How many kinds of animals can you think of? Join Matthew as he investigates the unique features of different creatures around the planet and how they can be organised into a group called the animal kingdom!

Matthew has just got a new ngeru (cat) but has no idea what she needs to stay alive! Do you think you can help him? Karawhiua!!

Give me a home among the gum trees, with koalas and honey bees…In this unit find out about the life cycle of Australia’s majestic eucalypts and the animals that depend on them.

Animals use amazing senses to navigate the world. How do dolphins find things underwater? Why do dung beetles roll their dung at night? Scientists gather and use evidence about animals’ super senses to support their ideas.

Students at Kaniere School are helping scientists combat the spread of weeds. They’re using simple digital technology to identify the weeds and upload the information to a national database. The article shows how students can use digital technology to become citizen scientists and act locally on a national issue.

The article explores familiar questions – why do we like some animals more than others, and does it matter? – but encourages the reader to look at it from a more critical, scientific perspective.

This article describes how Ngāti Mutunga and students from Uruti, Mimi, and Urenui schools are working with scientists to find out which frogs are still living in their rohe (local area). It provides an opportunity for students to understand how scientific, local, and cultural knowledge can contribute to an investigation.

At times, Connected themes require the introduction of concepts that students at this curriculum level may not be able to fully understand. What matters at this stage is that students begin to develop understandings that grow over time.

Squawkzilla is a giant parrot that lived in New Zealand 19 million years ago. Its bones were dug up in 2008, but it was not correctly identified for another ten years. This article tells the story of Squawkzilla’s discovery. It demonstrates how scientists work and how it is possible to make educated guesses about what life used to look like millions of years ago. It shows that scientific “discoveries” often take time and require careful observation and teamwork.

DNA provides the blueprint for life, the instructions that separate the functions and development of humans from that of monkeys, elephants and even bananas. Learn more with this fun activity and lesson plan.

Nanogirl and some friends find out what goosebumps are and whether all animals get them - especially animals that live in very, very, very cold places

Bill Nye is starting an evolution revolution.

In this lesson we are going to focus on the importance of soil, and the role of decomposers in reducing the food waste heading to landfill. What are you waiting for? Let’s dig a little deeper into the topic of soil … literally!

In this episode of Ranger Kōrero – the big picture, ranger Dave explores the meaning of biodiversity in Aotearoa and how we all fit into that picture.

Is it living or not living? Is it a plant or an animal? Explore how we group things together based on their observable features, to help us figure out what everything is!

At this level, the focus is on a flowering plant's reproductive structures and the growth of new plants. The process of reproduction (including pollination) is covered in the levels 3 and 4 companion book, Making New Plants, Book 26 in this series.

Can you get four of your counters in a row AND in the right order of the food chain?

What’s the difference between food chains and food webs? How do you read these? Have a go with the Thinker questions or make your own chains and webs!

This web resource is designed to assist community groups monitoring freshwater invertebrates in New Zealand.

As this topic is Fungi, our activities are based around identification of fungi and lichens, zombie fungi, spores, cultural uses, and the importance of fungi for on this planet.

Fur, Feathers, and Bark looks at the variety of forms this surface takes, including the functions of insulation and camouflage.

Help kids learn the basics of biology with this simple lesson plan that covers a range of general questions about biology as well as introducing some new ideas and fun activities for children to try.

This book is designed to address children's ideas about living things and to provide building blocks for understanding classification patterns for groupings of plants and animals.

This book is designed to inform children about living things and provide a basis for understanding how animals and plants are classified according to the scientific system. Children tend to be familiar with mammals but not aware of the wide variety of very diverse creatures in the animal kingdom.