7 Feb	National Periodic Table day http://www.periodictableday.org/
8-14 Feb	Live feed with scientists in Antarctica for Otago schools.
9-11 Feb	Stardate South Island in Staveley, Canterbury https://www.treesandstars.com/stardate/
10 Feb	Chinese New Year begins (year of the dragon) https://chinesenewyear.net/
11 Feb	Canterbury uni festival of women and girls in science, 10-3, 60 Cathedral Square.
11 Feb	International Day of Women and Girls in Science http://bit.ly/UNESCO2Rp0zpr
12 Feb	International Charles Darwin Day www.darwinday.org/index.php
12 Feb	Deadline to register for the Virtual Learning Network’s primary programs
Moon	NM Feb 10      1Q Feb 17      FM Feb 25      3Q Mar 4

1. NZ Bug of the Year voting closes Feb 13. Info including video and poster here. You could start the year with a unit on insects https://bugoftheyear.ento.org.nz/
2. Seaweek 2-10 Mar. Resources:
   • Marine Stewardship Council have teaching resources, kahoot quizzes and the opportunity to have an expert talk with your students online.
3. Some resources from STEM UK (join for free)
   • resources for 11 Feb day of women in science https://www.stem.org.uk/cxhhn8
   • Biology activities exploring adaptation, variation, evolution to celebrate Darwin’s birthday https://www.stem.org.uk/cxhhmn
4. Public talks online which may be relevant for us:
   • Silent witnesses: the life of a forensic pathologist. Victor Weedn. Thu 15 Feb 5:30-7pm. https://www.otago.ac.nz/news/events/silent-witnesses-the-life-of-a-forensic-pathologist
   • How to Survive a Mass Extinction, Th 8 Feb 7pm ET (Fri 9 Feb 1pm NZST). Related teaching resources will be discussed. https://nabt.wufoo.com/forms/2024-darwin-day-with-nabt-ncse/

Info

1. Mātauranga Māori:
   • Article by Veronica Meduna on Kaitiakitanga
   • Poster showing aspects of our relationship to Papatūānuku https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=10161492298995522&set=gm.
2.  Pedagogy:
   • The danger of strategically ignoring poor behaviour https://edu.rsc.org/ideas/successfully-stop-disruptive-behaviour-in-its-tracks/4018153.article
3. Student opportunities:
   • First Foundation matches students from poor backgrounds with a sponsor who provides support for yr13 & uni – financial assistance, paid work experience & a dedicated mentor to help them succeed in education & transition to paid work. Yr 12 students apply by 6 March for 2025.
   • The School to Seas free residential camp, 14-20 April at Devonport Naval Base, is for female students in yr 12 /13, who are studying at least 1 maths and science subject to get a taste of STEM careers within the Navy. Applications close 12 Feb.https://schooltoseas.co.nz
4. Goal setting activities
   • Teaching students about SMART targets: Targets PPT
   • Booklet to help students set goals:  Goal Booklet
   • A goal-setting framework:  moment of truth student and moment of truth teacher
5. To access HATA’s online support for teachers new to Ag or Hort contact Suzy Newman. s.newman@stpauls.school.nz
6. Getting to know your students
   • Find out about your students: About me KKN 2018
   • Some guidelines for teachers: Developmental-Relationships-Framework
   • Know the learner framework : KTL Blank Sci MS 2
   • Map my Waahi LEARNZ fieldtrip helps students explore their place in the world eg https://www.learnz.org.nz/mapping183/
   • On a map of the world or of Aotearoa have students locate their birth place and talk about it. Some may like to develop a pepeha, others talk about their connection to this place. (It may help to ask students to find out more at home the night before).

Resources

1. Biology:
   • Activity building a food web from fossil evidence https://www.earthlearningidea.com/PDF/142_Jurassic_menu.pdf
   • Teach pedigree charts using blue skin in the Fugate family, haemophilia in European royal families, getting kids to make one for a famous family, Simpson or Harry Potter genetics or this wrt nicotine addiction https://learn.genetics.utah.edu/content/addiction/pi/
2. Agricultural and Horticultural Science:
   • Why carrots are orange article one, article 2.
   • Succession sowing in the northern hemisphere: Succcession sowing NH
3. Earth & Space Science:
   • Night sky : The February Night Sky
   • NZ Herald article on how changes in the southern ocean are affecting Antarctica and vice versa
   • What NZ can learn from Icelandic eruptions https://www.stuff.co.nz/science/133293133/what-new-zealand-can-learn-from-an-eruption-in-iceland
4.  Chemistry:
   • Some tips on teaching combustion
   • Use this copper-based, colour-changing demonstration to introduce reversible reactions
5. Physics:
   • Videos of expts Tim Peake conducted on the ISS on motion in free fall
   • Teach Engineering practicals on elasticity of superballs and bungee cords
6. Primary & intermediate:
   • Reading on biomes: Biomes rdg
   • Building Science Concepts books are great for teachers new to science and some are still available from MoE.
7.  Science:
   • The first virtual field trips from LEARNZ this year relevant for science
     • Environmental guardianship in Tamatea Dusky Sound – 26 Feb
     • Pakake NZ sea lions – 12 Feb
     • Exploring the sea bed – 10 Jun
   • Determine the densities of 6 different candies in this interactive https://view.genial.ly/61f7a3c7e36d0e00196f0d4d
8. Education for Sustainability (EfS)
   • A Royal Society video about how to talk, teach and write about climate change. https://www.royalsociety.org.nz/news/video-how-to-talk-teach-and-write-about-climate-change/
9. New standards
   • ESSE has put together resources for PES1.1 (92044) Human Induced Changes, and PES1.3 (92046) Earth, Sun, Moon. These can be found on their website at L1 PESS

MoE/NZQA

1. Dave Thrasher has shared his download of the 2023 NCEA results data on FB https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1p9zr86r2Wud_halHiO-vsMxjryE5DE5rob-DFppPUQw/edit
2. The Learning Outcomes & a Teacher Guide are now on the Learning tab on NCEA’s website. Eg for L1 Science these are found at https://ncea.education.govt.nz/science/science?view=learning
3. Exemplars have been uploaded, here for science (find others from the new subject page here)

Professional Learning & Development (PLD) Opportunities

1. Science Learning Hub:
   • On 15 February Greta will continue the conversation with Rose Hipkins and Pauline Waiti about what knowledge systems could look like in the classroom.
2. Education Hub:
   • Webinars now cost $60 for the year (up to 25 webinars) or $9.95 for single webinars https://theeducationhub.org.nz/category/school-resources/webinars-for-school-teachers
   • first online course for school teachers on neurodiversity – strategies and approaches at the school, classroom and individual student level.
3. Overseas-based conferences that may be of interest to science teachers
   • Online STEM conference Apr 5-7 from USA https://stemconbeyond.com/
   • Free online Data Science Conference 26 Jul, 1-9am NZST.
   • National Energy conference for Educators, July 7-11, Philadelphia, USA.
4. The Sir Paul Callaghan Science Academy runs intensive 4-day PD programmes for primary & intermediate teachers that aim to build excellence in the teaching of science. You need to get yourself there & find a place to stay but the course itself is free and in the holidays: Dunedin 16-19 May; Auckland 1-4 Oct.  https://fmi.scienceacademy.co.nz/content/academy/registration.php
5. Awhina Gray from Ako Panuku is offering a PLD webinar for those teaching in kura who are new to NCEA (e.g. beginning teachers or ex-primary teachers). Feb 22, 1-3pm. Register here.
6. All Subject Associations are providing weekly PLD support for the new L1 standards. Details here. https://ncea.education.govt.nz/support-workshops-level-1-subjects-and-wahanga-ako

Cheers, Mike

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