27 Feb 1932	The neutron is discovered by James Chadwick.
1 Mar	March Night Sky Stardome, RASNZ
1-31 Mar	Melanoma March www.melanoma.org.nz/news-events/recent-news
1-31 Mar	Hearing Awareness Month https://www.nfd.org.nz/hearing-awareness-month2020
1-31 Mar	Whio Awareness month https://www.doc.govt.nz/whioforever
3 Mar	SL Hub webinar on Local curriculum, mātauranga and science 4 pm. Register here
3 Mar	World wildlife Day http://wildlifeday.org/
3 Mar	World Hearing Day
5-13 Mar	Sea week http://seaweek.org.nz/
Moon	NM Mar 3    1Q Mar 10    FM Mar 18    3Q Mar 25

1. Seaweek is being celebrated from 5 – 13 Mar. View all the events on their website. Plus:
   • Citizen science project to count seagulls in the school yard one day in Seaweek. Resources available to help identify species. education@albatross.org.nz
   • Explore your local shore with Marine Metre Squared https://www.mm2.net.nz/
   • Listen to Marine Science student Tyler Feary describing his research on bryozoans https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=973031553339440&ref=sharing

Info

1. Culturally Responsive & Relational Pedagogy:
   • Georgina Stewart paper The typology of Pakeha whiteness in education
   • The Aranui app helps with te reo Māori pronunciation, greetings & responses, pēpeha, waiata, karakia – useful for personal practice.
2. Mātauranga Māori
   • Animation to teach students about genomics, designed to be relevant for school-age students & incorporate Te Ao Maori views and concepts alongside the science.
3. Science Careers:
   • A STEM UK guide for incorporating careers into our teaching
   • Poster on robotics careers https://www.stem.org.uk/resources/collection/473799/robotics-posters
4. Community-led initiatives can apply for funding up to $5000 to manage introduced predators in backyards. There’s a school program too. Deadline 9 March.
5. In conjunction with the whale tails appearing around Auckland, Whale Tales Educators are offering free interactive presentations (& leave a teaching resource) to years 1-8 in the city for term 1. By zoom or face to face. Register at https://www.picktime.com/whaletales2022
6. UoC will loan kits for making photosynthetic alginate beads https://www.canterbury.ac.nz/science/outreach/learning-resources/photosynthesis-kit/
7. The latest NZASE newsletter has an articles on Local curriculum and the Tonga eruption for anyone and on Teaching Climate change and a physics activity on the Tongan pressure wave for members only, as well as a profile of Jan Wikaira, an inorganic chemist. Sign up for the newsletter or find resources here https://nzase.org.nz/. Join NZASE here https://nzase.org.nz/membership/ (reduced fees this year).
8. Biozone is offering free class sets of eBook lite for 90 days. Book before 28 Feb. Contact sales@biozone.co.nz 

Resources

1. Biology:
   • Danielle Myburgh’s skull game to build observation and teamwork skills.
   • Everyday examples of evolution occurring https://www.sciencefocus.com/nature/future-of-evolution-10-ways-nature-is-changing-to-adapt-to-life-among-humans/
2. Earth & Space Science:
   • An ABC lesson on the International Space Station based on this video
   • A general introduction to the (northern) oceans https://www.whoi.edu/oceanus/feature/a-hitchhiker-s-guide-to-the-ocean/
   • An activity exploring 3-component seismic data with an accelerometer
3.  Chemistry:
   • Periodic Table activities: sing/listen to a PT song , explore an illustrated PT then go on an elements scavenger hunt (not as hard as you might think!). Play element bingo
   • A virtual chemistry lesson on solubility & concentration – the dissolving process, calculating molarity, supersaturation and factors affecting concentration.
4. Physics:
   • In her book Sticky, the science of surfaces Laurie Winkless explores how friction shapes the world. A fuller description of the book here
   • A story about using a flight context for L1 physics and maths in the Gazette https://issuu.com/edgazette/docs/education_gazette_100.11
5. Nature of Science:
   • An article on bias https://www.nzgeo.com/stories/excuse-me-but-your-proclivity-is-showing/
6. Science of COVID:
   • BrainPOP video about COVID
   • A LENScience video for Cook Islands children: Kura the Crab explains the COVID-19 vaccine. https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=4839834766055737&ref=sharing
7.  EfS:
   • The key data to give an understanding of climate change https://ideas.ted.com/the-science-of-climate-change-illustrated-in-charts/
   • Report from Ak Council on how schools can use a school carbon footprint calculator effectively
8.  Science:
   • Use the UVNZ app to investigate UV levels over a day or over different seasons
   • This video of an explanation of electrostatic attraction between a water stream and rubbed plastic, also looks at polar molecules.

MoE/NZQA

1. 2021 NCEA Assessment schedules are now available online, much earlier than usual, now that marking is done digitally. In response to teacher requests. Will help teachers give informed feedback to students wanting a reconsideration of their grades. [Ian Torrie]
2. NZQA is advertising for full-time permanent position for a Physics National Assessment Moderator. Deadline 8 March.  https://careers.nzqa.govt.nz/jobs/NZQA-22032AMS
3. Remember to check the assessment specifications for each external NCEA standard you will assess this year. All on the 1 page here.

Professional Learning & Development (PLD) Opportunities

1. STEM Learning (UK) has some free online PLD available on demand (ignore the dates)
   • Managing the secondary science classroom
   • The science of learning
2. Otago uni is providing PLD for provisionally certificated teachers, overseas trained teachers with provisional certification, and mentor teachers (e.g. tutor teachers, PCT Coordinators, SCTs, HODs and school leaders). This professional development is available face-to-face or online. https://www.otago.ac.nz/education/ess/pct.html

Cheers, Mike

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