
Using vocabulary, symbols, and conventions
Levels 3 and 4

NZC Achievement Objectives

Te Mātauranga o Aotearoa
Science Literacy: Develop literacy in the language of science and mathematics, and the symbolic systems of science, and use these literacies to read and share own ideas, and those of others.
Te Reo Matatini o te Pūtaiao: Ka pakari haere te mōhio ki te reo matatini o te pūtaiao, o te pāngarau, me ngā pūnaha tohu pūtaiao, ā, ka whakamahia ēnei reo matatini hei pānui, hei whakaatu i ōna ake whakaaro, tae atu ki ō ētahi atu.

Learning Intentions

Integration Ideas
Learning Intentions are from the Ministry of Education
Integration ideas are from the Ministry of Education
Coming Soon!
The Arts (Visual Arts): Describe how the characteristics, motifs, and symbols of Māori taonga communicate meaning about the environment.

Related Topics
Resources

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?

Sarah Cook is a busy year 10 student living with type 1 diabetes. Diabetes is a disease that can affect your day-to-day life. Find out what Sarah does to manage her diabetes and make sure it doesn’t prevent her full and active lifestyle.
Level
3
Type
Book
Connected 2016 Level 3: ‘Blood Sugar’
Ministry of Education NZ
Sarah Cook is a busy year 10 student living with type 1 diabetes. Diabetes is a disease that can affect your day-to-day life. Find out what Sarah does to manage her diabetes and make sure it doesn’t prevent her full and active lifestyle.

Sounds are all around us, even if we can’t hear them. Human ears are designed to pick up sound waves of a range of different frequencies, but ultrasonic and infrasonic sounds have frequencies that only certain animals can hear.
Level
4
Type
Book
Connected 2016 Level 4: ‘Can You Hear That?’
Ministry of Education NZ
Sounds are all around us, even if we can’t hear them. Human ears are designed to pick up sound waves of a range of different frequencies, but ultrasonic and infrasonic sounds have frequencies that only certain animals can hear.

In January 2018, New Zealand became one of only eleven countries that have successfully built and launched a rocket capable of sending satellites into space. This interview with Rocket Lab Avionics Manager Naomi Altman explains the science and technology behind that incredible achievement.
Level
4
Type
Book
Connected 2018 Level 4: ‘Kiwis in Space’
Ministry of Education NZ
In January 2018, New Zealand became one of only eleven countries that have successfully built and launched a rocket capable of sending satellites into space. This interview with Rocket Lab Avionics Manager Naomi Altman explains the science and technology behind that incredible achievement.

This article takes a playful, creative approach to pure mathematics, guiding readers through craft activities that let them explore the properties of Möbius strips and mathematical knots.
Level
4
Type
Book
Connected 2019 Level 4: ‘Maths Craft’
Ministry of Education NZ
This article takes a playful, creative approach to pure mathematics, guiding readers through craft activities that let them explore the properties of Möbius strips and mathematical knots.

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.

On average, a volcanic eruption occurs somewhere on Earth each week! Volcanic eruptions are often seen as devastating events, but they are also instrumental in providing rich fertile soils and mineral deposits.
Level
3
Type
Unit
Creators and destroyers
Primary Connections
On average, a volcanic eruption occurs somewhere on Earth each week! Volcanic eruptions are often seen as devastating events, but they are also instrumental in providing rich fertile soils and mineral deposits.

Humans have always looked with wonder at the movement of celestial bodies in the sky. Investigate movement, size and scale by creating 3D models of the solar system.
Level
3
Type
Unit
Earth's place in space
Primary Connections
Humans have always looked with wonder at the movement of celestial bodies in the sky. Investigate movement, size and scale by creating 3D models of the solar system.

Strong earthquakes can affect millions of lives by causing buildings to collapse, destroying roadways, and affecting basic necessities such as water supply. But did you know that the majority of earthquakes are barely noticed?
Level
3
Type
Unit
Earthquake explorers
Primary Connections
Strong earthquakes can affect millions of lives by causing buildings to collapse, destroying roadways, and affecting basic necessities such as water supply. But did you know that the majority of earthquakes are barely noticed?

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!

A low pulse rate and fast recovery time after exercise can be indicators of good physical fitness. This investigation encourages students to develop their investigative skills by thinking carefully about the quality of the data they collect.
Level
3-4
Type
Activity
Fitness testing using pulse rates
Ministry of Education NZ
A low pulse rate and fast recovery time after exercise can be indicators of good physical fitness. This investigation encourages students to develop their investigative skills by thinking carefully about the quality of the data they collect.

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.

Curriculum resources for young people to contribute, connect and extend their ideas about keeping safe around trucks on New Zealand roads.
Level
1-4
Type
Unit
Keeping safe around trucks
Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency
Curriculum resources for young people to contribute, connect and extend their ideas about keeping safe around trucks on New Zealand roads.

Kia Pai Tō Haere is a flexible curriculum resource for Māori Medium Schools that provides guidance for teachers planning contextualised learning based on a kaupapa that keeping whānau safe on a journey is everyone’s work.
Level
1-4
Type
Te Reo Māori
Kia Pai Tō Haere
Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency
Kia Pai Tō Haere is a flexible curriculum resource for Māori Medium Schools that provides guidance for teachers planning contextualised learning based on a kaupapa that keeping whānau safe on a journey is everyone’s work.

Names are in English, Sāmoan, Tongan, Rarotongan, Latin, te reo Māori, Chinese, and NZ Sign Language.
Level
1-4
Type
Learning Languages
Learn a new name for a marine mammal
Kiwi Conservation Club - Hakuturi Toa
Names are in English, Sāmoan, Tongan, Rarotongan, Latin, te reo Māori, Chinese, and NZ Sign Language.

Light from a source forms shadows and can be absorbed, reflected and refracted. In this unit, conduct investigations that explore these ideas and discover the amazing behaviour of light for yourself.
Level
3
Type
Unit
Light shows
Primary Connections
Light from a source forms shadows and can be absorbed, reflected and refracted. In this unit, conduct investigations that explore these ideas and discover the amazing behaviour of light for yourself.

A sun inclinometer (in-cli-no-me-ter, try saying that three times fast!) helps us find the angle of the sun. Did you know that you can use the angle of the sun to tell the time and the season? Watch our video to make and test your own sun inclinometer at school or home.
Level
3-4
Type
Activity
Make a Sun Inclinometer
Genesis School-Gen
A sun inclinometer (in-cli-no-me-ter, try saying that three times fast!) helps us find the angle of the sun. Did you know that you can use the angle of the sun to tell the time and the season? Watch our video to make and test your own sun inclinometer at school or home.

Do you measure up? Watch the “Measurement” episode with Bill Nye to find out.
Link to video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ENPnNarVvaI
Level
1-4
Type
Video
Measurement
Bill Nye The Science Guy
Do you measure up? Watch the “Measurement” episode with Bill Nye to find out.
Link to video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ENPnNarVvaI

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.

Bill, Bill, Bill, Bill, Bill, Bill Nye the Science Guy is here to talk about patterns
Link to video: https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x5uigft
Level
1-4
Type
Video
Patterns
Bill Nye The Science Guy
Bill, Bill, Bill, Bill, Bill, Bill Nye the Science Guy is here to talk about patterns
Link to video: https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x5uigft

How and where a ball bounces is determined by: its elastic properties (how much it can be squashed, how readily it recovers); the effect of friction on spin; how it is thrown.
Level
3-4
Type
Activity
Predicting the behaviour of a bouncing ball
Ministry of Education NZ
How and where a ball bounces is determined by: its elastic properties (how much it can be squashed, how readily it recovers); the effect of friction on spin; how it is thrown.

The “Probability” episode is a sure bet.
Link to video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aX7n_nfKYNY
Level
1-4
Type
Video
Probability
Bill Nye The Science Guy
The “Probability” episode is a sure bet.
Link to video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aX7n_nfKYNY