DISCOVERY EDUCATION AND FREEPORT-MCMORAN HOST LIVE VIRTUAL FIELD TRIP FOR CLASSROOMS NATIONWIDE Alycia Chanin, Discovery Education(240) 662-3056, alycia_chanin@discovery.com – Offers Middle School Students an Exclusive Look Into Real-World STEM Applications and Careers – SILVER SPRING, Md. (February 19, 2016) – 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 March 3, 2016, at 1:00 p.m. EST for students nationwide. The Journey Through Copper Processing live virtual field trip will offer middle school students a behind-the-scenes look at how copper goes from ore to more than 99.9% pure copper. During this virtual event, participants will have exclusive access to Freeport-McMoRan’s leading engineers and metallurgists who utilize STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) in their everyday work. Hosted live from Freeport-McMoRan’s Morenci Copper facility in Arizona, 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 STEM careers available in the copper industry. During this virtual field trip, students will go behind-the-scenes of a working copper mine to learn about the different phases of copper production and hear from Freeport-McMoRan professionals about their roles 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 to integrate this virtual field trip into my classroom instruction to take students beyond the walls of our school, and demonstrate how STEM concepts are utilized in a real-world setting,” said Cheryl Lykowski, Teacher, Bedford Public Schools, Michigan. “This unique learning experience will connect students directly to subject-matter experts and highlight a variety of STEM-related career paths available in today’s copper industry.” Additionally, educators and students may utilize Dig Into Mining: The Story of Copper’s all-new Virtual Lab, From Ore to More, to gain a deeper understanding of topics that will be discussed during the live event. This interactive Virtual Lab offers an authentic, multimedia learning simulation focused on the operations phase of copper processing. During the lab, students navigate the three stages of copper processing and learn how copper goes from ore to more than 99.9% pure copper. In each of the stages, students hear from a Freeport-McMoRan professional about their role and the equipment used during that stage of processing. After navigating all three stages, students complete a summative assessment and provide their feedback on their favorite career path and processes learned about in the lab. Students may go through the lab individually or as a part of a team. “Our partnership with Discovery Education shares the important story of mining in a way that is relevant and fun for students, and showcases the important and challenging work of our employees,” said Tracy Bame, Freeport-McMoRan Foundation President. “We hope that the high quality resources of Discovery Education provide many more students with a new opportunity to see inside an exciting industry where professionals positively impact society on a day-to-day basis.” In addition to the virtual field trip, Discovery 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 EducationDiscovery Education is the global leader in standards-based digital content for K-12, transforming teaching and learning with award-winning digital textbooks, multimedia content, professional development, and the largest professional learning community of its kind. Serving 3 million educators and over 30 million students, Discovery Education’s services are in half of U.S. classrooms, over 40 percent of all primary schools in the UK, and more than 50 countries. Discovery Education partners with districts, states and like-minded organizations to captivate students, empower teachers, and transform classrooms with customized solutions that increase 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.