For term 4, PLD will not be in this calendar but will be listed separately.

20-23 Oct	NZ Starlight Conference in Tekapo, on dark sky and light pollution. Info here.
21Oct-15Nov	Last MoE TOD https://ncea.education.govt.nz/teacher-only-days
21 Oct	Peak of Orionids meteor shower http://www.rasnz.org.nz/in-the-sky/meteor-showers
21 Oct	Prof Stirling talk on earthquake hazards Tauranga Yacht club, 7pm, $10. Register here
22 Oct	Guilford & Paringatai talk about finding the stomach cancer gene, Napier
22 Oct	Guy Claxton webinar, the science of learning, 7pm. Free. Book here to get the zoom link.
23 Oct	Mole day http://www.moleday.org/
23 Oct	1-day forumNitrogen – Friend or Foe? Stewart LT, Lincoln Uni, Chch. Info here.
24 Oct	world climate action day https://www.climate-action.info/day/
24 Oct	NZ ShakeOut, our national earthquake drill and tsunami hīkoi (evacuation), info here.
24 Oct	World polio day http://wpd.typepad.com/worldpolioday/
27Oct-2Nov	Tokelau language week, Te Gagana Tokelau www.mpia.govt.nz
29 Oct	Guilford & Paringatai talk about finding the stomach cancer gene, Dunedin
30 Oct	NZ teachers’ day
30 Oct	1pm deadline for Yr 12 or 13 student to apply for The PM’s Future Scientist Prize
31 Oct	Guilford & Paringatai talk about finding the stomach cancer gene,Wellington
31 Oct	Diwali https://www.timeanddate.com/holidays/new-zealand/diwali
31 Oct	New education.govt.nz website goes live. Science stuff will be here.
31 Oct	Deadline to submit essay on how to succeed at school. Info here.
31Oct-2 Nov	Diwali, Hindu Festival of Lights
Moon	3Q Oct 24      NM Nov 2      1Q Nov 9      FM Nov 16

1. Resource for next week’s Language Week: Tokelau classroom phrases
2. Doug Walker is at Antarctica for a few weeks. He’s taken some gear from the lab. Let him know any cool ideas for ice related expts/activities/demos and he’ll try to film & upload them

Info

1. Culturally Responsive & Relational Pedagogy:
   • Te reo Māori resources: Dice ($6 a set of 8). A snap card game based on words used in locations ($15).
2. Revision:
   • Alchemists’ Tuition is offering online L3 Chem workshops 19-26 Oct. $50/std. Info here, sign up here.
   • A spreadsheet to help students track their progress with NCEA and UE and to help plan study. [Keri Garlick]
3. Professional reading/watching/listening:
   • A new website on school distress (refusal) https://sites.google.com/view/school-distress/home
4. Literacy:
   • Destreaming Literacy – a guide for primary school educators. Strategies to engage, motivate, & empower ākonga towards literacy achievement.
5. HoD:
   • Derek Wenmouth articles on systems-thinking leadership applied to school lunches & mobile devices.
   • Useful tips for teachers struggling with behaviour management 

Resources

1. Biology:
   • Activity to demonstrate protein synthesis : video, DNA cards, AA cards, base cards, AA table, mRNA n AA answers.
   • A video and activities (long and Shorter) on the effect of introducing wolves back to Yellowstone Park .
2. Agricultural and Horticultural Science:
   • Activity to identify soil type https://www.earthlearningidea.com/PDF/153_Soil_doughnuts.pdf
   • Article on kumara cultivation in Aotearoa in the 1300’s.
3. Earth & Space Science:
   • 6 astronomy pracs
   • Ocean Plastic simulator https://oceanplasticsim.cawthron.org.nz/
   • Activity Exploring meteor impacts on Earth and beyond: page 8 here.
4. Chemistry:
   • Infographics on aurora colours, ink cap mushrooms, hair colour, cat and dog kibble (sign up to get 1 free a month)
   • Reading about athletes taking sodium bicarbonate – its performance-enhancing effect seems to involve buffering
5. Physics:
   • Video and activities on optics https://resources.perimeterinstitute.ca/products/exploring-light-with-optics
   • Video and activities exploring GPS and relativity https://resources.perimeterinstitute.ca/products/everyday-einstein-gps-relativity
6. Primary & intermediate:
   • After you’ve signed up for free, access Science Alive resources on auroras, one, two, three.
   • Some lessons from ABC on water, its treatment, waterways and climate, based around short videos.
   • NZAPSE newsletter term 4
7. Science
   • Doing a plants unit? Students can research and then vote on their favourite native plant at www.nzpcn.org.nz. Closes at midnight on 3 November
   • Some Halloween activities (hopefully, more next week)
     • From Sci Lessons that Rock – classify sweets, extract pumpkin DNA, glow sticks, dry ice, blood spatter patterns, explode a pumpkin with rubber bands
     • Skull quiz from Danielle Myberg.
     • From Royal Soc Chem – eg. chemical change (potions), slime, chromatography of sweets
     • And posters from compound chem – blood, pumpkins, mummification & the smell of death
8. New Standards
   • An exemplar for the term 4 Science exam from Carmen Kenton: Excellence in S1.3

MoE/NZQA

1. All 3 levels of NCEA have undergone a Review and Maintenance Program, see details here.
   • All of the L1 stds for the sciences have been reviewed, many have been changed. Linda Haycock has made a list of the changes: L1 standard changes for 2025
   • There are also some changes for L3 Bio. All docs here (scroll down to sciences) I’ve made a list here: L3 Bio changes for 2025 (now fixed, apologies)
2. NZQA has published 2025 Assessment Specifications & put them here until the end of the exams.

Can you help?

1. Any cool Halloween or Guy Fawkes activities to share for upcoming issues of Mike’s News?
2. Elena Ciobanu is doing a PhD looking at the professional learning needs of primary teachers with respect to science. If you have time to help, please complete this survey.
3. Newlands College is looking for a biology teacher fluent in te reo Māori. They have a student who would like to write their answers to the derived grade exam in te reo Māori but there’s no one on staff to mark it. Terms negotiable. Contact Richie Miller, TiC Bio rmiller@newlands.school.nz

Professional Learning & Development (PLD) Opportunities

1. Term 4 Science PLD 2024 If you know of any other PLD that should be listed here, please let me know.
2. Science Learning Hub webinar Understanding the basics of climate change with Chris Eames. Tues 19 Nov, 4-4:45 pm. Register here
3. Recording and PPT for those who missed ESSE’s webinar on the Geological history of Te Riu-a-Māui Zealandia https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1s7XrzDeOjB5GfCK62pfGn6pFIXsb498a

Technician

1. Pam’s tea bags for the teabag ghost expt are much cheaper than the herbal ones. [Light the bag & watch it float up to demo convection (example here)]. Ensure long hair is tied back. Ok to do inside
2. Technicians remind us to avoid using any nuts or nut products for energy experiments, too many students with nut allergies.  Use cheezels, twisties, chips or rice crackers instead. (And then compare results with kJ information on the packet)

Cheers, Mike

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