Lapita is the name given to ancestors of the Polynesians, including Māori, who were the first people to explore and settle the remote parts of Oceania....

Adventure movies make it seem like satellites can see everything from space, but is this fact or fiction? Remote sensing satellites provide us with lots of...

Satellite images are an excellent way to support and practise the science capabilities ‘Gather and interpret data’ and ‘Interpret representations’. The images are often vibrant and...

In this activity, students carefully observe an object then make an observational drawing. By the end of this activity, students should be able to: make oral...

In this activity, students use a three-level reading guide to locate information about the role of observation in science from the text of an article. They...

In this activity, students determine the contents of a ‘mystery’ box by making observations but without opening it, and parallels are drawn between this activity and...

In this activity, students discuss the importance of observation in science. They are given the opportunity to observe an image of a native frog and record...

Sharing students’ scientific learning through poetry can be a powerful activity as it combines artistic expression with scientific understanding. Using fictional modes can make the science...

Observation is a key component of mātauranga Māori and science. This activity enables ākonga to use the science capability ‘Gather and interpret data’ as they observe...

Challenge students to explore and observe kōwhai trees with a particular focus on the seeds. Initially, students may only notice the seed pods hanging from the...

This set of activities enables students to directly observe how everyday objects behave in water and to investigate the factors that determine whether an object will...

Satellites are incredibly useful tools, and they’ve changed the way we monitor and track things on Earth and in space. Satellites are built to perform specific...

A CubeSat is a real satellite that is small enough to fit in your hands! This activity has two parts that can be done individually or...

In this activity, students make a physical model of the satellite shown in the Build a satellite interactive. Making a physical model will help students to...

Oceans cover 70% of the Earth’s surface making it an enormous area to monitor. All large ships are required to use an automatic identification system (AIS),...

Toroa/northern royal albatross spend about 85% of their time on the Southern Ocean – only living on land to nest during the breeding season. Some of...

This activity supports students to use their senses to closely observe and identify a range of properties in order to classify items for different purposes. The...

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...

The beach provides each type of living thing found there with food and shelter. This activity involves students in researching and then observing a range of...

Pasture is an area of land that’s covered in a range of low-growing forage species. Grasses, legumes and herbs are common pasture plants, with farmers selecting...

Observation forms the basis of both mātauranga Māori and science. Possibly the most powerful model of inspiration that we can draw from our ancestors is that...

This unit plan shows how teacher Carol Brieseman used the online citizen science (OCS) project Identify New Zealand Animals to offer her students another way of...

Pollinators are insects that visit flowers to drink nectar or feed on pollen. During this process, they get covered in pollen grains and then transport the...

Insect vision is quite different to human vision, but insects do see colours, and they use their colour vision to get around and find food. We...