Science Education Resources

Science Education Resources.

These Science resources are all based on the new curriculum document. The achievement objectives and key competencies have been adapted from there.

Below, are links to the maths unit planners (unit-plan templates) for eachof the levels 1-8. Simply delete those achievement objectives not needed and fill in the Specific Learning Outcomes.

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All of the education resources provided, especially the completed unit-plans, have a focus on Moriori and Rekohu, and all use the new curriculum document.

The links in the following drop-down list will take you directly to an online version of the unit plan template. Use your browsers back button to return to here. (You will find a link on the template page to download an MSWord version of each template, and further down this page).

These unit plan templates can be adapted to suit your needs or used as they are. For the MSWORD version of each template, select from the following drop-down list and click "go." This wll bring up the Open or Save As dialog box. Select save as.

In the drop down list below are the completed mathematics units, each complete with all resources needed to teach and assess them.

Below are the completed unit plans that are focused on Moriori topics or Rekohu.

What is science about?
Science is a way of investigating, understanding, and explaining the natural, physical world. In order to develop scientific knowledge, understanding, and explanations, people generate and test ideas, make observations, carry out investigations, and construct models.

Scientific progress is the result of logical, systematic work and creative insight, guided always by a respect for evidence. Current scientific knowledge has its origins in many different cultures and periods of history.

Why study science?
Science contributes to and influences decision making in many areas of life. Our world is confronted by major challenges and opportunities that need to be approached from a scientific perspective, informed by social and ethical principles.
By studying science, students:

develop a coherent understanding of the world, based on current scientific knowledge;
learn that science involves particular processes and ways of developing and organising knowledge and that these continue to evolve;
use their current scientific knowledge and skills for problem solving and developing further knowledge;
use scientific knowledge and skills to make informed decisions about the application of science and its implications with regard to their own lives and the environment.

How is the learning area structured?
The achievement objectives for science are presented in five strands:

The nature of science is the over-arching, unifying strand. Through this strand, students learn what science is and develop the skills, attitudes, and values that provide a foundation for further study. They come to appreciate that scientific knowledge
is at the same time durable and tentative; they learn how science workers carry out investigations, and they come to see science as a socially valuable knowledge system. They find out how science ideas are communicated and learn to make links
between scientific knowledge and everyday decisions and actions. These outcomes are pursued through the four major contexts in which scientific knowledge has developed and continues to develop: the living world, planet Earth and beyond, the physical world, and the material world.

The living world. Biology explores living things and how they interact with each other and the environment. The emphasis is on the biology of New Zealand. Students develop an understanding of the diversity of life and life processes. They learn about where and how life has evolved, about evolution as the link between life processes and ecology, and about the impact of humans on all forms of life. As a result, they are able to make informed decisions about significant biological issues.

Planet Earth and beyond. This strand is about the cyclic processes and systems that occur on Earth and in space, and the interactions between them, particularly in relation to New Zealand. These systems provide the conditions for life. Life forms,
especially humans, impact on them both positively and negatively. Students need to know and understand these processes and to appreciate that modifying them affects all living things.

The physical world. Physics is the study of matter and of the interactions between the basic components of the universe. Physics covers a wide range of phenomena, including light, sound, heat, electricity, magnetism, forces, and motion.
These phenomena are united by the concept of energy, which is transformed from one form to another without loss. By understanding physics, people are able to design technological solutions in response to a wide range of contemporary issues
and challenges.

The material world. Chemistry is the study of the properties and reactions of materials (substances) in terms of the particles that make up matter. Through their study of chemistry, students develop their understandings of the composition and
properties of matter, the changes that matter undergoes, and the energy used or released when matter is changed. They learn that by studying observable changes, they can begin to understand causes that cannot be observed. By using their
knowledge of chemistry, people can predict and control changes in matter, leading to technological advances and the possibility of a sustainable future.

the Draft Curriculum Framework

Learning Media, Wellington

Ministry of Education, 2006

Education-Resources Science