Ferns
Taking a close-up look with botanists past and present
Ferns are abundant in our New Zealand landscape, making them a major part of our ecosystems. In this context, we explore the science of ferns through the work of botanists.
Learn more about this context »
Finding your way around
There are several different ways to discover the site's resources and their related content, along with ideas for grouping them for teaching opportunities:
- The collections contain groups of related resources about Ferns.
- The Connections tool is a visual interactive pathway to discovering the resources and related content for Ferns.
- The printable context overview will assist teachers to find pathways through this context and to plan lessons and units of work.
Collections | Connections | Context overview (PDF 79 kB)
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FEATURED ITEMS
What is a fern?
Ferns are plants of ancient origin. They are the green flowerless plants with divided leaves that often grow in damp, shady areas. Ferns have two separate independent living stages in their life...
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FEATURED ITEMS
Documenting New Zealand’s Ferns
Dr Patrick Brownsey and Dr Leon Perrie, Botany Curators at Te Papa, are involved in the ongoing task of documenting New Zealand’s fern flora.
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FEATURED ITEMS
Botany and botanists
Botany is the scientific study of plants. This field of study encompasses terrestrial, freshwater and ocean plants, as well as algae and some non-plants like fungi. The people who study botany are...
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FEATURED ITEMS
Dr Leon Perrie
Dr Leon Perrie is a Botany Curator at Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa in Wellington.
FEATURED MEDIA
My interest in ferns
Collections
NZ Research
This collection provides information about the work of New Zealand’s world-class science and technology sectors in relation to Ferns....
Science Ideas and Concepts
Scientific study requires a basic knowledge and understanding of ideas and concepts. This collection explains the ideas that are...
Looking Closer
People
This collection introduces some of the people working or studying in the areas explored in Ferns. Click on a name to find out more about...
Teaching and Learning Approaches
Student activities are the main feature of this collection, along with a variety of resources for teachers to use in exploring Ferns.
Timeline
An interactive look at some of the historical and cultural aspects of ferns in New Zealand.
Question Bank
An inquiry approach is a method often used in science education. The question bank provides an initial list of questions about Ferns and...
Key Terms
This resource provides explanations of the key concepts encountered when exploring Ferns – the ‘basics’ that every student...
Sci Media
This collection is where you can find all the images, video clips, animations and interactives that relate to Ferns.
