atoms and molecules
Article
Sniffing out bee disease
American foulbrood (AFB) is a highly infectious disease that infects bee larvae. It costs the beekeeping industry millions of dollars a year and threatens the role...
Activity
Balloons and air density
Air has many interesting characteristics. It flows and spreads into spaces that are not already occupied. Air can be compressed, and it can also expand. This...
Activity
Investigating the push of air
Air is largely invisible, but we can feel it and see its effects when the wind blows. This set of five simple activities provides opportunities for...
Article
Acids and bases – introduction
From our bodies to our Earth’s oceans and rocks, acids and bases play an important role in our lives and the environment around us. If you...
Teacher PLD
Learning science from home – upper primary
Science is about discovery, curiosity and observation. Two key outcomes of any activity can simply be enjoyment and the conversations that arise from the experience. Take...
Article
Gallium
Gallium is perhaps best known as a metal that is a solid when you pick it up and melts when it sits in your hand. Elemental...
Article
Mercury
Mercury – named after a Roman god known for speed and agility – is a chemical element that has fascinated humans for thousands of years. Mercury...
Article
Gold
Gold is the stuff of dreams and legends. Empires have been toppled for it, pirates have plundered it and misers have hoarded it. But what does...
Article
Cobalt
Cobalt is a chemical element – a substance that contains only one type of atom. Its official chemical symbol is Co and its atomic number is...
Article
Magnesium
Magnesium is a chemical element – a substance that contains only one type of atom. Its official chemical symbol is Mg, and its atomic number is...
Article
Neodymium
Neodymium is a chemical element. Its official symbol is Nd, and its atomic number is 60, which means it has 60 protons in its nucleus. The...
Article
Lead
Lead is a chemical element – a substance that contains only one type of atom. Its official chemical symbol is Pb, and its atomic number is...
Article
Rutherfordium
Rutherfordium is a synthetic chemical element. Its official chemical symbol is Rf, and its atomic number is 104, which means that a rutherfordium atom has 104...
Article
Elements – weird and wonderful
The United Nations proclaimed 2019 to be the International Year of the Periodic Table of Chemical Elements. This is to commemorate the 150th anniversary of Dmitri...
Article
Helium
Helium is a chemical element. Its official symbol is He, and its atomic number is 2, which means it has two protons in its nucleus. Helium...
Activity
Create a photographic periodic table
The periodic table of elements can seem abstract to students. This activity helps to bring this important science idea to life by connecting everyday objects to...
Article
Zinc
Zinc is a chemical element. Its official symbol is Zn, and its atomic number is 30, which means each zinc atom has 30 protons in its...
Article
Sulfur
Sulfur is a chemical element. Its official symbol is S and its atomic number is 16, which means that each sulfur atom has 16 protons in...
Article
Oxygen
Oxygen is a chemical element – a substance that contains only one type of atom. Its official chemical symbol is O, and its atomic number is...
Teacher PLD
Chemistry made simple – atoms
In this recorded professional learning session, Greta Dromgool will build your knowledge and confidence to teach the particle nature of matter – a key concept in...
Article
Properties of materials – introduction
Matter is anything that has mass and occupies space. A useful way to start thinking about matter is to think about the different materials, or substances,...
Teacher PLD
Chemistry made simple – properties of matter
At the Science Learning Hub, we know teaching chemistry can feel a bit overwhelming. In this recorded professional learning session, Greta Dromgool takes you step by...
Activity
What happens to our plastic bottles?
In 2017, Flight Plastics (now called Pact Packaging) closed the recycling loop by opening New Zealand’s first PET wash and recycling plant. PET plastics (plastic products...
Activity
Plastic – reuse, recycle or rubbish game
In this activity, students play an active game to sort plastic items into three categories: reuse, recycle and rubbish. It is an ideal introductory activity for...