8 Dec	6pm Panel discussion on threats to the integrity of science. Ak Art Gallery, Book a seat.
11 Dec	International Mountains day http://www.fao.org/mnts/intl_mountain_day_en.asp
14 Dec	Peak Geminid meteor shower 3 a.m. http://www.rasnz.org.nz/in-the-sky/meteor-showers
14-22 Dec	Hanukkah. Article about the festival
22 Dec	Summer Solstice NZ https://www.rasnz.org.nz/in-the-sky/sun-rise-and-set-1
Moon	3Q Dec 12        NM Dec 20        1Q Dec 28

1. Talks that may be relevant for us
   • Sandi Toksvig’s Alan Turing lecture explores how sexist and racist biases impact discovery and learning both in the past and today. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AGGu8x7MzFg
   • A recording of the Hochstetter lecture on Alpine Fault Earthquakes from John Townsend https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a9CwTrKGXnw
   • PhD candidate Alyssa Thomas is giving an online seminar about using tohu and maramataka to navigate impacts on Aotearoa from Antarctic environmental change. 4pm 11 Dec. Info here.
2. Conferences next year
   • ConSTANZ 2026 (technicians) will be the 1st week of the 3rd term school hols, 29Sep-1Oct.
   • ChemEd/Biolive will be in Chch, at Canterbury uni 18-20 Nov. chemedbiolive@confer.co.nz

Info

1. Mātauranga Māori about kowhai https://www.sciencelearn.org.nz/resources/3336-matauranga-maori-of-kowhai
2. Scientists and Science Careers:
   • What does a chemist at Fonterra do? https://www.facebook.com/reel/1313072060504048
3. Ways to bring quiet to a noisy high school classroom https://www.edutopia.org/article/30-ways-to-bring-calm-to-a-noisy-high-school-classroom
4. End of year activities using minimal equipment
   • Paper airplane test challenge https://frugalfun4boys.com/paper-airplane-test-lab/
   • Give students A3 printer paper (or newspaper), scissors and Sellotape to build bridges or towers that have to support a set weight. Can also be done with drinking straws.
   • tea bag ghost/rocket https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xrX7ggcr99s
   • Challenge students to make a rainbow in 7 test-tubes using hydrochloric acid, citric acid, bicarbonate solution and universal indicator solution.
   • Give groups of students 12 nails and ask them to balance them on one nail. The answer is here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zxaIiMzHwLA
5. Congratulations to students Jess Rumball-Smith (Wgtn College) & Sophie Ineson (Southland Girls) selected to represent Aotearoa NZ at the International Science & Engineering Fair in US.
6. Digital Tools
   • The Stated clearly YouTube channel uses animation to explain complex scientific concepts in a clear and engaging manner. Their videos primarily focus on biology and chemistry.

Resources

1. Biology:
   • Trapping rats – How do we tell them apart
   • A teacher asked on FB for help with an emergency relief lesson – responses
2. Agricultural and Horticultural Science:
   • A Poster on crop improvement
3. Earth & Space Science:
   • Basemaps is an Aotearoa map that uses aerial photography at a very high resolution, enabling good birds-eye views of geological features & landforms [Shaun Eaves, VUW]
   • NIWA produces some great posters on weather, climate, hazards and bathymetry https://niwa.co.nz/gallery/niwa-posters
4. Chemistry:
   • Poster and activities on chromatography https://edu.rsc.org/infographics/commercial-applications-of-chromatography/4021999.article
   • an activity analysing data on removing harmful substances from water https://www.snexplores.org/article/mof-filter-pfas-forever-chemicals-water
5. Physics:
   • Fizziq is a free application that provides tools for physics experiments e.g. to
     • measure the centripetal acceleration in a salad spinner.
     • measure the speed of sound by blowing over a test-tube end or by uncorking a wine bottle
   • A radioactive decay simulator https://sites.google.com/view/hookean-physics/decaysim
6. Primary & intermediate:
   • Using outdoors as a context for Forces https://pstt.org.uk/download/4875/?tmstv=1677667433
7. Middle School:
   • The Dec activity from the Mineralogical Society of America (MSA), has middle and high school-aged learners research and create a presentation on minerals used in renewable energies
8.  Science:
   • An activity testing skis with action figures to explore pressure https://www.snexplores.org/article/why-skis-long-glide-snow

MoE/NZQA

1. For those who did not get to the webinars on the draft curriculum, they were recorded and will go up on the website soon, if they are not there already. https://newzealandcurriculum.tahurangi.education.govt.nz/webinars-unpacking-nzc-learning-areas
2. NZQA results will be released 14 Jan and scholarship results on 10 Feb
3. Carmen Kenton has explored yr 9 contexts to use with the draft curriculum https://www.bayscience.nz/post/stuffing-new-y9-science-curriculum-carmen-kenton

Professional Learning & Development

1. Matariki Astronomy & Astro-tourism course, Naseby town hall, 27-29 March, $295. Register here

Technicians

1. Technicians have been discussing chemicals that carry risks for women of reproductive age. Responses
2. The traditional slime recipe uses borax which is not safe. An alternative example of polymers and cross linking is alginate worms: a 2% sodium alginate solution (with food colouring) dropped into 0.1M CaCl₂ solution using a large syringe. Hey presto, soft squishy wormy tubes – Goo worms

This is my last Mike’s News. Many thanks for your support over the years – whether in words of thanks, sending things to share or encouraging others to join. I would particularly like to thank Ben Himme who encouraged Warp Computers to help and Larraine Barton who suggested a structure for a very jumbled collection of bullet points. I have thoroughly enjoyed sharing my fascination with science and pedagogy with you all. NZASE will be back in the new year with a weekly newsletter of snippets as well as their monthly offering of longer articles.

I wish you season’s greetings and a restful holiday with those you love.

Mike

Mike’s News is brought to you with the generous support of NZASE and Warp Computers

PS. If you are looking for IT help please consider Warp Computers. Sam & Ioan set up the Mike’s News platform and provided IT support for free because I was providing the newsletter to you as unpaid work. They are skilled at what they do, come up with useful ideas and are easy to work with. I can highly recommend them.