"A virtual field trip programme for New Zealand schools, LEARNZ takes your class to places they wouldn't otherwise be able to go and meet experts they wouldn't otherwise meet."

In 2012, go online with LEARNZ from your classroom to learn about:

• Renewable Energy - ideas in practice for a sustainable future
• Earth Science Coast to Coast - a geologic road trip across the South Island
• Waikato Coal Mining - underground and opencast
• Making Music - build up to a Halloween concert with the CSO

LEARNZ has been operating since 1995 offering virtual field trips for New Zealand schools to places the length and breadth of New Zealand and to offshore locations such as Antarctica and the Chatham Islands. The main curriculum areas are Science, Social Sciences and The Arts. LEARNZ has developed as a partnership between Heurisko, the Ministry of Education, Solid Energy and others. At the beginning of 2012, over 4000 teachers from nearly 1700 schools use LEARNZ.

In 2012, LEARNZ teachers Shelley, Andrew and Paul are ready to lead your classes on four very different experiences.

Renewable Energy, 7-9 March

In preparation for this field trip New Zealand students will learn about energy, renewable energy, the carbon cycle, energy in biomass, energy in wood pellets and the use of wood pellets as a renewable energy source for heating in homes, schools and elsewhere.

During the field trip students will visit (virtually) the source of renewable energy in the forest plantations of the Central North Island. They will meet the people producing the raw material and those using the renewable end product; wood pellet fuel. Students will put questions to the experts as they tour through the wood pellet processing plant in Taupo. They will see the carbon cycle in action and relate it to modern issues of fossil fuel use and our carbon footprints. Lastly classes will discover why there is a high level of interest in sustainable energy production and discuss the impacts of renewable and non-renewable resource use in New Zealand.

Renewable Energy field trip, audio conference

Earth Science Coast to Coast, 27-30 March

In preparation for this field trip New Zealand students will learn about New Zealand geology, geologic time, the age of rocks, types of rocks, the rock cycle, the moving crust, folding and faulting, mountain building, erosion, igneous rock formation, volcanic examples, plutonic examples, sedimentary rock formation, rocks that talk, fossils, metamorphic rock formation.

During the field trip classes will travel (virtually) on a geological road trip from east coast to west across the South Island. On the way they will put questions to geologists as they explain the processes of rock formation, faulting and folding, and the concept of geologic time. Classes will also go fossil hunting as they discover how New Zealand's unique landscape was formed. After the field trip, teachers and students will never look at rocks the same way again.

Earth Science Coast to Coast field trip

Waikato Coal Mining, 8-10 August

In preparation for this field trip New Zealand students will learn about New Zealand energy resources, including coal. They will learn how coal is formed, how it can be found and where it is located in New Zealand. They will learn about underground and opencast mining, processing of coal and the rehabilitation of mine sites.

During the field trip classes will visit (virtually) opencast and underground coal mines in the Waikato. They will explore the origin, extraction, distribution and use of this abundant non-renewable New Zealand resource. Students will interview miners who work underground or who operate big machinery above ground and compare environmental issues related to underground and opencast mining. They will visit Huntly East, originally an opencast mine now one of the most advanced underground coal mines in the world. Lastly students will go underground and see innovative developments that have overcome the unique challenges to mining posed by New Zealand geologic conditions.

Waikato Coal Mining field trip

Making Music, 29-31 October

In preparation for the field trip New Zealand students will learn about orchestras, musical families, individual instruments and orchestral performance including stage management and organisation.

During the field trip classes will experience the build-up and performance of scary music from the past and present in a concert with a Halloween theme, performed by the Christchurch Symphony Orchestra — the CSO. Students will meet professional musicians as they show off the musical instrument they are passionate about — how it works, what it looks and sounds like. They will see how musicians and the conductor work with professionals from the visual arts and the performing arts, and follow them as they prepare for a major concert with exciting visuals and a full orchestra. Students will go to the costume department and see how members of the CSO are "dressed up" for the occasion. They will meet circus performers who perform aerial acts with the music and meet the backstage organisers to see what they do to get the venue and people organised and coordinated.

Making Music field trip