5 Jun | World Environment Day www.4million.org.nz www.mfe.govt.nz |
5 Jun | Arbour Day www.treesforsurvival.org |
8 Jun | World Oceans day www.theoceanproject.org/wod/wod_ideas.php |
7 – 9 Jun | 40hr Famine weekend www.famine.org.nz |
10 Jun 1886 | Mt Tarawera erupts https://teara.govt.nz/en/historic-volcanic-activity/page-2 |
11 Jun | Safety in School Labs course 9-3:30 Taikura Rudolf Steiner School, Hastings |
14 Jun | World Blood Donor Day www.nzblood.co.nz |
15 Jun | Global Wind Day www.windenergy.org.nz/resources/for-teachers |
Moon | NM Jun 3 1Q Jun 10 FM Jun 17 3Q Jun 25. |
- OSTA is holding a year 13 Science Quiz at Columba College term 2 week 9.
- Save this day in your diary – Auckland physics teacher day Nov 22.
- Matariki resources for Matariki (24 Jun – 7 Jul):
- Matariki activity book https://www.tepapa.govt.nz/learn/for-educators/teaching-resources/matariki-activity-book
- LEARNZ field trip on Matariki and Navigation 11-13 June explores navigation techniques around Aotearoa over time, the importance of maps, using the stars to locate Matariki, learning how to paddle a waka, board a modern ship and so much more http://rata.learnz.org.nz/summary.php?vft=location192&utm_campaign=learnz&utm_source=may-2019-core-list-edm&utm_medium=email&utm_content=discover-more-btn
Info
- Culturally Responsive & Relational Pedagogy:
- An online te reo Maori to English dictionary for Pūtaiao / Science https://paekupu.co.nz/words/wordlist/te-reo-p%C5%ABtaiao/english-to-maori
- Pedagogy:
- Buck Institute for Education (BIE) videos showcase project-based learning from K–12 schools, including several STEM-themed projects, from a range of grade levels, settings, and subject areas, including STEM. https://my.pblworks.org/resources
- Article on formative assessment in science https://bit.ly/2NsRlmp
- Reading:
- An NZCER report on how 6 primary schools lifted student literacy levels. https://www.nzcer.org.nz/system/files/Exploring_Literacy_report_0.pdf
- eLearning
- Project Learning Tree presents 12 free science apps focusing on topics such as climate change, trees, conservation, and weather. The apps in this list include stand-alone games, interactive teaching tools, and reference guides. https://bit.ly/2wgPfzX
Resources
- Geology:
- AGI has released its award-winning “Faces of Earth” series on YouTube in full High Definition allowing wider use in K-12 classrooms. From the explosion that formed Earth 4.6 billion years ago to the changes that shape it today, this video series explores the natural processes of planet Earth – and humans’ relation to those processes.
- Biology:
- First Denisovan skull fossil fragment found in a Siberian cave. https://bit.ly/2W23kRg
- Science Resources box have some great videos and ‘visual guides’ to dissections, easy to follow and FREE. https://scienceresourcebox.co.nz/blog/home
- AgHort:
- Cornell University site on composting for schools – how to begin a school composting program, solid waste lesson plans, ideas for student inquiries and labs for all levels to the nitty gritty science of composting. http://compost.css.cornell.edu/schools.html
- Astronomy:
- Practical activities. http://astronomy.nmsu.edu/geas/labs/html/home.shtml
- Night sky for June attached: https://www.mikesnews.co.nz/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/Winter-Night-Sky.docx
- Chemistry:
- 10 lessons about the chemistry of coffee https://sites.google.com/a/billingsschools.org/talafuse/chemistry-of-coffee
- Video ABC’s of ocean acidification https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=krC9gsLMw3U
- Physics:
- Resources useful for secondary physics teachers flipping their classroom https://www.flippingphysics.com/
- An interactive Kinetic and Potential Energy Guide targeted to middle and high school levels. https://www.saveonenergy.com/learning-center/kinetic-potential-energy/
- Science:
- Dino Doom is an immersive virtual field trip and accompanying lesson for grades 9–12 that engages students in exploring fossil and rock evidence relating to the mass extinction of the dinosaurs, otherwise known as the Cretaceous–Paleogene (K-Pg) extinction event. https://infiniscope.org/lesson/dino-doom/
- EfS:
- Nanomaterials: to use or not to use is a learning module for biology & environmental educators that presents 4 lessons exploring nanomaterials, their life cycle, their possible impacts on the ecosystem, and research methods. https://www.rit.edu/gis/nanomaterials-use-or-not-use
- NoS
- This one-week science unit teaches students in grades 6–12 how to evaluate scientific information and distinguish facts from “fake” science. https://tumblehomebooks.org/services/resisting-scientific-misinformation/
- Robotics
- Portland State University’s online repository for robotics educational materials for K–12. Includes complete curricula (with lessons, assessments & instructor guides) & individual resources (e.g., videos, lectures). https://stemrobotics.cs.pdx.edu/
Professional Learning & Development (PLD) Opportunities
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s BioInteractive’s professional learning course on evolution. The self-paced course features 3 units covering evolutionary mechanisms, sources of evidence for evolution, and patterns of evolution. The course provides classroom resources from BioInteractive for teaching about evolution. https://bit.ly/2K2WMuj
- BEANZ is wanting to support biology teachers who are in remote or isolated circumstances. If you are the only teacher of biology in your school please contact mikhal@actrix.co.nz if you are in the North Island or kate.rice@otago.ac.nz if you are in the South.
Cheers, Mike