities
  • Level 5: Understand how economic decisions impact on people, communities, and nations.

 

 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.

Living World

Life Processes

  • Level 2: Recognise that all living things have certain requirements so they can stay alive
  • Level 3-4: Recognise that there are life processes common to all living things and that these occur in different ways.

Ecology

  • Levels 2: Recognise that living things are suited to their particular habitat.
  • Level 3-4: Explain how living things are suited to their particular habitat and how they respond to environmental changes, both natural and human-induced.
 

Planet Earth and Beyond

 

Earth systems
  • Level 2-4; Appreciate that water, air, rocks and soil and lifeforms make up our planet and recognise these are also Earth’s resources.

 

 

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

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.
   

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.

 

 

Technology

Mathematics

       
Strand Achievement Aims Background Pages Related Activities

Number and Algebra

 

 

Level 3: Use a range of additive and simple multiplicative strategies with whole numbers, fractions, decimals, and percentages

Level 4: Use a range of multiplicative strategies when operating on whole numbers

Level 4: Generalise properties of multiplication and division with whole numbers

  • Field Trip Number Challenge - Word (32k) | PDF (204k)
  • Let's Work it Out - Word (39k) | PDF (292k)

 

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 

 

  1. uses an increasing understanding of the connections between oral, written, and visual language when creating texts
  2. creates a range of texts by integrating sources of information and processing strategies with increasing confidence
  1. making the connection between Audioconferences, Background Pages, Videos, and own discussion when generating written responses
  2. assimilate information from Audioconferences, Background Pages, Videos, and Ask-an-Expert to create a range of texts

Listening, Reading and Viewing

 

  1. selects and reads for enjoyment and personal fulfilment
  2. recognises connections between oral, written, and visual language
  3. integrates sources of information and prior knowledge confidently to make sense of increasingly varied and complex texts
  4. thinks critically about texts with increasing understanding and confidence
  1. printed copies of Background Pages could be part of classroom library
  2. making links between Audioconferences, Background Pages, and Videos
  3. 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