1. Dates for next 2 weeks:  

1-28 Feb     Bikewise month. Many cities will run a bike-to-work day       www.bikewise.co.nz

1-28 Feb     Heart Awareness Month                     www.heartfoundation.org.nz/for-women

2 Feb     World Wetlands Day                           www.fishandgame.org.nz,  www.doc.govt.nz

3 Feb 1931     Napier-Hastings Earthquake              www.teara.govt.nz/en/historic-earthquakes/page-6

4 Feb     World Cancer Day                              http://www.worldcancerday.org/

5 Feb     Safer Internet Day                              https://www.netsafe.org.nz/safer-internet-day/

5 Feb     Chinese New Year begins                  https://chinesenewyear.net/

7 Feb     National Periodic Table day               http://www.periodictableday.org/

11 Feb    International Day of Women and Girls in Science     http://goo.gl/7e6wpA

12 Feb     International Charles Darwin Day      www.darwinday.org/index.php

Moon      3Q Jan. 28      NM Feb. 5       1Q Feb. 13                  FM Feb. 20

 

2. The full year’s calendar of science and school-related events is attached.

 

Info

1. Pedagogy:
   1. A collection of videos on Project-based learning http://www.bie.org/objects/cat/videos
   2. I have attached Alana Madgwick’s 1^st post for the secondary literacy list serve for 2019, giving heaps of ideas for your 1^st lesson. This is a really great network, gives me lots of good ideas. See info in the attachment for how to join.

2. Ocean Youth Program applications due in 31 Jan. Info attached.

 

Resources

1. Geology:

• What scientists learnt from the Kilauea eruption in 2018. Includes a great time-lapse sequence of the caldera collapse. https://www.sciencenews.org/article/what-was-surprising-about-kilauea-volcano-eruption-hawaii
•  A full list of activities from ELI for geology as well as chemistry, evolution, magnetism & climate change. https://www.earthlearningidea.com/home/Teaching_strategies.html

 

2. Biology:

• Infographic on kakapo conservation https://public.tableau.com/profile/jonni.walker#!/vizhome/TheKakapo/Dashboard1
• Another story about the stomach cancer gene, featured in the Applications booklet, Gene Seekers. https://thespinoff.co.nz/atea/atea-otago/30-11-2018/how-whakapapa-led-to-one-doctor-losing-her-stomach-and-gaining-her-life/#.XAN9MaIR1T8.twitter

 

3. Physics:

• Finding slope & y intercept

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/FreeDownload/Finding-the-Slope-and-y-Intercept-3553464

• Using slinkies to model waves https://www.sciencelearn.org.nz/resources/576-modelling-waves-with-slinkies

 

4. Astronomy:

• On Jan 2 China landed an unstaffed spacecraft on the far side of the moon.

https://www.sciencenews.org/article/china-change4-first-spacecraft-lands-moon-farside

• An explanation of the far side of the moon. https://science.howstuffworks.com/dark-side-of-moon.htm (poor explanation of phases but good for far side).

 

5. Chemistry:

• Presentations from the term 4 2018 series of one day chem workshops in Wgtn, Ak and Nelson can be found at thisblog.                                                 Ian Torrie, St Cuths https://scps-teachinglabs.blogspot.com/2018/12/victoria-university-of-wellington.html
• This March is the 150^th anniversary of Dmitrii Mendeleev’s development of the Periodic Table showing patterns in physical properties of the known elements. https://www.sciencenews.org/article/periodic-table-history-chemical-elements-150-anniversary

 

6. Science:

• The interactive learning environments available on the Concord platform include: Geniversewhich explores heredity & genetics through breeding of virtual dragons in a gaming-like environment; the Molecular Workbench  simulation which explores intermolecular forces; the unit “How is CO₂ affecting our oceans and the organisms that live there?”; and the module “What is the future of Earth’s climate” which includes 6 activities that explore interactions between factors that affect Earth’s climate.  Ian Torrie
• What could we measure here at school to find out if climate change is happening? An ELI activity. https://www.earthlearningidea.com/PDF/305_Climate_change.pdf

 

7. Science Careers:

• A usefulwebsite containing documents that link chemistry curricula to real world job profiles to highlight the relevance of the chemical sciences to a wide range of career paths for your students. (UK based but still useful guidance for students).

 

8. NoS

• The attached pattern-seeking activity introduces students to the Periodic Table by helping them see the thinking behind the process that Mendeleev went through. It is important that groups of students get the individual cards already cut up or else they can see the pattern when the activity is designed for them to find it for themselves.                                   Faye Booker
• This Evidence Hunter activity pack helps students develop the skills & confidence needed to critically assess claims & reduce the spread of false information. They will assess real claims that have been made online, in the media or in advertising, and look at what evidence exists to support them. https://senseaboutscience.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Evidence-Hunter-Activity-Pack.pdf                                                                                                                   Michal Denny

 

MoE/NZQA

The revised versions of two L2 internal chem standards are now available on the NZQA website (C2.1and C2.2), along with 2 exemplars for each (2.1Av4, 2.1Bv4, 2.2Av4 and 2.2Bv4). These can be used in 2019, but do not become compulsory until 2020. However, it may be worthwhile to consider developing 1 new task next year rather than 2 the year after.    Ian Torrie

 

Professional Learning & Development (PLD) Opportunities

• The BioLive/ChemEd conference is 7 – 10July at John McGlashan College in Dunedin. Details & registration can be found at https://biolivechemed2019.wordpress.com or on their Facebook page. https://www.facebook.com/biolivechem17/
• The Science of Learning – 3h online learning weekly over 5 weeks from 28 Feb. Free (or $99 for certificate & continued access after 7 weeks). National STEM Learning Centre (UK).
• Attached are 2019 dates to submit proposals for centrally funded PLD. In 2 regions there will be no allocation round til term 2.

 

Attachments

1. Aliens Activity
2. Centrally Funded PLD 2019
3. Dates for 2019
4. Ocean Youth Ambassador program
5. The first lesson