<- Volcano city field trip homepage
This virtual field trip aligns with Te Mātaiaho, the refreshed New Zealand Curriculum. Studying Auckland's volcanic field provides a rich opportunity to integrate several learning areas. This multidisciplinary approach can enhance students' understanding of both the natural world and the societal implications of living in a geologically active area.
Curriculum flexibility
Our field trips include cross-curricular learning experiences which can be adapted to different learning areas and progressions. You can develop your teaching approach to suit ākonga interests and needs. Here are some of the most relevant curriculum areas that could relate to a study on Auckland's volcanic field:
Te ao tangata | Social sciences
1. Understand
Key concepts:
- Interconnectedness: Understand how the volcanic landscape of Auckland is interconnected with cultural, historical, and social aspects.
- Impact: Grasp how geological phenomena like volcanic activity have shaped and continue to influence human activity and societal development.
- Cultural significance: Recognise the deep cultural connections that Māori communities attach to volcanic landscapes and how historical narratives, including Māori perspectives, explain and relate to volcanic features.
2. Know
Information and facts:
- Geological knowledge: Details about the formation, structure, and history of Auckland’s volcanic field.
- Cultural histories: Knowledge of the stories and historical events linked to the volcanoes, from both Māori and Pākehā perspectives.
- Societal responses: Insight into how past and present societies have responded to the challenges and opportunities presented by the volcanic landscape.
3. Do
Skills and applications:
- Analytical skills: Analyse and interpret data regarding volcanic activity and its impacts.
- Critical thinking: Evaluate the effectiveness of current procedures on volcanic hazard preparedness.
- Creative expression: Create projects or presentations that incorporate learning about the volcanic field in a creative way, such as digital storytelling, art projects, or simulations.
- Processes and participation: Engage in activities that simulate the decision-making processes involved in managing volcanic risks.
- Narratives of Aotearoa New Zealand: Construct and present narratives that show an understanding of different perspectives on Auckland’s volcanoes.
Te ao Tūroa | Science
Learning area: Nature of science
Achievement objectives:
- Investigate in science: Ākonga can explore how and why volcanoes form, specifically looking at tectonic plate movements and volcanic activity.
- Communicating in science: Engage with and share scientific information about the volcanic features and history of Auckland.
Learning area: Planet Earth and Beyond
Achievement objectives:
- Earth systems: Understand how the Earth’s surface is shaped by geological processes, including volcanic activity.
- Interacting systems: Explore how volcanic activity affects and is affected by other Earth systems (atmospheric, hydrospheric, and biospheric).
Mātai matawhenua | Geography
Achievement objectives:
- Natural environments: Study the physical processes that shape natural environments and how these environments influence human activity and vice versa.
- Contemporary issues: Examine the impact of volcanic hazards on urban areas and how these are managed.
Hangarau | Technology
Achievement objectives:
- Technological products: Develop understanding of how technological products such as seismic monitoring equipment are used to predict and respond to volcanic eruptions.
- Technological systems: Learn about the systems in place for volcanic monitoring and emergency response in Auckland.
Pāngarau | Mathematics
Achievement objectives:
- Tauanga | Statistics: Use statistical methods to analyse data related to volcanic activity, such as frequency and magnitude of past eruptions.
- Ine | measurement: Calculate lava flow distances, eruption sizes, and map out safe zones based on volcanic activity data.
Ngā Toi | Arts (Visual Arts)
Achievement objectives:
- Explore and develop ideas: Ākonga can create artistic interpretations of volcanic landscapes and eruptions.
- Communicate and interpret: Discuss and display how volcanic landscapes have been represented in various art forms, and what these representations communicate about human interactions with these landscapes.
Hauora | Health and Physical Education
Achievement objectives:
- Personal health and physical development: Understand the health implications of living in a volcanic area, including respiratory issues from volcanic ash and the importance of physical preparedness for evacuations.
Useful links
EQC Toka Tū Ake museums and schools programme
Part of EQC's outreach work to help raise hazard-aware Kiwis and support the understanding of natural forces that have shaped the land.
GNS Science
Explore and find out more about New Zealand's volcanoes and volcanic hazards.
GeoNet
Check recent earthquakes and volcano alert levels, and when and where the latest earthquake occurred.
Get Ready
Learn more about natural hazards in Aotearoa and how to prepare for these.
What's the Plan Stan?
A free resource to support schools, teachers and students to develop the knowledge and skills to prepare for emergency events.
Science Learning Hub
New Zealand education resources, including:
