1-30 Sep	Save our Sight Month www.nzao.co.nz
22-28 Sep	Chinese language week https://www.nzclw.com/ and https://www.nzclw.com/resources
23 Sep	Science writing contest closes
23 Sep	Café Scientifique Prof Battershill on marine research. 7pm Tauranga Yacht Club. $10.
23 Sep	Spring Equinox NZ https://www.rasnz.org.nz/in-the-sky/sun-rise-and-set-1
23-24 Sep	STEAM Education summit, Crowne Plaza, Auckland. $1599 +GST. Register here
23-29 Sep	Mental Health Awareness Week https://mhaw.nz/
29 Sep	Tsunami warning siren test at the beginning of daylight savings
29Sep-5Oct	Tuvalu Language week, Te Gana Tuvalu www.mpia.govt.nz
30 Sep	Deadline to apply for a PM’s science prize for students space project. Info here.
30 Sep	Deadline to apply for a PM’s science teacher prize. Info here.
1-3Oct	ConSTANZ2024 at St Peter’s, Cambridge. Accommodation available onsite Website
1-31 Oct	Health Literacy month www.healthliteracymonth.org/
1-31 Oct	Save Kiwi month www.kiwisforkiwi.org/save-kiwi-week/schools
1-31 Oct	Breast Cancer Awareness month www.nzbcf.org.nz (Pink Ribbon)
3 Oct	Partial solar eclipse visible from NZ
4-10 Oct	World Space week www.worldspaceweek.org/
5 Oct	World Teachers day www.worldteachersday.org
6-12 Oct	Fijian language week, Vosa Vaka Viti www.mpia.govt.nz
7 Oct	World Habitat Day https://www.un.org/en/events/habitatday/
Moon	3Q Sep 25      NM Oct 3      1Q Oct 11      FM Oct 18

1. Talks that may be relevant for us
   • Priya Moorjani (Berkeley) – how modern genomes show the impact of Neanderthal & Denisovan ancestry on human evolution. 17 Oct 11:30am-12:30 ET (18 Oct 3:30am NZT). Info here.
2. Phrases for Tuvalu language week & Fiji language week which occur during the hols.
3. Ada Lovelace day events
   • TechWomen – Tues 8 Oct, 12-1pm, online, free.
   • STEM wana – Wed 9 Oct, 6:45-10am. Commercial Bay, Ak CBD. Includes livestream from London. $5.85 adults, free for students
4. Science in the Holidays – Science Learning Hub has info about events for each region. Let your kids know, put in the school newsletter?

Info

1. Pedagogy:
   • A video about using the neuroscience of learning and memory in the classroom (it’s free to join SL)
2. Teacher Opportunities:
   • Applications have now opened the 2025 School to Seas/School to Skies Teachers Camp. Info & registration link here for air and sea.
   • RŪNĀ is running a zoom for teachers to understand what a sailing experience looks like and ask questions. 4 Oct 1pm or 4 Nov 3:30pm.
3. Revision:
   • Matthew Mac’s video on how to study for a physics or chemistry exam & cheat sheet
   • Bio teachers suggest revising with a focus on vocab (eg Quizlet, Blooket, group vocab by topic) and writing SEXC paragraphs. Practise past questions with answers.
   • ESS teachers suggest students make & use flash cards for vocab; practice drawing & labelling key processes; practice writing PEEL paragraphs; go thru past exemplars to find where main question was answered, key processes explained and then compared.
   • AgHort teachers say spend some time getting students to accurately unpack an exam question, often they rush through that part and can end up writing off on a tangent. Also use peer or own marking of a question as you go through the answer to help them improve their answer and its structure
   • NZASE article Helping students revise effectively, Aug 2020, members-only. https://nzase.org.nz/resources/?resource=pedagogy
4. Student opportunities:
   • For students with an interest in birds, Birds NZ is planning a Youth Camp for Dec 15-20 at Pukorokoro Miranda Shorebird Centre. Background, Registration forms, Payment, Poster,

Resources

1. Biology:
   • An activity comparing the biodiversity of 2 ponds https://www.biologycorner.com/worksheets/biodiversity.html
   • An osmosis activity using Orbeez (water beads found at Toy World, Farmers) https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ZXZ6vN0kLGaMGELrQ4lisowUbZMhIQLe/view
2. Agricultural and Horticultural Science:
   • Activities from Lauren Roberts at Lincoln uni :-
     • pugging: lesson outline and resources
     • nitrogen leaching: teacher instructions and student resource
3. Earth & Space Science:
   • Article on what makes a planet earth-like https://science.howstuffworks.com/other-earth.htm
   • Lessons on ocean drilling https://joidesresolution.org/for-educators/classroom-activities/
   • Make a rock https://www.ga.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0010/111322/Make-a-rock-at-home.pdf
4. Chemistry:
   • Activities to help understand elements, mixtures, compounds https://www.teachengineering.org/activities/view/uoh_sep_mixtures_activity1
   • A video explaining two examples of macroscale electrolysis (join STEM Learning for free)
5. Physics:
   • Fly sticks are useful for teaching about static electricity (and fun). $25 delivered from https://cooltoys.co.nz/store/default/product-details/3105 [Ange Whitlam]
   • An interactive Pocket Lab lesson on kinetic energy down a ramp (join PL for free)
6. Primary & intermediate:
   • An article on metacognition aimed at year 8 students https://www.firstnews.co.uk/talking-points/tips-and-advice/how-the-brain-works-and-how-we-learn
   • A short video on teaching sound in a primary setting. (join STEM Learning for free)
7. Education for Sustainability (EfS)
   • The global climate action project starts 30 Sep. https://www.climateactionproject.org/
8.  STEM/STEAM:
   • Free STEM units from Youth Engineering Solutions, Boston. https://yes.mos.org/curricula/yes-curricula/yes-enrichment/
9. New standards
   • For S1.4 – this article looks at the claim that light pollution is causing Alzheimer’s https://gidmk.substack.com/p/is-light-pollution-giving-everyone
10. A book you might like to read
    • Building on our Strengths by Stuart McNaughton explores the power of being local, learning from children, trying to be bicultural, plus partnerships, creativity, and innovation. One source.

MoE/NZQA

1. Looking for mark schedules for 2023 L1 exams? Try here https://www.ourexams.org/

Professional Learning & Development (PLD) Opportunities

1. Final dates and venues for MWC Biology PD 2024. Register here.
2. Science Learning Hub free webinar on Māori concepts for animal ethics Th 24 Oct, 4–4:45 pm. Prof Georgina Stewart & Dr Sally Birdsall share new digital classroom resources.
3. The Primary Science Teaching Trust (UK) is running a webinar series on leadership – the 1^st one is free but the rest have a cost. 1 Oct, 4-4:45pm GMT (4-4:45 am 2 Oct NZST). Register here.
4. NZAEE online conference Tues 1 Oct 9am-1pm, with choice each session. Free but you must book.
5. NZASE PLD for secondary in term 4 focuses on reviewing 2024 L1, planning for 2025 (including L2 & juniors), collaborating with others (moderate?) and asking NIFs Qs. Info here: NZASE Term 4 2024 Workshop poster
6. Rabobank webinar for L3 AgHort Scholarship with an expert presenting a market update for dairy/red meat/ horticulture primary production systems. Wed 25 Sep, 3:30pm. Register here.

Vacancies

1. Edgewater College is looking for an HOD Science (3MU) & a Teacher of Science (Chem preferred).

Cheers, Mike

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