New content to give science a boost!
Our March pānui highlights our latest content – from rubbish to fossils to free PLD on creating your own science week. We can help you boost science knowledge, capabilities and literacies for both primary and secondary students.
Hands-on science
Hands-on experiences provide opportunities to ask questions, find evidence, explore models and carry out investigations. These opportunities allow for scientific discussion and idea sharing.
Primary Science Week: 16–20 May 2022
Primary Science Week is an annual event organised by the New Zealand Association of Primary Science Educators. This year’s theme is That’s so cool! Antarctica Science. The Hub has extensive resources on Antarctica – browse what is on offer or use the filters to narrow your search.
If you are interested in running your own science week – on any topic and at any time of the year – then check out our upcoming PLD webinar: . We’ll share ideas and resources to get you connected with the science community, grow confidence and have a lot of fun!
Date: 5 May 2022, 4:00–4:45 pm
Other PLD news
Remember – the recorded webinar has tips on how to navigate the Hub and make the best use of what we have to offer!
The Ministry of Education’s current PLD priorities include local curriculum design and growing cultural capability, what does this mean for science? Explore this further in the webinar.
Rocks, fossils and dating – new resources for secondary students
Aotearoa New Zealand has been isolated for 80 million years. We have a unique geological timescale that can make it a challenge to date a rock or a rock layer. Using absolute dating methods is a new online activity – students use an interactive to learn about rock dating methods and then test their knowledge with a quiz. Extend the learning with our fossil correlation activity. It uses real data from Mangahouanga, a location made famous by paleontologist Joan Wiffen.
Both activities come with wrap-around science articles and are ideal for practising science and English literacies.
Absolute dating methods
Absolute dating methods give rocks an actual date or date range in numbers of years. This interactive explores four different methods used in absolute dating.
Building Science Concepts: Rubbish – new resources for primary students
Our latest Building Science Concepts update uses the context of rubbish (rāpihi) to assist learning about the chemical and physical properties of materials, and methods of classification. Supporting resources (Kuputaka Māori mo para, Physical properties of rubbish and Waste classification) are in downloadable Word format so you can adapt them for student needs. Challenge students to explore the properties of plastic and glass and to take simple actions to solve environmental problems and create change.
Binning bad habits
Households, businesses and schools are encouraged to consider what they put in the rubbish. Composting and recycling are two ways to divert a lot of material from the landfill.
This graphic was produced from an audit of kerbside rubbish bags in the Thames-Coromandel District in 2021 – what do you think a similar audit in your town might reveal?
Follow us
We offer added value through our social media. Contact us about creating collections or boards tailored to your needs. We can help foster connections between the education and science communities.
Facebook: www.facebook.com/nzsciencelearn
Twitter: www.twitter.com/NZScienceLearn
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Your feedback
We hope you enjoy using the Science Learning Hub – Pokapū Akoranga Pūtaiao in your teaching and would love to hear from you. Any comments, ideas and/or feedback can be emailed to enquiries@sciencelearn.org.nz.
Noho ora mai
Science Learning Hub – Pokapū Akoranga Pūtaiao
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