
Conducting an Investigation
Levels 3 and 4

NZC Achievement Objectives

Te Mātauranga o Aotearoa
Science Investigations: Carry out classifying and identifying; exploring; looking for patterns and modeling; fair testing; problem solving; making/building an object or a system.
Ngā Momo Tūhuratanga: Ka oti te whakarōpū me te tautohu, te torotoro, te rapu tauira me te whakatauira, te whakamātau tika, te whakaoti rapanga, te hanga i tētahi mea, i tētahi pūnaha rānei.

Learning Intentions

Integration Ideas
Learning Intentions are from the Ministry of Education
Integration ideas are from the Ministry of Education
Coming Soon!
Coming Soon!

Related Topics
Resources

If you study insects you’re called an entomologist. You can learn a lot about insects, like how their bodies work, how long they live and what they eat.
Level
1-4
Type
Experiment
A Slice of Apple Fly
Bill Nye The Science Guy
If you study insects you’re called an entomologist. You can learn a lot about insects, like how their bodies work, how long they live and what they eat.

What a mess! Someone’s left out frozen milk, smeared melted chocolate around, spilt white crystals everywhere and what’s that smell? Investigate the elements of the mess scene and find out exactly what’s happening!
Level
3
Type
Unit
Change detectives
Primary Connections
What a mess! Someone’s left out frozen milk, smeared melted chocolate around, spilt white crystals everywhere and what’s that smell? Investigate the elements of the mess scene and find out exactly what’s happening!

Electricity - where would we be without it? It powers almost everything we use. But how does an electrical circuit work? Why does it need a switch? How is electricity generated, transferred and transformed?
Level
3
Type
Unit
Circuits and Switches
Primary Connections
Electricity - where would we be without it? It powers almost everything we use. But how does an electrical circuit work? Why does it need a switch? How is electricity generated, transferred and transformed?

A class arrives at school to find their room transformed into a laboratory and their teacher transformed into an animal dental hygiene scientist. The zoo asks them to invent a recipe for elephant toothpaste.
Level
3
Type
Book
Connected 2014 Level 3: ‘Elephant Toothpaste’
Ministry of Education NZ
A class arrives at school to find their room transformed into a laboratory and their teacher transformed into an animal dental hygiene scientist. The zoo asks them to invent a recipe for elephant toothpaste.

Scientific evidence suggests that sitting for long periods of time can cause health problems and that standing and moving around is better for us. But as with any scientific evidence, we need to ask questions about the evidence to determine if it can be trusted.
Level
4
Type
Book
Connected 2015 Level 4: ‘Don’t Sit If You Want to Keep Fit’
Ministry of Education NZ
Scientific evidence suggests that sitting for long periods of time can cause health problems and that standing and moving around is better for us. But as with any scientific evidence, we need to ask questions about the evidence to determine if it can be trusted.

Why not conduct a scientific survey of the crab population on your local shoreline and develop your student's investigative attitudes.
Level
1-4
Type
Outdoor Activity
Crab Study
New Zealand Marine Studies Centre
Why not conduct a scientific survey of the crab population on your local shoreline and develop your student's investigative attitudes.

Some animals are suited to live in the desert and other animals are suited for a forest home… In this unit, explore the structural features and adaptations that help an animal survive in its environment.
Level
3
Type
Unit
Desert Survivors
Primary Connections
Some animals are suited to live in the desert and other animals are suited for a forest home… In this unit, explore the structural features and adaptations that help an animal survive in its environment.

As fish have no visible eyelids (and closed eyes generally imply sleep) and we see them usually by day when they are in motion, this question is always the source of some debate.
Level
1-4
Type
Activity
Do Fish Sleep?
New Zealand Marine Studies Centre
As fish have no visible eyelids (and closed eyes generally imply sleep) and we see them usually by day when they are in motion, this question is always the source of some debate.

Who, what, where, why and how are powerful question words.
Link to video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j7dh3EdCEHE
Level
1-4
Type
Video
Do-It-Yourself Science
Bill Nye The Science Guy
Who, what, where, why and how are powerful question words.
Link to video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j7dh3EdCEHE

Investigate energy, how it is created and how it is transferred and transformed and foil the evil plans of Professor Pitch Black and her sidekick Short Circuit!
Level
3
Type
Unit
Essential Energy
Primary Connections
Investigate energy, how it is created and how it is transferred and transformed and foil the evil plans of Professor Pitch Black and her sidekick Short Circuit!

Hold it right there, buddy – it’s the “Forensics” show
Link to video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dP3xuHnbXM4
Level
1-4
Type
Video
Forensics
Bill Nye The Science Guy
Hold it right there, buddy – it’s the “Forensics” show
Link to video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dP3xuHnbXM4

Your garden is full of life and ONE tree/shrub is waiting to be your friend. Get to know your
tree/shrub, learn, and recognise your friend.
Level
1-4
Type
Outdoor Activity
Get to know your trees
Whenua Iti Outdoors
Your garden is full of life and ONE tree/shrub is waiting to be your friend. Get to know your
tree/shrub, learn, and recognise your friend.

Welcome to the final challenge for our Go Wild at home programme! Remember to send us any photos or videos as we'd love to see how you got on.
Level
1-4
Type
Video
Go Wild Knot Skills
Whenua Iti Outdoors
Welcome to the final challenge for our Go Wild at home programme! Remember to send us any photos or videos as we'd love to see how you got on.

Uiuitia me pēhea te kaha o te hau ka taea te whakaangi ngā waka o te Ipu o Amerika, te whakaawe ō ratou tere. Inea ngā tawhiti e pā ana te raranga o te Ipu o Amerika.
Level
3-4
Type
Te Reo Māori
Hei tātaihia te hiko a Tāwhirimātea
Genesis School-Gen
Uiuitia me pēhea te kaha o te hau ka taea te whakaangi ngā waka o te Ipu o Amerika, te whakaawe ō ratou tere. Inea ngā tawhiti e pā ana te raranga o te Ipu o Amerika.

Cleaning or Hygiene Stations are places where we scrub and spray our shoes and gear before and after going for a walk in the bush. It’s super important that everyone uses them, every time they visit. It will stop the spread of kauri dieback disease, and save these forest giants!
Level
1-4
Type
Poster
How do I use a cleaning station?
Kiwi Conservation Club - Hakuturi Toa
Cleaning or Hygiene Stations are places where we scrub and spray our shoes and gear before and after going for a walk in the bush. It’s super important that everyone uses them, every time they visit. It will stop the spread of kauri dieback disease, and save these forest giants!

The amount of distortion of a material increases in proportion to the force applied (within limits). By conducting experiments to gather data about the stretch in a rubber band, students will model scientific investigations and explore scientific laws.
Level
3-5
Type
Activity
How far can we stretch things?
Ministry of Education NZ
The amount of distortion of a material increases in proportion to the force applied (within limits). By conducting experiments to gather data about the stretch in a rubber band, students will model scientific investigations and explore scientific laws.

You can use red cabbage to make your own pH indicator strips to test the freshwater around where you live.
Level
1-4
Type
Experiment
How to make red-cabbage indicator strips
Kiwi Conservation Club - Hakuturi Toa
You can use red cabbage to make your own pH indicator strips to test the freshwater around where you live.

We are going to practice our observation skills on a mū (insect) we find in our yard or a nearby
park. We will then build a model with the features of the insect we studied.
Level
1-4
Type
Outdoor Activity
Insect Tracking
Whenua Iti Outdoors
We are going to practice our observation skills on a mū (insect) we find in our yard or a nearby
park. We will then build a model with the features of the insect we studied.

We can use macro invertebrates to measure water quality. Judge your fresh water in hard-bottomed (stony or gravelly) streambeds using this guide.
Level
1-4
Type
Poster
Is it a healthy habitat?
Kiwi Conservation Club - Hakuturi Toa
We can use macro invertebrates to measure water quality. Judge your fresh water in hard-bottomed (stony or gravelly) streambeds using this guide.

A magnetic field is affected as it passes through different materials. By carrying out an investigation with a small number of variables, students can learn about the scientific requirements of a fair test.
Level
3-4
Type
Activity
Magnets: what can magnetism pass through?
Ministry of Education NZ
A magnetic field is affected as it passes through different materials. By carrying out an investigation with a small number of variables, students can learn about the scientific requirements of a fair test.

The lines of a magnetic field arc from one pole. Students can learn to recognise that there may be more than one reason for the patterns they see in their investigations.
Level
3-4
Type
Activity
Magnets: what patterns can a magnetic field make?
Ministry of Education NZ
The lines of a magnetic field arc from one pole. Students can learn to recognise that there may be more than one reason for the patterns they see in their investigations.

Investigate how the energy of wind can drive the America’s Cup boats and affect their speed. Measure the distances involved in the America’s Cup course.
Level
3-4
Type
Lesson Plan
Measuring Wind Power
Genesis School-Gen
Investigate how the energy of wind can drive the America’s Cup boats and affect their speed. Measure the distances involved in the America’s Cup course.