5 Jul | Dr Dan Hikuroa talks about Matariki, Glenfield College auditorium, 6:30-7:30 |
8-9 Jul | Women in Sciences conference, Dunedin https://www.awis.org.nz/awis2021 |
8-18 Jul | NZ International Science festival, Dunedin https://scifest.org.nz/programme |
11 Jul | World Population Day www.stats.govt.nz Schools Corner |
11-17 Jul | Kiribati Language week |
12-14 Jul | NZIP & PHYSIKOS Conference, Queen Margaret College, Wellington |
Moon | NM 10 Jul 1Q 17 Jul FM 24 Jul 3Q 1 Aug |
- Matariki resources:
- a video about Te Iwa o Matariki: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ernd7v0xEug
- Education Gazette article on making the most of Matariki
- Resources from Science Learning Hub and from Wellington’s Observatory
- Café Scientifique: Dr Joep de Ligt, ESR, will talk about how scientists are able to determine the variant of COVID-19 in a matter of hours. 19 Jul, 7-9 pm, Tauranga Yacht & Power Boat Club, 90 Keith Allen Drive.
- Scinema offers hours of free science films in August to those who register.
- Some phrases for Kiribati Language week: https://www.mikesnews.co.nz/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Common-phrases-Kiribati-2p.docx
Info
- Mātauranga Māori
- Prof Rangi Mātāmua has launched the Tau Toru Nui o Matariki calendar, which follows 3 years of sun, star & moon cycles thru’ a Māori lens. Available here, $60.
- How Māori trapped kiore https://predatorfreenz.org/polynesian-rat-trapping-kiore-aotearoa
- Pedagogy:
- Salters & York uni have produced Best Evidence Science Teaching. Their toolkits include appropriately sequenced learning steps, questions to reveal misconceptions & activities to challenge them https://www.stem.org.uk/best-evidence-science-teaching
- Formative assessment videos by Dylan Wiliam https://www.youtube.com/user/dylanwiliam/videos
- Professional reading/watching:
- Mindsets & Skill Sets For Learning is a book by Bill Zuma supports teachers to help students to develop student agency
- Student opportunities:
- Pacific students can apply for a Prime Minister’s Pacific Youth Award by 14 Jul.
- At the Annual NZ Engineering Science Competition on Sat 7 Aug, teams of 3-4 senior students receive a problem at 10am & provide a solution by 6pm. Enter by 31 July.
- Literacy:
- Bingo game for plate tectonics vocab: https://www.mikesnews.co.nz/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Plate-Tectonics-Bingo.docx
- Digital support:
- TED-Ed’s Earth School supports the one billion students who are unable to attend school. It features 30 Learning Quests with a video and quiz, as well as engaging learning resources, and citizen science projects. https://ed.ted.com/earth-school
- Free effort & respect posters https://americancoachingacademy.com/freeposters/thanks/
Resources
- Biology:
- Activity to design a species with 5 genes
- Good explanations of aspects of evolution, e.g. polyploidy, speciation, adaptive radiation with relevant NZ examples. http://sci.waikato.ac.nz/evolution/NZevidence.shtml
- Earth & Space Science:
- The night sky for July: https://www.mikesnews.co.nz/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/July-Night-Sky.docx
- MyOcean displays an oceanic map in 4 dimensions (longitude, latitude, depth & time)
- In this ELI activity students work out what happened in unconformity time gaps
- Chemistry:
- Short video of reactions of alkali metals with air and water plus an article.
- The chemistry of materials used in cycling https://cen.acs.org/materials/Periodic-Graphics-materials-science-cycling/99/i19
- Physics:
- Science games and videos from ABC about sound and light waves
- Nuffield Physics: Questions Book V provides constructive problems or questions that ask for active thinking about all sorts of physics concepts. An oldie but a goodie.
- Primary & intermediate:
- Primary schools can claim 5 free native seedlings to plant on their grounds. Register
- Science of COVID:
- Article explaining the delta variant https://health.howstuffworks.com/diseases-conditions/infectious/delta-variant-coronavirus-news.htm
- EfS:
- Free Roots & Shoots resource box https://rootsandshoots.org.au/resourcebox2021/
- Freshwater restoration priorities survey http://choicesurvey.net/freshwater/survey.php
- STEM (science, technology, engineering, maths)
- A set of STEM activities focused on sport, health and exercise http://email.stem.org.uk/c/1FtRtiVXjXEaMmRQy7ElOJcOS
- NASA & LEGO have introduced a program about a moon mission https://bit.ly/3iU1wUx
- Science
- Star analyser spectra comparison of 31 naked eye stars https://www.rolfolsenastrophotography.com/Astrophotography/Spectroscopy/i-Fc3VfvZ/A
MoE/NZQA
- As all subjects now have L1 stds to consider, the August MoE PLD day on the NCEA changes will be subject specific & will include an online MoE-led session (1 on Bi/Ch and 1 on ES/Px for us). Neighbouring schools may want to consider joining forces. Resources & links will go out in July, with the phase 2 materials uploaded 2 Aug under the subjects tab.
Professional Learning & Development (PLD) Opportunities
- Want MoE funded PLD for your dept? You need to apply online by 6 Aug (end of week 2). If approved, you will be notified by wk 8 so you can contact your chosen PLD facilitator & plan to start delivery in term 4. https://pld.education.govt.nz/
- The Education Hub is offering online PLD on
- Science of Learning – try new approaches based on research. Starts 18 Oct
- Assessment Lead – use formative practices to improve assessment. Starts 18 Oct
Cheers, Mike
Mike’s News is brought to you with the generous support of Warp Computers