Observation is something we often do instinctively. Observation helps us decide whether it’s safe to cross the road and helps to determine if cupcakes are ready to come out of the oven ...
We happily live in the Earth’s gaseous lower atmosphere composed of a mixture of gases – primarily nitrogen and oxygen. However, if we move upwards from the Earth’s surface, the environment ...
Sometimes we assume that students will learn about the nature of science just by doing scientific investigations. This is no more valid than assuming a student will learn about photosynthesis by ...
Continually, there are right and wrong messages about the nature of science in our classroom teaching and in popular media. In this activity, students view two video clips that highlight how ...
In this activity, students determine the contents of a ‘mystery’ box by making observations but without opening it, and parallels are drawn between this activity and aspects of the nature of ...
Observation forms the basis of both mātauranga Māori and science. Possibly the most powerful model of inspiration that we can draw from our ancestors is that of careful, purposeful care and ...
When well managed, class discussion can help students examine, evaluate and share knowledge about a subject, providing opportunities for students to think critically and creatively, consider ...
This unit plan is designed for students in years 6-8. When someone mentions the word ‘butterfly’, what image pops into your head? Chances are it’s the monarch or the white butterfly, as these are ...
When St Francis Xavier Catholic School decided on the theme ‘Innovation’ as a whole-school science and technology focus, year 3 teacher Jo Collyer began searching for relevant teaching resources ...
The classical states of matter are solid, liquid and gas. In this video clip, Associate Professor Bob Lloyd from the Physics Department, University of Otago, explains how gas can be converted ...
In this video, Professor Margaret Hyland from the Chemical and Materials Engineering Department, University of Auckland, defines the terms ‘plasma’ and ‘artificial plasma’. She then describes the ...
Dr Robert Hoare, of Landcare Research NZ Ltd, takes us on a moth-collecting expedition. Join Dr Hoare as he goes out at night to collect moths for scientific study.
Discover a range of scientific approaches – select a label for videos and more information to support your understanding.
Sea stars have many weird and wonderful adaptations including both sexual and asexual reproduction. Click on any of the labels in this interactive to view short video clips or images to learn ...
Sea stars have many weird and wonderful adaptations - including some unusual internal systems. Click on any of the labels in this interactive to view short video clips or images to learn more.