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Hiringa-ā-nuku/October newsletter

Science Communicators Mike Stone and Jenny Rankine welcome your feedback and suggestions at comms@nzase.org.nz.

Contents

OIA survey by NZ AntiVivisection Society

Many teachers have only a few days to respond to an Official Information Act (OIA) request in the form of email survey by the NZ Anti-Vivisection Society about their school’s use of animals for dissection. OIA requests must be answered within 20 working days of receiving the request, which was sent during the recent holidays. Read the NZASE’s advice about the survey here.
Addressing students’ science misconceptions
Effective teaching ensures that students think about what they are learning. When we elicit prior knowledge at the start of a lesson or unit, it is important to identify the misconceptions that students may have developed. .NZASE’s pedagogy resource suggests some ways to address these misconceptions

SciCon attraction: Robin Millar

The work of this SciCon speaker has contributed to the current NCEA changes.
   Robin Millar, Emeritus Professor of Science Education at the University of York, has trained teachers for over 30 years. He is one of the foremost UK science education researchers, with a strong international reputation, especially in curriculum design, teaching and assessment in science.
   He was involved in a project on the Big Ideas of Science Education, led by Wynn Harlen, which identified the key ideas that students should encounter in their science education to enable them to understand, enjoy and marvel at the natural world.
   It found that an overcrowded and fragmented science curriculum was one of several factors in students’ perception of science as a disconnected series of facts of very little wider meaning.
   Part of the solution was to conceive the goals of science education, not as knowledge of a body of facts and theories, but as a progression towards understanding ‘big ideas’ relevant to students’ lives during and beyond school. Two major publications arose out of this work
This work laid foundations for current changes in NCEA that the Ministry of Education is working on. Find out more at SciCon, March 20-22.

Marine scientist Heni Unwin

How do you rig sensors on mussels so the aquaculturist on land knows when they open and close? Read our profile of marine scientist and chemist Heni Unwin (Tūwharetoa, Ngāti Kahungunu ki Wairoa, Ngāti Rongomaiwahine, Ngāi Tūhoe, TeAtihaunui-a-Papaarangi) to find the answer (member-only content). 

5G - upgrade or potential catastrophe?

The imminent arrival of the latest mobile frequency upgrade has stimulated much online consternation. Read our article about 5G myths and evidence that counters them, with references for a student activity (member-only content).

Nature Taster - Resources for primary students

The Department of Conservation has produced six activity cards that aim to build a stronger relationship with the natural world for primary students and teachers. They are based on international research that identified five pathways to a stronger connection with nature:

  • Senses - Tuning in to nature through the senses
  • Feelings - Feeling alive through the emotions that nature brings
  • Beauty - Being inspired by nature’s beauty
  • Meaning - Nature bringing meaning to our lives
  • Compassion - Caring and taking action to protect the natural world.

Polynesian voyages across our biggest ocean

See videos about Polynesian navigation, building and sailing ocean-going waka, Pacific migration and other stories on the bilingual website Aotearoa: Land of voyagers. Find a list of current exhibitions about Tahitian navigator Tupaia and Cook’s voyages in museums around the country at the end of this article about how the website and videos were made.

Free colossal squid activity book

Te Papa has produced a free downloadable colossal squid activity book for ages 10+ for the classroom and at home. It helps students explore the squid’s bizarre anatomy, where it lives, how it came to Te Papa, and what it eats.
Transit of Mercury events in November
Mercury Rising, a programme by Otago Museum, surrounds the transit of Mercury across the sun on November 11, marking 250 years since Captain Cook and astronomer Charles Green observed the same transit from Te Whanganui o Hei/ Mercury Bay on the Coromandel Peninsula. The programme includes -
  • A speaking tour by four astronomy experts in five centres from Nov 5-9
  • Science activities in Whitianga and Cook’s Beach on Nov 9-11
  • An Air New Zealand flight to view the transit on November 11
  • Astronomy experiences for secondary student interns at the University of Canterbury's Mt John Observatory near Lake Tekapo. 
The Cook’s Beach and airplane viewings will be telecast live.

Native bees citizen science project

For the love of bees invites students to join its Auckland-based bee monitoring citizen science project from late October when ngaro huruhuru (native bees) emerge from their nests in the ground, to the end of January, when female bees have completed collecting nectar and pollen for their young. Ngaro huruhuru expert Dr Ngaire Hart ran a weekend workshop on October 23 on how to track ngaro huruhuru populations. Participants join a WhatsAp group, and their data will be recorded on the project’s website. Email Operations Manager Kathryn Tulloch, download the monitoring resource here, or buy fundraising posters, including all the ngaro huruhuru species, and an e-book about ngaro huruhuru.
Free access to LearnCoach NCEA resources

Coaching website LearnCoach is making LearnCoach accounts free for NZ secondary teachers. They can access courses for the three level 1 Science standards as well as video tutorials and model exam answers. Register here.

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