19 Feb	4pm PLD for AHS1.1 Life Processes: Teaching and Learning. Link
20 Feb	4pm PLD for AHS piloteers panel. Link
20 Feb	7pm PLD for PES 1.1 Human Induced changes: course outlines. Link
20 Feb	7:30pm PLD for CB1.1 Microbes: assessment. Link
20 Feb	7:30pm PLD for CB1.2 Reactions: assessment. Link
21 Feb	7:30pm PLD for PES1.2 Investigations: learning outcomes. Link to register.
21 Feb	International Mother Language Day link
21 Feb	Deadline to apply for Wgtn Zoo’s small grants for conservation. Info here.
22 Feb	4pm PLD for SCI1.1 Science-informed response: assessment. Link
22 Feb	7pm PLD for PES1.3 SME interactions: course outlines. Link.
22 Feb	Massey Uni PD day for AgHort teachers at Mt Albert Grammar. Register here.
23 Feb	Deadline to apply for regionally allocated PLD
27 Feb	Deadline to submit ideas for Zoo play space
29 Feb	Deadline for yr 13 students to apply for Elaine P. Snowden Astronomy school
1-31 Mar	Melanoma March www.melanoma.org.nz/news-events/recent-news
1-31 Mar	Hearing Awareness Month
1-31 Mar	Whio Awareness month https://www.doc.govt.nz/whioforever
2-10 Mar	Sea week http://seaweek.org.nz/
3 Mar	World Wildlife Day http://wildlifeday.org/
3 Mar	World Hearing Day https://www.who.int/campaigns/world-hearing-day
4 Mar	World Engineering day https://worldengineeringday.net/
Moon	FM Feb 25        3Q Mar 4        NM Mar 10        1Q Mar 17

1. Seaweek 2-10 Mar. Resources:
   • Find out about SeaWeek events near you https://seaweek.org.nz/whats-on
   • Order a Sea Creatures poster from Warehouse Stationery https://wsprint.co.nz/seaweek-poster/

Info

1. Mātauranga Māori:
   • Georgina Stewart’s 2024 paper on Kaupapa Māori stories of animals of Aotearoa
2.  Pedagogy:
   • James Heneghan shares what LBC has learnt about lesson observation https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/activity:7132429241580744705
3. Student opportunities:
   • If you are encouraging butterflies at school you can enter for the School Butterfly Habitat award. Education Gazette article
4. Podcasts:
   • a paper from ACS about the ins and outs of making a podcast (ACS is free to join) https://pubs.acs.org/doi/epdf/10.1021/acs.orglett.3c04181
   • The Science Bug interviews NZ scientists about the idiosyncrasies of some of our insects https://accessmedia.nz/ProgrammePage.aspx?PID=1f15abcb-23a0-4a89-bb69-6e9c6a423c74

Resources

1. Biology:
   • Activity building a food web from fossil evidence
   • Thinkets for Evolution are tasks to get students thinking critically. (freebie from Getting Nerdy)
2. Agricultural and Horticultural Science:
   • Recording of PLD from Science Learning Hub about their AgHort resources https://www.sciencelearn.org.nz/resources/2106-agriculture-and-horticulture
   • A reading on the research into easy care sheep and a 3 Level reading guide to use with it.
3. Earth & Space Science:
   • Findings from JWST confirm process of planet formation
   • virtual science teachers activity on measuring atmospheric CO₂
   • Research about expected earthquake hazards in NZ
4.  Chemistry:
   • Activity making plastic from milk
   • This article tells the story of the development of our understanding of microwave chemistry (Join Chem world for free to access 2 articles/month).
5. Physics:
   • Virtual science interactive on magnetism https://virtualscienceteachers.org/magnetism/
   • A freebie from Teachers Pay Teachers on nuclear decay (Join TpT to access)
6. Primary & intermediate:
   • A nature scavenger hunt in English and te reo Māori.
   • Join STEM Learning for free to access Brian Cox’s school experiments for Primary.
7. Middle School:
   • Join STEM Learning for free to access Brian Cox experiments for 11-14 year olds. These videos explore new technologies with a classroom expt, an industrial application & current research.
8.  Science:
   • A Google slide notebook for students to record their investigation
   • Photographs of well camouflaged animals https://www.livescience.com/animals/camouflaged-animals-are-hiding-in-every-one-of-these-photos-can-you-spot-them-all
9. New standards
   • For SCI1.3, an interactive on the history of our understanding of atomic structure https://view.genial.ly/610b87f62ac9b70dad1ea3a1
   • MoE has published new resources for 2 of the big ideas behind the Science standards. Some great teaching ideas here https://ncea.education.govt.nz/teacher-subject-resources

Can you help?

1. House of Science is looking for a driver to deliver to and collect boxes from schools in Rotorua. https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=373848632073975&set=g.144591922894729

Professional Learning and Development

1. Science Learning Hub webinar Th 28 Mar features Rosemary Hipkins and Pauline Waiti exploring the learning benefits of a knowledge systems approach to science. Primary and secondary teachers can register here .
2. Hivemind free online PLD for primary teachers is running a session on Foaming and Fizzing 4pm on 22 Feb.

Technician

1. STANZ is collecting data on the process of lab design and building in schools to take to MoE so that this process becomes more aligned with laboratory safety & user requirements. Any Science Technician who had had a lab built or refurbished in the past 10 years please fill out this survey.

Cheers, Mike

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