Critical thinking, ethics and action
Problem solving, decision making, applications, implications, and social and ethical considerations are core aspects of why we need to teach science. Check out how the Hub supports educators to bring these words to life with real-life contexts and opportunities for action.
Moa under attack
This is a model of a moa being attacked by a Haast’s eagle. Moa DNA has been extracted from feathers believed to be at least 2,500 years old.
Free webinar: Mythbusting de-extinction to sort fact from fiction
De-extinction hit the headlines recently with the ‘resurrection’ of the dire wolf and the push to bring back the moa. However, can scientists really bring back extinct animals? And more importantly, should they? De-extinction provides a great context for the classroom. Whether teaching socio-scientific issues, ethics or genetics, students will be easily engaged by the fascinating stories and images which highlight the importance of science communication and critical thinking.
Join Associate Professor Nic Rawlence from the Otago University Zoology Department in this free webinar to explore the science, ethics, and indigenous concerns surrounding de-extinction in our upcoming webinar.
16 October, 4:00–5:00 pm
REGISTERUse the webinar to springboard your own exploration of an ethical or socio-scientific issue. Teaching ethics curates our wide range of classroom strategies, teacher resources and student activities. The Ethics thinking toolkit provides a structured, yet customisable framework for scaffolding students’ thinking about an ethical issue.
Moa are only one of Aotearoa New Zealand’s extinct bird species – fossil evidence tells of extinct kiwi species. Most of the five living kiwi species are at risk or threatened.
Free webinar: Moanamana – taking action to protect our oceans
Join us for Moanamana – taking action to protect our oceans – a webinar filled with inspiration, free resources and a focus on marine ecosystem restoration at a local level. Hear from RŪNĀ as they share what’s possible when students are supported to take action – including the creation of a network of NZL Blue Belt sites around Aotearoa New Zealand's coastline and waterways. This webinar follows on from Monitoring the moana – participatory science methods.
9 October 4:00–4:45 pm
REGISTER
Taking action for marine environments
The United Nations states that an estimated 60% of marine ecosystems have been degraded. Akonga from around New Zealand are taking action through monitoring and restoration projects, making positive changes to their local marine environments.
Our Marine Environment 2025
The Pacific Ocean has shaped who we are as a people, but our activities on the land and global climate change are shaping the condition of our marine environment. The Ministry for the Environment and Stats NZ have just released Our Marine Environment 2025 – Tō Tātou Taiao Moana. The report mirrors how climate change drives change in our marine and coastal environments and how these changes in turn affect people – with lots of local examples as supporting evidence. The report structure supports the Understand, Know, Do framework and we’ve added wraparound resources to help you use it in the classroom.
Our Marine Environment 2025 – Tō Tātou Taiao Moana – infographic
This infographic shows the interconnectedness of human activities with the marine environment.
Download a PDF of this infographic.
As you observe this infographic, consider these questions:
How does this infographic imply or suggest interconnectedness?
Does the diagram signal a beginning or end? Why do you think it has been designed this way?
How does the infographic relay information via the graphics – for example, species loss?
While observing this infographic, what is one thing that stands out for you?
Spring is here!
And so are the flowers! They offer a colourful starting point to teach about plant reproduction, pollination and native ecosystems. We’ve loads of images, diagrams and models – including bilingual versions. The PLD article Pollination resources – planning pathways has helpful advice for primary and secondary teachers.
We’ve created a new Spring science collection or use our Summer science collection to plan ahead.
Ngā wāhanga o te pua
Kei ngētehi o ngā tipu ka noho ngātahi mai te hema-uwha me te hema-toa ki te pua kotahi. Kei ngētehi atu o ngā tipu, he rerekē ngā pua hema-uwha i ngā pua hema-toa. I ngētehi wā, kei te tupu kotahi he hema-toa anake, he hema-uwha anake rānei. He āhuatanga tēnei e kitea noatia ana i ngā tupu taketake o Aotearoa.
View in EnglishAll the best for Term 4!
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Your feedback
We hope you enjoy using the Science Learning Hub Pokapū Akoranga Pūtaiao in your teaching and would love to hear from you. Your comments, ideas and feedback can be emailed to enquiries@sciencelearn.org.nz.
Noho ora mai
Science Learning Hub Pokapū Akoranga Pūtaiao
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