Our September pānui introduces our new, simply explained, beautifully illustrated plant ID resources for beginners – all in a bi-lingual format. Find out about the free PLD webinars on drama in science and Aotearoa in Space.
New resources to celebrate Spring
With the winter months coming to a close, take advantage of our new resources to get outside and observe the natural world.
Ngā rākau ❘ Trees
We are excited to share resources in a new bi-lingual format! The introductory article Ngā rākau ❘ Trees explains the genesis of the resources – presenting the fundamentals of plant biology in forms accessible to students and teachers who may have limited prior knowledge. He aha hoki tērā rākau? ❘ What kind of tree is that? introduces simple unit plans – getting to know the trees in a local forest through observation, discussion and the sharing of knowledge.
Te āhua o ngā rau
He tini hoki ngā āhua kē o ngā momo rau. Kei tēnei tēpu ka kitea ngētehi tauira o te āhua kē o ngā rau o te kawakawa (Piper excelsum), te pāraharaha (Zealandia pustulata), te houhere (Hoheria populnea), te raurenga (Hymenophyllum nephrophyllum) me te coprosma (Coprosma rotundifolia).
Image acknowledgements: Kawakawa, Judi Lapsley-Miller, CC BY 4.0; Hound’s tooth, Jeremy R Rolfe, CC BY 4.0; Lacebark, Krzysztof Ziarnek, Kenraiz, CC BY-SA 4.0; Kidney fern, John Sawyer, CC BY-NC 4.0; Coprosma, Jesse Bythell, CC BY-NC 4.0.
If a picture is worth a thousand words, then our new resources are sure to please. There are 63 stunning images and diagrams in both te reo Māori and English – a button allows you to switch between the two. The text, alternating between te reo Māori and English, is short and to the point. Articles cover key science concepts and are also available as te reo Māori-only Word documents for kaiako to adapt as required:
- Te haenga me te ruinga o te kākano ❘ Pollination and seed dispersal
- Ngā kākano ❘ Seeds
- Ngā rau o te rākau ❘ Tree leaves
- He pūnaha whakarōpū ❘ Classifying and identifying plants
Tēnei te mihi nui ki a Mokoro Gillett (Tumuaki o Te Wharekura o Te Rau Aroha) rāua ko Norman Mason (Manaaki Whenua – Landcare Research). Tēnā kōrua.
Bird of the year 2022
It’s getting close to that time of year again – Forest & Bird’s annual Te Manu Rongonui o te Tau – Bird of the year competition to raise awareness of Aotearoa New Zealand's native wildlife, their habitats and the threats they face.
This year the Hub is throwing our support behind Team Ruru – yes, a real bird rather than a mammal, (of which admittedly, we are very fond). To kick off our campaign, we’ve published new resources with the assistance of Manaaki Whenua – Landcare Research. Ruru monitoring highlights how acoustic recording devices are being used to collect information about ruru/morepork in the Waikato area. Watch and listen to calls pictured on a spectrogram and see how the acoustic device works.
Visit our birds topic to check out other native manu and start your own BOTY campaign.
PLD for September
Join us in a free 45 minute webinar.
Understanding science through drama
Join Dr Carrie Swanson and the SLH as we discuss opportunities for using drama to enhance science learning. Drama can play a significant role in helping students understand science concepts, the nature of science and explore the complexity of socio-scientific issues.
Date: 8 September 2022
Time: 4:00–4:45 pm
Aotearoa in space
In our Aotearoa in space webinar, we will introduce our awesome new aerospace resources along with lots of ideas on how to use the vast range of articles, activities, videos and interactives in your classroom.
Date: 22 September 2022
Time: 4:00–4:45 pm
Recorded webinars
We record all of our webinars for viewing anytime, anywhere. If you missed our most recent webinar, He whetū ki te rangi, he waka ki te moana: Māori voyaging and navigation knowledge, it’s live on our site!
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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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