The learning context
The junior school classes from Newton Central School in Auckland were working on an integrated unit on the topic of Matariki. Included in the unit was a study on the harvesting, preserving, and planting of food. The technology focus for the unit was based on the use of tools and simple machines to help with these processes. Teachers wanted the students to develop understanding about how these tools worked.
Teachers booked a trip to the Museum of Transport and Technology (MOTAT), which is a local LEOTC provider local for this school, to provide a learning experience that supported this part of the unit. Many of the students had recently started school and the teachers also wanted to use the trip to develop student self-management skills.
Teachers discussed their unit plan and specific needs with the LEOTC educator and negotiated appropriate learning outcomes. The curriculum links outlined are specific to the museum visit section of the unit. The LEOTC provider sent the teachers risk management information as part of a comprehensive teacher resource pack.
The teachers are regular visitors to MOTAT, so they did not go on a specific fact-finding visit this time. Many of the students had been to MOTAT before with their families or preschools. They recognised it as an enjoyable place to visit and were looking forward to going again.
Planning the visit: Curriculum links
| Curriculum area | Technology |
|---|---|
| Strand | Technological Knowledge and Understanding |
| Context | Home, school, environment |
| Technological area | Food, production, and process |
| Level | Level 1 |
| Achievement objectives | Students will ask questions and offer ideas about the use and operation of everyday technologies |
| Learning objectives | Students will investigate simple tools and machines that are used for production, harvest, and preservation of food. |
| Draft key competency focus | Managing self:
Relating to others:
Participating and contributing:
|
Pre-visit preparation
The students watched and discussed a video about machines and tools used to help harvest apples. They also visited the school garden to talk about what tools might be used in a garden. They drew pictures of simple machines that might be used in the harvest. Teachers assessed the prior knowledge of the group and negotiated learning outcomes with MOTAT.
The students were introduced to the idea of going on a school trip and what would be required of them. They talked about what machines they might see at MOTAT and wrote stories about the upcoming trip.
