nature of science

Students do not arrive in the classroom as blank slates. They’ve been exposed to the world around them and may have created their own explanations for...

In this activity, students use Hub resources to learn about two unusual native New Zealand soil creatures. This cross-curricular activity combines science with reading, viewing, writing...

In this activity, students observe billions of soil microbes and ‘see’ microbes at work as they soft boil an egg in a compost bin. By the...

In this activity, students gather soil samples from their homes to view how soils differ from location to location. By the end of this activity, students...

In this activity, students use a picture book and/or dig a hole to learn more about soil, observation and inference in science. By the end of...

A habitat is an area in which something lives. Soil is a habitat, and it is full of life! Around 25% of everything alive on the...

If you dig a hole in your school playing field, will the soil there look the same as the soil in your home garden? Is soil...

Soil, dirt, earth, muck – there are lots of words for soil. One we don’t often hear associated with soil is life. Soil keeps us alive...

When Māori arrived in Aotearoa/New Zealand in the late 13th century, they found a land quite different to the Polynesia from which they had travelled. The...

Imagine having a job where you get to work outside and no one worries if you get dirty! That is one aspect many soil scientists enjoy...

Observation is something we often do instinctively. Observation helps us decide whether it’s safe to cross the road and helps to determine if cupcakes are ready...

In some of the beech forests of New Zealand, bright red or yellow mistletoe flowers stand out in the summer. The colour attracts native birds, which...

This unit plan is designed for students in years 6-8. When someone mentions the word ‘butterfly’, what image pops into your head? Chances are it’s the...

In this activity, students place small stickers (tags) onto caught or newly emerged monarch butterflies and release them into the environment. The tag number, information about...

Dr Kim Currie from NIWA studies carbon dioxide in the upper ocean around New Zealand. This helps her understand the role of the ocean in the...

Students do not arrive in the classroom as "blank slates". They have diverse experiences of the world around them and often have created their own explanations...

In this activity, students learn about the surface tension of water by experimenting with bubbles. By the end of this activity, students should be able to:...

In this activity, students use water to explore its properties as a solid, liquid or gas. By the end of this activity, students should be able...

Water can exist as a solid (ice), liquid (water) or gas (vapour or gas). Adding heat can cause ice (a solid) to melt to form water...

Water is the only common substance that is naturally found as a solid, liquid or gas. Solids, liquids and gases are known as states of matter....

Water seems to be everywhere in New Zealand. Oceans surround us. There are hundreds of lakes and rivers. Some South Island regions get more than 10...

Observing is something we often do instinctively. It helps us decide, for instance, whether it is safe to cross the road. But observation is simply more...

Observing and asking questions are essential parts of what a scientist does. Through their observations, scientists try to build more accurate explanations of how the world...

In this activity, students model how scientists interpret microscope data by using shadows of an object from different angles to build up a 3D image. By...