SciCon, resources, awards & Seaweek

Huitanguru / February newsletter

Welcome back to the NZASE newsletter, and happy Gregorian and Chinese new year! Science Communicators Mike Stone and Jenny Rankine welcome your feedback and suggestions at comms@nzase.org.nz.

SciCon speaker - Tanya Latty: Are brains over-rated?
Article - Recent discoveries in human evolution
Dr Ocean Mercier - Māori scientist profile
Nominations wanted for awards
Make your school predator-free
Feedback wanted on vision for NCEA Levels 1-3
Seaweek: February 29 - March 8
Participatory Science funding open
ANZCCART 2020 conference.

SciCon attraction - Tanya Latty: Are brains over-rated?
SciCon, from March 20 to 22 at Unitec in Auckland, includes talented keynote speakers. Canadian entomologist and insect ecologist Tanya Latty’s provocative and fascinating talk will describe the astonishing problem-solving abilities of slime moulds - giant, single-celled amoeba without any organs - and answer the question: Are brains over-rated?

SciCon offers PLD for teachers of science at all levels, with a great range of workshops for primary teachers and technicians. There are no relief costs for your schools, making it cheaper than a lot of other PLD. Registration is $195 for teachers (two days), and $95 for science technicians (Saturday), including lunch and morning tea. See the website.

Summarising recent discoveries in human evolution
In a new members-only NZASE resource, Mary Morgan-Richards, Steve Trewick and Murray Cox of Massey University summarise evolutionary evidence about a common hominin ancestor; interbreeding between humans and other hominid lineages; evidence from human parasites; and adaptation in Eurasia.

Dr Ocean Mercier - Māori scientist profile

Ocean Mercier’s career has included a PhD in condensed matter physics, presenting the science TV programme Project Mātauranga, and teaching Māori Science at university. An NZASE members-only resource.

Nominations wanted for awards

The Peter Spratt Medal 2020
NZASE seeks nominations of people who have made a significant and sustained contribution to science education at a grass-roots level for this medal, which will be presented at SciCon on March 20-22 in Auckland.
This contribution may include office holders of regional or national science teacher committees; those who organise conferences, science fairs and other events; and contributors to examination and curriculum panels or other activities that have supported science teachers in New Zealand.
The NZASE executive will choose the recipient based on the nominations received. Complete the nomination form by March 1.
Blake awards
Teachers and students can also be nominated for two Blake awards from the Sir Peter Blake Trust. Teachers whose leadership has delivered high-impact results in environmental sustainability can be nominated for the environment Blake Award. Students aged 13-20, whose leadership creates an impact on our sustainable future, can be nominated for the Youth Blake award. The deadline is Sunday March 22. See the website.

Predator-Free Schools

The Predator Free NZ Trust’s schools programme encourages schools to become kaitiaki of their playgrounds and local environments. Schools receive a starter pack of chew cards and tracking tunnels to identify the introduced predators and native species on their school grounds. Schools then work with a range of humane traps to eliminate predators in their grounds, and install lizard gardens, wētā houses and bird feeders.
See the Predator Free site for research news about native ecologies, wildlife, predators, trapping techniques, and sanctuaries.

Feedback wanted on vision for NCEA Levels 1-3

As part of its review of NCEA the Ministry of Education has released a PDF of a 7-page vision for NCEA Levels 1-3 . This vision describes the purpose and expected outcomes for levels 1-3 of NCEA and also describes a graduate profile for each level – see the link to the questionnaire on page 3.
Rob Mill, Senior Manager of Secondary Tertiary, Early Learning and Student Achievement says “We would really appreciate any feedback on the vision, the draft statements we have developed, or the possible implications for the subjects relevant to your association.”
The ministry has also released a 16-page NZQA Insight report on student engagement with Science and its disciplines across each level of NCEA. From these charts it is possible to see how many students are engaged in each science subject, and what are the most common subjects or combinations of subjects. Please give feedback on this also.
Teachers are welcome to respond to both of these by March 1.

Seaweek: February 29 - March 8

No matter how far we live from the shore, the ocean is important to our life. This year’s Seaweek theme is Connecting with our seas and the whakatauki is: Ko au te moana, ko te moana ko au – I am the sea, the sea is me. Check out events organised by region, upload your event here, and see loads of teaching resources here. The Protecting our marine world resource by the Department of Conservation also supports learning about and acting to protect our marine world. The Science Learning Hub has a page of Seaweek resources, including some on the ocean’s chemical and physical processes. Some newspapers will also produce Seaweek inserts which teachers have previously found useful. Seaweek is hosted by the NZ Association for Environmental Education (NZAEE).

Participatory Science funding open

The Participatory Science Platform (PSP) contestable fund is open for schools and kura in Otago, Taranaki and South Auckland. This fund supports schools to collaborate on one-year projects with businesses, Māori and community-based organisations, and scientists. Topics must have scientific value, pedagogical rigour and resonate with the community. Administering organisations in the three regions can connect schools with scientists and community organisations.
The Otago deadline is 12 noon, Wednesday 18 March. Taranaki expression of interest forms are due by February 26, with full application forms due by 5pm on March 11. Taranaki results will be announced in early April and projects are expected to start in mid-April. South Auckland EOIs are accepted at any time, with full applications due by 5pm Friday 28 February, 5pm Friday 27 March, or the final deadline of 5pm Friday 1 May.

ANZCCART 2020 conference

The Australia and NZ Council for the Care of Animals in Research and Teaching 2020 conference will be held in Queenstown from July 26-28. The deadline for submissions is Friday 14 February.
The conference theme is ‘openness in animal research and teaching’. Download the guidelines for submissions PDF here and email your abstracts here. Presenters will be told whether their paper or poster has been accepted by early March, and registrations will open in late March. Early-bird registrations close on May 3.
See the ANZCCART (NZ) conference website.

Huitanguru events relevant to Science

See NZASE's regularly updated event webpage for science events and anniversaries around the country and the world.