Science Roadshow 2025

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The Science roadshow is an exciting and entertaining learning programme.

Each year it has new shows, exhibits, and resources that support the learning and teaching of science in schools across Aotearoa, New Zealand.

This curated collection from the hub team, supports the programme with interesting articles, hands on, fun activities and informative videos.

Building Science Concepts: Floating and sinking
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Building Science Concepts: Floating and sinking

This resource is a partial replication of Building Science Concepts Book 37 Floating and Sinking: How Objects Behave in Water. Floating and sinking provides opportunities for students to observe how everyday objects behave in water and to investigate the factors that determine whether an object will float or sink.

Floating and sinking – exploring forces
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Floating and sinking – exploring forces

This set of activities enables students to directly observe how everyday objects behave in water and to investigate the factors that determine whether an object will float or sink.

Investigating floating and sinking
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Investigating floating and sinking

Through play and exploration, students are supported to predict, observe and make sense of their observations. This set of activities enables students to directly observe how everyday objects behave in water and to investigate the factors that determine whether an object will float or sink.

Physics made simple – force and motion
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Physics made simple – force and motion

By using simple, everyday examples, we will take you step by step through how you can teach the concepts of force and motion. In this recorded PLD session, Greta Dromgool and Ted Cizadlo will explain key physics concepts and share simple activities to demonstrate these comcepts.

The gravity well – a physics analogy
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The gravity well – a physics analogy

This useful background for educators hands-on activity and interactive to help students understand more about gravity.

Measuring the acceleration of gravity (g)
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Measuring the acceleration of gravity (g)

In this investigation, students measure distance and time in order to calculate the acceleration of a falling object. The investigation uses an app that precisely measures the time between two sounds.

Forces and speed
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Forces and speed

A force is anything that pushes or pulls on something else. The two main forces that oppose your motion are aerodynamic drag (air resistance) and rolling resistance of the tyres against the road caused as the tyre is compressed.

Trees are fascinating living things that play a vital role in our environment and the planet’s future.

The key aims of the following resources is to:

To investigate trees as living things which are essential in the environment, but also for their resources. This involves students:

• Exploring, investigating and modelling the biology of trees.

• Understanding how trees can help humans.

• Understanding how trees are an essential part of our communities, the environment and for the health of the planet.

What is a tree?
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What is a tree?

Learn more in this article about what makes a tree, a tree! While trees are a livings thing with roots, trunk, branches, leaves, and fruit - there is so much more to them!

New Zealand native trees – an introduction
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New Zealand native trees – an introduction

Aoteraroa, New Zealand is home to many unique and exquisite plant life. With 82% of the flora are endemic - they are not found anywhere else in the world!

Ngā rākau ❘ Trees
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Ngā rākau ❘ Trees

This article curates bilingual and te reo Māori resources in a form accessible to students and teachers with limited prior knowledge relating to plant identification and biology.

Our native trees
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Our native trees

In this recorded professional learning session, Lyn Rogers from the Science Learning Hub and Ben Moorhouse from the Department of Conservation introduce some readily available resources and model activities about New Zealand’s native trees.

Trees, seas and soil
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Trees, seas and soil

This Connected article explains how trees, the sea and soil act as carbon sinks. The Hub article has excellent related content and related links to help students understand the carbon cycle.

Trees and ecosystems
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Trees and ecosystems

So many of our trees are unique, so are the ecosystems they help to create. Trees have positive roles in the environment including how they stabilise the soil, reduce flooding dangers, cool our cities and help to reduce carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.

Trees and natural cycles
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Trees and natural cycles

Plants play a key role in maintaining the balance of earths cycles. As trees are larger than other plants, their contribution is significant.

The whakapapa of trees
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The whakapapa of trees

Matua Wiremu Puke (Ngāti Wairere, Ngāti Porou, Ngāti Tūwharetoa, Ngāpuhi) shares mātauranga whakairo (carving knowledge) with tauira. In this video, we hear about the importance for carvers to understand and respect the mana of Tāne Māhuta when utilising these valuable resources for carving.

The uniqueness of New Zealand plants
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The uniqueness of New Zealand plants

Aotearoa, New Zealand has some of the oldest primeval forests in the world, the largest type of moss and some of the largest tree ferns found anywhere.

Mātauranga Māori is a system of thought that encompasses knowledge, wisdom, philosophical and traditional understanding, and skills.

Viewing science through this lens means taking a holistic approach, linking and communicating ideas to and via cultural practices, ceremonies, language and narratives.

In a traditional sense, mātauranga Māori refers to the knowledge, comprehension or understanding of everything visible or invisible that exists within the universe.

The following resources further support this approach, with informative recorded PLD sessions, interesting articles and videos.

Mātauranga Māori and science
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Mātauranga Māori and science

Science and mātauranga Māori do not seek to do the same thing.

Mātauranga Maori is knowledge – the knowing about things. Science is about finding out why and how things happen.

Decolonising science
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Decolonising science

Pūtaiao privileges Māori ways of knowing, being and doing. It is a political speaking back for the inclusion of te ao Māori – mātauranga, te reo, tikanga and Te Tiriti o Waitangi – in science.

Mātauranga Māori
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Mātauranga Māori

Associate Professor Hēmi Whaanga to discusses mātauranga Māori and shares his perspectives and experiences.

Exploring mātauranga in the classroom
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Exploring mātauranga in the classroom

In this recorded professional learning session Chloe Stantiall and Greta Dromgool share their experiences exploring mātauranga as pākehā educators in English medium classrooms

Sharing mātauranga Māori
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Sharing mātauranga Māori

Dr Pauline Harris provides insight on aspects of Māori knowledge. Matariki celebrations provide excellent opportunities to share mātauranga with the wider community.

Mātauranga Māori – that which is passed down
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Mātauranga Māori – that which is passed down

Reverend Haki Wirihana gives us a glimpse into his upbringing and how knowledge handed down from his whānau taught him ways to protect water quality and maintain the mauri of the river.

Energy and Earth systems

Energy is in everything – it is often described as ‘the ability to do work’.

Almost all food energy comes originally from sunlight. The chemical elements that make up the molecules of living things pass through food webs and are combined and re-combined. At each link, some energy is stored, but much is lost along the way in the form of heat into the environment.

Earth is a complex interrelated system
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Earth is a complex interrelated system

Energy flows through a global Earth system

Trees and natural cycles
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Trees and natural cycles

Plants play a key role in maintaining the balance of earths cycles. As trees are larger than other plants, their contribution is significant.

The electromagnetic spectrum refers to the range of all types of electromagnetic radiation. Different wavelengths within this spectrum can be used to detect various phenomena and objects.