The Academy Programme

A variety of facilitators present the Academy programme. Insightful, dynamic and interactive, as well as practical and hands-on, bringing a variety of best practice techniques and experiences to the fore.

Snapshots

• Learn how to target all types of learners by developing practical investigations that will stimulate all the senses.
• Introduce more science to other areas of your teaching.
• Unit selection and planning.
• Investigate the cultural differences in learning styles and how teaching can be adapted to meet the needs of all learners.
• Discover that you don’t need to be an expert in science to teach science well.
• Being a Science Champion within your school or area and inspiring science learning in all classrooms.

Sample Day

• What does the research into science teaching tell us?
• Exploring The Nature of Science strand.
• Doing hands-on inquiry science.
• Making science fun and practical for all cultures and learning styles.
• How do you know your students have learnt anything?

Your School Commitment

To cover course fees and any accommodation, meals and travel.

The Academy Provides:

• Extensive practical/hands-on daily activities.
• Multiple session presenters each day — practising teachers, science education specialists, Academy staff.
• Peace of mind — you are not alone tackling the Science Curriculum, especially the Nature of Science strand.
• Lunch, morning and afternoon tea.
• Opportunities to share your experiences and to create new resources.
• On-going access to Academy staff and alumni events.
• Proven quality gains in teaching practice.

0830-1630 (Day 1) - 6 sessions

Registration & Academy Overview - Ian Kennedy & Pete Smith

Full Resource Link

Timata ki te whakawhanaungatanga - mihimihi

1. Academy Overview
2. Research synopsis of STEM education. Where science education needs to head
3. A backbone for effective science teaching & What is science, really?
4. Good questions for science investigations
5. External providers and information sources
6. Science connections, book resources in schools, internet resources
7. Primer activities for Foundational Science Capabilities

Lunch - Noodle Box (yummy)

0830-0940- Session 1 - Academy Overview

Paul Callaghan on Sustainable Economic Growth - Youtube video

• blowing the myths of NZ eg NZ is clean green, NZ'ers are laid back - we choose to be poor - working hard for little outcome, tourism is great for NZ, you can't manufacture in NZ - because China can do better, NZ is so small we need to specialise eg biotech, cleantech -
• we will be good at weird things - if it sounds unfamiliar it will most likely do great,
• exploiting resources is not going to get our GDP any further
• Knowledge economy will drive prosperity
• Fisher & Paykel Healthcare - example of a future company
• Aim for prosperity in NZ at 400 GDP
• Will come from weird talent - curiosity, innovation
• At the moment Dairy, ELT Manufacturing are our highest earning industries, Tourism next.

Money, resources, space/place, TIME, teacher confidence, student behaviour, class size and mind sets.

The Nature of Science Strand is the only compulsory part of the science curriculum that must be taught. You do not have to teach the other knowledge strands.

"The core strand, Nature of Science, is required learning for all students up to year 10. The other strands provide contexts for learning. Over the course of years 1–10, science programmes should include learning in all four context strands." (TKI - Science Online, 2014. Retrieved 2019)

0940-1030 Ian Kennedy/Ally Bull

What is good Science Ed?

Little over 25% of primary and intermediate schools have effective science learning programs (ERO, 2012)

Because The Nature of Science Strand is compulsory it is suggested that the processes of science are more important than the knowledge (strands). However, you can not work on science processes without a kaupapa/subject/strand.

We are producing enough scientists for current needs but not future. We are not producing a scientifically literate society. Future decisions will require scientific literacy.

NZ teachers, schools place less emphasis on science investigations. Schools have the freedom to choose and select.

Students in high decile schools showed greater progress than those in lower decile schools

The informed citizen will be a 'competent interpreter or critic' of science, even if not a practioner of science (Allchin, 2011)

"In science, students explore how both the natural physical world and science itself work so that they can participate as critical, informed, and responsible citizens in a society in which science plays a significant role" (NZC, p17)

Minds on, NOT JUST, hands on.

Students need to deal with real life projects that allow them to deal with real life ethical decisions that need to be made.

The ideal student ready and willing to engage with science. Things to learn to develop a certain kind of person.

Straight from TKI website

Nature of science

Students will:

Understanding about science

Learn about science as a knowledge system: the features of scientific knowledge and the processes by which it is developed; and learn about the ways in which the work of scientists interacts with society.

Investigating in science

Carry out science investigations using a variety of approaches: classifying and identifying, pattern seeking, exploring, investigating models, fair testing, making things, or developing systems.

Communicating in science

Develop knowledge of the vocabulary, numeric and symbol systems, and conventions of science and use this knowledge to communicate about their own and others’ ideas.

Participating and contributing

Bring a scientific perspective to decisions and actions as appropriate.

Straight from TKI website

Five basic capabilities in the science learning area have been identified from our Nature of Science (NOS) research. We asked what capabilities could contribute to a functional knowledge of science. We also thought about what these capabilities would look like for students at different ages and what we might expect to see them do and say.

Within each capability you will find over ten resources to explore and use in the classroom. Explore the capabilities and resources below. These capabilities are a guide for adapting teaching and learning and are not an exhaustive list. The boundaries between the capabilities are blurry. Any learning activity could provide opportunities to strengthen more than one of them, but for planning, teaching and assessment purposes, it is useful to foreground one specific capability.

Teachers often ask why they were called ‘capabilities’. Dr Rosemary Hipkins of NZCER explains why the capabilities were developed (what they are supposed to "do" in terms of teaching and learning), why they were called that, and how they fit in with our curriculum’s key competencies. Read her article “ Unlocking the idea of capabilities in science ”.

The five science capabilities

• Gather & interpret data
• Learners make careful observations and differentiate between observation and inference.
• Use evidence
• Learners support their ideas with evidence and look for evidence supporting others' explanations.
• Critique evidence
• Not all questions can be answered by science.
• Interpret representations
• Scientists represent their ideas in a variety of ways, including models, graphs, charts, diagrams and written texts.
• Engage with science
• This capability requires students to use the other capabilities to engage with science in “real life” contexts.

Straight from TKI website

How the capabilities relate to the Nature of Science strand of Science in the New Zealand Curriculum

The Nature of Science (NOS) strand in the New Zealand Curriculum explores how science knowledge is created and used in the world. The five science capabilities are linked to the Nature of Science sub-strands thus:

• The first three capabilities link to Understanding about science (the focus is on scientists’ investigations)
• The first three capabilities link to Investigating in science (the focus is on students’ investigations)
• The fourth capability links to Communicating in science
• The fifth capability links to Participating and contributing

What you can do with the capabilities

The resources under each capability show how to design classroom learning experiences that foreground the Nature of Science. These new resources adapt existing resources - for example how the Connected or Applications readers might be adapted to develop NOS ideas. A wide range of existing resources have been used. They illustrate how the capabilities contribute to science learning that is important in the New Zealand Curriculum.

The Nature of Science strand explores ways science knowledge is created and used in the world. This strand can be used to change teaching and learning to help achieve the citizenship purpose. Based on the NOS strand, five foundational science capabilities have been identified. These are:

• Gather and interpret information
• Use evidence to support ideas
• Critique evidence
• Make meaning of scientific representations
• Engage with science

These are things students need to show they can do; their capabilities will be strengthened with practice.

Here is an example of one activity being adapted differently to foreground different capabilities.

Science Teaching Leadership Program - Royal Society

Science is simply at Level 1 - students using their own knowledge to explore their own world. At Level 4 - students use more technical languages to explore their own world.

The Nature of Science Strand is Compulsory

A teacher maybe passionate in science but our ultimate goal is to help students discover their own passions in science. This should be covered and allowed for when designing and creating programs.

What are the 5 Science Capabilities?

Real life Projects - Monarch Butterfly Tracker, Adopt a Beach

Moving from knowledge to developing a type of student who can/is:

• Engage, care, willing to explore, ask questions, try & fail/succeed, observe, critically think, investigate/experiment, ready willing & able

Recapping Session 2:

Is our emphasis to educate for the purposes of:

• gaining knowledge or
• developing a certain type of person

Session 3 - 1030-1230 - Peter Smith

What does a student need in order to be 'that certain type of person' we desire?

Consider Maslow's hierarchy. The backbone to an effective science program says classrooms need (and in this order)- excellent teachers, learning environment, 5 Es instructional models/stories, nature of science focus.

Excellent Teachers

• provide challenges, challenging goals
• go beyond the curriculum
• get feedback from students
• understand teaching and learning deeply
• use 'stories' to build connections eg I nearly slipped and fell in the shower this morning, clarifying shampoo
• don't focus on exams/tests
• don't need strong subject knowledge - eg what would you like to learn and use tools

Learning environment

• co-operative and collaborative
• best group size 3-4

Good Science Education will:

• Engage - getting students to buy in emotionally
• Explore - observe (I hear/feel/see) - based on senses, inference - guess from a calculated observation
• Explain - what you are observing, inferencing
• Elaborate - further tools, tests, models to help your claim
• Evaluate - draw, label, simulate, model, give reasons, discuss tools used.

The mystery black box. What is inside?

Observation based on senses: What do I feel? What do I hear? I hear a metallic like slide and can feel the slide. I feel a bouncyness and a vibration.

Inference based on observations: It could be a metal flat object that could possibly be a coin. There is most likely a second object that feels bouncy and could be a rubbery similar to a rubber ball.

What could we use to enhance our senses or our inferences:

• stethoscope
• magnet
• create a similar model/replica for comparison

There are two parts science: Process and Content

Science at it's basics is a way of knowing about the natural world around us while being systematic (follow steps in order). Have a fixed plan and is methodical. It is reproducible and traceable.

Fair testing - a systematic investigation where you change only one variable at a time, test more then once.

Objective - honesty about what you did get, deal in truths, real, unbiased - not feelings, guessing or opinions. Can use tools measuring tools such as binoculars to increase objectivity. Careful objective observations can lead to clearer understandings eg caecotrophy.

With content changing rapidly what do we focus on.

5 Es Instructional Model vs Inquiry Model vs STEM Model vs Technology Model

How can I get my students to explore projects they are interested in using a guided tool.

• brainstorm - what interests you?

Session 4 - 1320-1350 - Peter Smith

Good Questions for science investigations

Rattle Snakes Egg Investigation

Questions kids might ask

• what are they made of? - descriptive
• why do they attract? and sometimes repel? - explanatory
• why do they make that noise? - explanatory
• why can magnestism cause attraction? - explanatory

Lead students to investigate descriptive questions before explanatory questions. They will achieve greater success.

If it is doable it is descriptive. These can lead to laws. If we see this then this...

If it is difficult it is explanatory and leads to theories.

Level 0 - Problem, Procedure, Solutions provided - Demo - Cookbook

Level 1 - Problem, Procedure provided but not solution - Structured inquiry

Level 2 - Problem provided but not procedure or solution - Guided inquiry

Level 3 - No problem, procedure or solution provided - Open inquiry

Roadshow booklets

Tone gen

Dunnock - mimicking birds

Digital microscopes - make sure software updates are free and available

iNaturalist - logs were photo taken and allows others to help you identify what it is.

Libraries of Life - insects in augmented reality

The 5 Science Capabilities

• Made a claim
• Gather Data

Balancing Sticks Activity

0830-1630 (Day 2) - 4 sessions (Sessions 7-10)

Sign in and Table reshuffle - Pete Smith & Ian

7. Foundational Science Capabilities

8. Easy steps towards more science in the classroom - adapting existing ideas to focus on Capabilities

9. Curriculum and practice

10. Approach styles

Lunch at a restaurant today

• Why Science?
• 5 Es
• Systematic and objective
• Process vs content
• Good Qs

Is it easier to balance a longer stick or shorter stick?

Try two different length sticks.

Add tennis ball - weight

Try a smaller stick

Why is a longer stick easier to balance? Understand the centre of gravity - longer stick, centre of gravity higher, reaction time to stay under the centre of gravity is longer.

• Process = Play
• Do not need to understand content. This can come later. Continue with the process, the play.

You can still do good science without content background.

0830 - 1030 - Peter Smith TKI Link

Purpose - Science for citizenship; to be scientifically literate citizens. To have a functional understanding of the Nature of Science strand.

1. Gather & Interpret data
2. Use evidence
3. Critique evidence
4. Interpret representations
5. Engage with science

Gather & Interpret data

Gathering involves making observations (using senses or measurements) to make meaning which is to interpret or to make an inference.

List observations of:

• feathers, dissolving M&Ms, leaves, a burning candle, a snail gliding across glass, a lava lamp, progressive disclosure of a big picture

Eg dissolving M&Ms - record observations - use all your senses, interact with your activity

Ranking the quality of our observations (basic first)

Name, attributes, descriptive language, topic specific and scientific

Use Evidence

Empirical and measurable. Explanations and claims need to be supported by evidence. Explanations lead to theories or laws and can evolve with new evidence.

Eg dinosaur footprints - explain what you think is going on and do a play - simulation

Evidence - large foot prints could be a large creature, smaller foot print could be small creature. Two sets of footprint come together and one disappears after they come together.

Critique Evidence

Evaluating the trustworthiness of a scientific claim is an important skill and the willingness to do so is a disposition.

Interpret Representations

Variety of ways include graphs, charts, diagrams, written text, models. Reading, writing and argument are central - focus on things and processes (not people, emotions or opinions)

All diagrams and models have strengths and deficiencies eg planets might be roughly to scale and coloured correctly but are not that distance and do not run to tracks.

eg catapult different masses - scatter plot the results (physical), change the lever, change the material.

Engage with Science

Science in real life contexts

1050 - 1230 - Peter Smith

Activity 1 - improve bungy experience

Activity 2 - improve the egg trick

Activity 3 - improve sherbet recipe

Activity 4 - practice using sound devices

Sherbet Powder Investigation

Replicate recipe:

• can it go off
• can we enhance it - come up with a better recipe

There are three taste testers/experimenters; Ange, Charlotte and myself .

We tasted each ingredient individually. Tartaric acid is similar to citric acid but not as powerful. They are both zingy. The baking soda is a fizzy type of salty taste. The icing sugar is powdery sweet.

We then made a new batch of sherbet powder using citric acid: baking soda: icing sugar (2:1:6).

We then tried the fresh sherbet powder which was nice, has no smell and is like powder. All three taste testers agreed. Although, Ange seems to have a better sense of smell and pick up lighter hints of smell.

We then tried the older sherbet powder which was not nice, had a funk smell and was granulated. All three taste testers agreed.

Each taste tester takes a full scoop of sherbet powder (approx 1/2 tsp) to taste.

After each step each taste tester/experimenter washed mouths with water.

Can we enhance the recipe?

We are trying to swap out citric acid for tartaric acid to see if this will improve the experience. This did reduce the tangy sour effect which was more appealing to the taste testers.

Can we improve the sherbet experience by adding more icing sugar but not losing the fizz.

Setting up a fair test and blind testing.

1350 - 1500 - Dr Steven Sexton from Otago University

1993 - The old curriculum - Cost input and Output

2007 - The new curriculum - NZC

Science Curriculum

Science as a noun and a verb, an idea and a doing. Science is a way of investigating, understanding and explaining our natural, physical world and the wider universe. Science is a communication - a talking class. Communication can be verbally, pictorially. How they communicate is up to them.

Zoomers - cardboard and string

Can you get it to work?

Would changing the size, length, colour get it to work better?

Building Science Concepts

• Flight: Control in the Air (#17)
• Parachutes: Floating and Falling in Air (#34)
• Floating and Sinking: How objects behave in water (#37)
• Understanding buoyance: Why objects float or sink (#38)
• Marbles: Exploring motion and forces (#42)
• Invisible forces: Magnetism and static electricity (#49)
• Bikes: Levers, friction and motion (#59)

1520-1640 - Steven Sexton

We can use Direct Acts of Teaching:

• Modelling
• Directing
• Prompting
• Telling
• Giving feedback
• Questioning
• Explaining

Origami boat

The level of teacher modelling/leading is intense and cannot be done 24/7.

Teaching a Inquiry

Scaffold teaching as inquiry using:

• De Bono's thinking hats
• Tony Ryan's thinking keys
• Bloom's taxonomy
• Solo

Collaborative groups and co-operative groups (individual work for common outcome)

Bloom's Taxonomy

Explicitly add into planning the higher order thinking

Maori Pedagogies

(Hemara, 2000)

• theory and practice
• learning is gradual - zone of proximal development
• consider the use and disposal of materials eg food waste

1520-1640 - Steven Sexton

Further gathering and interpreting here and how to incorporate into my practice.

If a student asks 'why are we doing this?' then we have not done something to ensure this doesn't happen.

Look up Our Code Our Standards and this relates to re-registration.

Who is Sir Peter Gluckman (2011)

Could we set up a science space somewhere at school or in every class?

Students should be lighting up daily. Signs of this are students saying "look at what I learnt today?"

As a food technology teacher should I be modelling more of what students need to do? or is it ok to let students follow their own choices and model when and as required.

How can I aid students thinking in STEM Specialist Class.

Video 10min of your teaching - check your questioning - you are most likely asking only recall, remembering. Need to bring in the higher level thinking. How? - Bloom's Taxonomy

Mix theory and practice

Zone of proximal development - learning as a gradual process

Kidbot - programmer controls a student :)

Setting up a fair test and blind testing.

0830-1630

11. Communicating Science - Madeleine Collins

12. Science for Citizenship and Careers - Ian Kennedy

13. Assessment and evaluation of science learning - Madeleine Collins

14. Intro to Unit Planning - Ian & Madeleine

14. Continued

14. Continued

Capabilities are things students learn to do explicitly.

Good science is systematic and objective

Turning science activities into good science, into doing/verb capabilities.

Taking Nature of Science and putting it at the fore.

0845-1000 Madeleine Collins

Communicating Science - sharing ideas around of the natural world around us.

NZC p.34 Communicating Science

Her brother who could not communicate traditionally (reading/writing) created the latest possum trap that Doc uses.

Communicating the way they want eg hand/body gestures, facial expressions, non-verbal, singing, verbal-spoken, verbal-rhyme, writing, drawing, symbols, codes, series of pictures

Sharing ideas via digital means

Communicating in Specialised Language

Do you have to write in order for it to be understood? No - see a series of pictures to follow step by step instructions with no words.

Focus on ideas not spelling.

Communicating for themselves, for others, or formally.

Communicating for themselves

• Journaling to improve their own understanding.
• Communication example drawing of Raisins and Lemonade
• Input - Output pages: teacher
• Example - lolly on tongue and record their observations.
• Linking to their world - eg like a helmet in mine craft (allow them to use their own language and communicate this way)

Communicating to a wider audience

Students gather and collate their ideas and understandings then present it in a format they are comfortable with to share eg comic book strip

Communicating to scientists

Example - science fair projects. Very specific language, structure and tools such as graphs and tables.

To present include:

• Title, Abstract, Contents, Questions, Variables
• Background Research, Hypothesis, Equipment
• Procedure, Data Analysis, Conclusion
• Acknoledgements, References, Futures research ideas

Simple Report structure:

Aim, What we did, What we found

CER model

Claim, Evidence, Reasoning

Communicating:

• Allow students to control how (the way) and what they share
• Science is about doing, should not disadvantage a student who is poor at communicating

Incorporating scientific language into your work.

Place 1 tsp baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) into a bottle. Pour 100mls vinegar in.

Observations include - nothing happened at first. The vinegar then reacted with the baking soda, larger bubbles appeared first with smaller later.

1000-1020 - Ian Kennedy

Activity: Is Dilution the Solution to Pollution?

Can use deodorant containers as dropping tiles

Student career management competencies

S1 - Developing Self Awareness

Bring into the classroom a questioning around who or what careers would use this activity, skills.

1045-1230 - Madeleine

Assessment - a measurement

Evaluation - how well we did

Plan a Test

• for which paper towel is the best to use as kitty letter (pairs, pair check)

Test for - absorbency, strength,

Using water test -10ml water and cereal slurry (10g cornflake and 5ml warm milk let sit for 1min before use)

Test a small a consistent amount of water and cereal slurry on absorbency and strength - does it absorb, does it break - how long to breaking point.

First test and then increase to similar amounts excreted by the cat.

Pair checked - would now add in for weight and size - could use mousse.

Allow students to communicate in science how ever they want eg hand/body gestures, pictures, video

Focus on ideas not spelling

Use series of pictures to give instructions.

Put up ways students can communicate as ideas for them eg pictures, drawing, gestures, journaling

Acitivity - raisins and lemonade (observations), lolly on tongue (observations),

Minds in bloom 72 creative ways to share ideas.

Science activities can be affordable to resource and easy to set up.

Include ways in learning for students to Develop Self Awareness - including skills they have developed & what careers they can use these skills in or they can apply these skills

See page 195 for Examples of Learning Intentions that focus on knowledge, skills, understanding.

Bring into the classroom a questioning around who or what careers would use this activity, skills.

Check the supermarket for the plastics holding items eg deodorant, toothbrushes.

Use ARBs NZCER for resources and NZCER Yr 7-8 Assessments.

TKI - Assessment of Science Resources

1310-1510 - Madeleine (1520-1630)

Group split into 4 smaller groups with 3 of us in each. Each group to come up with a unit plan for a science concept.

Sports Science - weight, height, resting pulse, activity pulse, recovery pulse, speed, how a muscle works, circulatory system - the heart/blood,

Gathering & Interpreting Data (Measuring in the Science World) - Angela, Neville & Shanandore

• Pulse - Run & Time
• Speed = distance/time
• Barometer - making and reading (or rain gauge etc)
• Baking soda & Citric Acid (in a re-sealable bags or balloons)

Equipment still required - small plastic bags, slide materials,

0830-1410 - Ian Kennedy and Madeleine Collins (4 sessions)

15. Science shows

16. Activities

17. Resourcing and classroom management

18. Unit selection and planning

(I'm not so well today, started coming on toward the end of the day yesterday and I was contemplating not coming in. I'm glad I did, was so much fun but I am looking forward to a rest).

0830-1000 - Groups

Presenting the Units:

• Measuring Our Science World
• Tawhiri-ma-tea and devices designed for the air
• Forensics
• Mix and Melt

1010-1025 - Wendy

See co-ordinator for orders - 1 per school per term - see Oriana - order in STEM books, food and nutrition

EPIC Resources for schools -

School services -

1040-1130 - Madeleine Collins

Magnets - picking up clips

Friction - board /rubber band and rods

Moon phases

Substance classification/grouping

Ball games - forces - soccer game/maze

Iron sands - magnetism

Friction race

Sound - coat hanger (vibrations)

1130-1200 - Ian Kennedy

In your kitchen - is safe

Garage or Wash house - double check

Recycling - wash/clean - Resource Centre - Seabrook Ave (New Lynn)

BOC - gases - helium/dry ice

Pg 163-164 - What you might want and want to purchase

Gilmours for litres of food colouring, oil, vinegar, ice block sticks 100 ($4)

etech kiwi

Dissection - must come from a reputable source, animals/creatures must not be significantly or adversely treated.

1200-1220 - Ian Kennedy

Primary schools - 6 year plan

Intermediate - 2 year plan

Overview - relevant to who

Spaces available and resources. PLD needed?

Great ways to bring real science in:

• Rocky Shore
• River Restoration
• Adopt a Beach

1240-1320 Madeleine Collins

Laingholm's Science Journey

1. Goals - school/teachers/students
2. Support - principal, board and funded MoE
3. Started 5E's - Engage (how sound travels, snow at christmas, cool bombs) - showed teachers at staff meetings
4. Explore (full professional day for science focus) - also modelled to teaches. Had release to develop resources and teach others.
5. Explore - Nature of Science through the Forces Context - sliding with/without socks - water slide (no water, water, lubrication)
6. Explore - Friction to floating and sinking - touched on flight (paper plane testing)
7. Explain - Keeping teachers to Stay motivated - revisit student engagement, NoS benefits, Ally Bull's paper A Library of Experiences
8. Half -way through - looked back at our goals: confidence growing, teachers allowing exploring, teachers talking NoS, students loved it, parents said students were bringing these ideas home, everyone asking for more. "It looked like we were on track".
9. Elaborate - first half teachers were heavily supported. Now it was their turn to do their own planning. Each teacher did a plan and shared with their staff which meant they had 5-6 lessons. Schools ruling was each teacher must deliver atleast one science activity per week. - recorded responses from target students
10. More experiences - blowing air across coloured water - short straw/long straw, LED lights/bees and things that conduct electricity - testing materials, chromatography, - the importance of experiences in weekends, in science, balloons and kebab sticks, mitriation, how many drops of water onto a coin (water and surface tention).
11. Evaluate - science feeling normal, teachers excited about trying new ideas, sharing ideas, students gaining more science capabilities
12. Next steps - more resources - photos of before and after, collate the work together. Into the second year - turning activities into good science, finding science in the world (and class) around us, matching teachers with passions in science, finding science in inquiry topics.
13. Ongoing challenges - assessments, reporting, collaborating with other schools, helping parents to understand.

1320- Ian Kennedy

• In your class - NoS, authentic science, connections, fun
• In your schools/communities - sharing, planning, resourcing
• Alumni - facebook, workshops, interaction - Manukau (give it 12 months)

Data from Alumni

• survey in 10 days
• survey in 2 months - passed on content? things doing differently, or more aware of, or plans you intend to implement (that can be attributed to the Academy).

Phil O'Reilly appreciation video.

Graduation

General understandings

• Creating Scientifically literate citizens (is important)
• Science is now stronger around the process not the knowledge (NoS)
• The Nature of Science (NoS) Strand is compulsory (focus process - understanding, investigating, communicating, participating in science - and the 5 Capabilities)
• Science is simply about (exploring) understanding and explaining the natural world we live in. We can do this by making systematic and objective observations of the world around us (do the Sir Paul Callaghan Science Academy Program to learn how to do this - it's easier then it sounds)
• Science is about doing and classes need to involve lots of talking
• Stories have power eg I slipped and hurt my toe this morning
• Activities - make a claim, question, observations, infer
• 5 Capabilities - gather & interpret data, use evidence, critique evidence, interpret representations, engage with science
• Allow students to control how (the way) and what they share
• Science is about doing, should not disadvantage a student who is poor at communicating
• Fair test is repeatable (blind if necessary)

Observation activities: - (could use as a writing activity)

• what's in the mystery box
• Dissolving M&Ms
• Bungy chords
• Footprints picture - what is going on
• Cup & String
• observations of raisins and lemonade
• lolly on tongue
• water and paper towel (with ink)
• vinegar/baking soda
• blind fold and identify objects

*Note - if this is a science activity you do not need to look at grammar or spelling etc...

Science Activities:

• which stick would be the easiest to balance
• improving sherbet dust
• getting sounds out of rulers - purerehua
• improving magic tricks - egg in a cup
• which would make the best bungy chord
• getting zoomer to work
• getting origami to work
• create own comic strips science concepts eg what would a world without friction look like
• is dilution the solution to pollution (food colouring)
• plan a test/investigation for ... (eg which paper towel would be the best to use for kitty litter, which toilet paper is most resistant to the finger poking through)
• measurement - pulse, speed, temperature, air pressure
• forensics - finger printing/hair samples
• float or sink experiments
• wind devices - design your own
• measuring mussel colonys
• how much water can fit onto a $2 coin

Use ARBs NZCER for science, math, english resources.

NZCER Science Assessments Yr 7-10

Create science packs - clear see through bags and pictures of what's in there and instructions. However, where does PI want to go with Science? Self-review questions P211

Constructing your primary school curriculum

Before making changes get a baseline so you can gauge the change.