for Programme outline and costs for: Caves Amaze programme, Glorious Glowworms programme, Caves and Crystals Programme.
The Living World: Study cave creatures like glowworms, cave weta and bats, view moa skeletons and rare fossils at the Waitomo Caves Discovery Centre. See rare and endangered kiwi, tuatara, falcon and other native fauna at the Otorohanga Kiwi House & Native Bird Park.
How about a trip to the Mahoenui Giant Weta Scientific Reserve.
Help understand how to save the North Island Brown Kiwi.
Like and learn about recent breeding success and kiwihouse success – view and click here Kiwihouse facebook fan club
Cost to schools: $3 Students $3.00 each adult. Teachers free.
Senior Geography/Earth Science: Take a guided tour of the Waitomo Glowworm Cave, Aranui Cave or the beautiful Ruakuri Cave for an in-depth look at the world below us, or take a bushwalk over the Waipa Fault. Then visit the Waitomo Caves Discovery Centre to learn more about caves, limestone, speleothems and the interaction between plate tectonics, water, CO2 and limestone in this environment.
Level 1. Let’s look at Waitomo Caves -Let’s look at our local area -Show off our features
Demonstrate understanding: The formation of surface features in NZ.
Through experience students will see and understand how those features are forming.
Key words Level 1 NCEA Science general Systems and cycles AS90952 Internal Limestone. Sinkholes(Doline) & Tomo. Caves. Crystal Formations
Level 2. Waitomo Karst Country Caves and limestone.
Investigate geological processes in a NZ Locality
Key Words ESS Level 2 SCIENCE AS91189 2.3 Internal Waitomo limestone. Uplift. Faulting. Dissolving action. Sinkholes (Doline), and Tomo creation, Cave passage forming. Cave calcite crystal forming. Breakdown.
Wild eyes – Nature Missions – Be a Crystal Magician.
Grow your own crystal. Create a seed crystal and grow a HUGE crystal challenge.
Grow your own crystal activity and competition
Growing crystals is a great way to understand the Material world in science. Learn how to video
Wild eyes – Nature Missions – Try a DIY cave.
Take a virtual tour into one of the biggest caves in the world.
Fly a drone within one of the world’s big dolines.
Virtual Cave learning and activity
Wild eyes – Nature Missions – Fake a Giant Moa Discovery.
The Gooey Details Behind a Glow Worm’s Starry Night Illusions: Article.
Glowworm 360 Virtual Reality viewing National Geographic
These-carnivorous-worms-catch-bugs-by-mimicking-the-night-sky
NZ post Glow in the dark NZ Glowworm Stamp collection 2016
The Glowing Spider Bug. “The Glowworm” is helping us sleep?
New Glowing Millipede Found; Shows How Bioluminescence Evolved
Bioluminescence living lights (National Geographic Classroom) lessons
Bioluminescence more resources
Enquire for detailed resources to support student inquiry learning . (A Google Drive Link to many resources and supporting programme ideas)
Fact sheets about Otorohanga Kiwihouse Fauna.
Click here for Captive Breeding – understanding how it works. (Naked Science 2 min audio talk)
DOC collection of animal themed teaching resources, activities and field trips.
Key topics for a visit to Otorohanga kiwihouse: A bird in the hand, Meet the locals class activities, The reptiles, Whio forever resources.
Also link: Field trips Ruakuri caves and bush, Field trips Pureora Forest, Field trips The big friendly giants
How can LEOTC visit help my students Click here for a ministry of education case study of visit to Waitomo
LEARNZ Waitomo November 2014 Caves Critters Karst programme
Great school journal and connected series books. Often with Teacher support notes.
Building science concepts books Waitomo caves education. -support science learning about Caves.
Building science concepts books otorohanga kiwihouse education – support science learning about Kiwi.
Info series all about, , Supporting Science; Glowworms, bats, Support Kiwi
Waitomo Ed Books Support Social Sciences
Trip to the coast Students can study an example of a Northern NZ Sandy and Muddy Shore Guide and Northern NZ rocky shores guide.
Call (07) 878 7642 or send us an email at to make a booking with the Waitomo Education Centre.
Or just get in touch to find out how we can link your Y1 to Y13 classroom programme to the many options available in this area