Air is invisible, and it can push things around. Air, like everything else in the universe that you can touch, is made up of molecules, tiny pieces of stuff.

This issue of Your environment, Canterbury breathes fresh air into the issue of wintertime smog –
what actually is air pollution, what causes it, why it is so bad in many towns and cities across the
world, and in New Zealand and Canterbury, and what you, your family and friends can do about it!

The CARIM project, funded by MBIE is researching the decrease in pH in NZ’s coastal waters and its effect on marine life.

Suzy visits the Queenstown Airport to find out what makes things fly. Maybe she'll find a way to help herself fly!

Bill Nye the Science Guy’s “Atmosphere” episode is a breath of fresh air.

When we measure atmospheric pressure, we’re measuring the weight of air above us. When the droplets stick together, we get rain or snow. We measure atmospheric pressure with an instrument called a “barometer”. Build your own!

How climate change is affecting Canterbury is what this booklet is all about. We investigate what it will mean for you, your family and friends, and the natural environment.

Climate is the average weather of a given area over a long period of time. This includes seasonal temperatures, rain, sunshine, and large weather events such as storms.

Dr Michelle Dickinson will cover in this episode the concepts around climate change, how we measure it and how it's different than just weather, carry out a hands-on experiment and talk about ice cores with Tim Naish from the Victoria University of Wellington.

This article describes the physical processes that drive weather: the water cycle and changes in air pressure and temperature. The text then explains how these processes work together to cause a variety of weather conditions.

This article examines how different processes combine to affect the balance of carbon in the atmosphere. It explains that the increased level of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is having a huge effect on climate – an effect that can be reduced, as carbon is finite. Carbon sinks, in the form of forests, the ocean, and soils, could help to balance the carbon levels in the atmosphere. However, each form has its own complications. The article concludes that human use of fossil fuels needs to be reduced to protect the carbon sinks around us.

Erosion is going on all day, all the time. It’s happening right now!

Link to video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HkralMlDmSA

“Flight” is the very first Bill Nye the Science Guy episode in the series, and it’s where Bill Nye really took off… literally.

Link for video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZJVPOTv1O7k&list=PLC1A0KOYvlM4Xqyn3GdQqjVm2-THJY-ZH

Watch Bill Nye go with the flow in the “Fluids” episode.

Link to video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mWtETy5eW1M

Go behind the scenes of a Nanogirl Live! show to see how this amazing experiment works!

Living on the moon or another planet in our solar system is a fun thing for students to think about and they will enjoy the chance to put their ideas into action by building a future colony for humans.

Make a barometer to measure changes in air pressure and help predict weather changes. How good will your weather predictions be?

Make your own paper helicopter and test it with a number of different challenges. Learn about important flight concepts and use those ideas to perfect your designs.

Use sunlight and water to make your own rainbow with this cool activity that helps explain how rainbows work.

Windy days are obvious but knowing the wind direction can be a little harder. Make your own weather vane to help solve this problem.

Make and decorate your very own mini windmill.

Learn more about the causes and effects of moisture with this fun lesson plan and activity. High levels of moisture aren't always easy to notice but if left unchecked they can have an impact on both your home and health.

This episode doesn’t stink, even though it’s about pollution.

Link to video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9h3kjFRLpWs

The study of solar energy offers children a useful introduction to concepts about one of our world's few renewable energy sources. This book looks at what solar energy is, how it is used, and the technologies involved in "harnessing" and transforming energy from the Sun.