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DISCOVERY EDUCATION AND FREEPORT-MCMORAN HOST LIVE VIRTUAL FIELD TRIP FOR CLASSROOMS NATIONWIDE

- Offers Middle School Students an Exclusive In-Depth Look at Earth’s Natural Resources While Reinforcing Real-World Math and Science Concepts Within STEM Careers -

November 10, 2014

 

SILVER SPRING, Md. (November 10, 2014) - Discovery Education, the leading provider of digital content and professional development for K-12 classrooms, and Freeport-McMoRan, a leading international natural resource company, will host an interactive live virtual field trip on November 13, 2014, at 1:00 p.m. EST for students nationwide. The Dig Into Mining: Story of Copper live virtual field trip will give middle school students a front row seat to nature's geological wonders and exclusive access to Freeport-McMoRan's leading geologists and engineers who aim to inspire students to explore earth's natural resources and the importance of copper in our everyday lives.

Hosted live from Freeport-McMoRan's Arizona facility, this virtual field trip is part of Discovery Education and Freeport-McMoRan's overall "Dig Into Mining: The Story of Copper" program, which equips educators, students and families with free resources designed to explain how metals are relevant in everyday life, and to highlight various science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) careers available in the rapidly growing copper industry. During this virtual field trip, students will go behind-the-scenes of a working copper mine to learn about the uses of transition metals like copper, gold and molybdenum, and meet with a Freeport-McMoRan geologist and mine planning engineer as they showcase real-world examples of how STEM is used in the workplace. Students and educators may submit questions in advance on the program website for a chance to have them answered live during the event. To register and submit questions for this event, please visit: http://www.digintomining.com/virtualfieldtrips

"I'm excited for my students to see first-hand how the skills they are learning in our classroom are also used by professionals in the copper industry," said Tracie Belk, teacher at Shorecrest Preparatory School, St. Petersburg, Fla. "This virtual field trip will highlight the relevance and importance of science and math in my students' daily lives, and open the door for them to explore future careers in STEM."

"Freeport-McMoRan's Morenci Operation is truly a marvel of STEM skills in practice," said Tracy Bame, president of the Freeport-McMoRan Foundation. "This year's virtual field trip will highlight just the tip of the iceberg of the STEM expertise necessary to discover and mine for copper."

In addition to the virtual field trip, Discovery Education and Freeport-McMoRan's program provides middle school students, educators and families with a comprehensive online site that includes hands-on resources to inspire students to explore the world of copper and learn how the earth's natural resources shape their lives geologically, societally and economically. The program also offers 6th-8th grade educators standards-based classroom tools and lesson plans designed to encourage students' development of key STEM, critical thinking and problem solving skills. Dig Into Mining: The Story of Copper's family extensions allow students to share their classroom learnings with family members at home through insightful conversation about geology and the earth, and match their skills and interests to exciting opportunities within the copper industry.

For more information about the virtual field trip or Dig Into Mining: The Story of Copper's program, visit: http://www.digintomining.com/

 

About Discovery Education
Discovery Education is the global leader in standards-based digital content and professional development for K-12, transforming teaching and learning with award-winning digital textbooks, multimedia content that supports the implementation of Common Core, professional development, assessment tools, and the largest professional learning community of its kind.  Available in over half of all U.S. schools and primary schools in England, community colleges and in 50 countries around the world, Discovery Education partners with districts, states and like-minded organizations to captivate students, empower teachers, and transform classrooms with customized solutions that accelerate academic achievement. Discovery Education is powered by Discovery Communications (NASDAQ: DISCA, DISCB, DISCK), the number one nonfiction media company in the world. Explore the future of education at www.discoveryeducation.com.