General resources for teachers
Heads Up
The Royal Society of New Zealand has a great collection of resources for teachers interested in science, technology and maths.
Visit Heads Up to search the links and find something new each month.
Materials from the Ministry of Education
Te Kete Ipurangi
Te Kete Ipurangi is a great place – it offers a great range of tools and resources you can use to get your community involved.
Key resources used by PLD providers and teachers are available at:
Technology Online
Technology Online has a great series of resources where teachers/kaiako have shared ideas they have successfully used in their classroom practice.
It also showcases outstanding student work and examples of contemporary teaching/learning as well as provide curriculum support materials.
- Teaching Snapshots
- Classroom practice case studies overview
- Technologists' practice case studies
- Partnerships with industry case studies
- Student showcases of outstanding work in the technology area.
Printed materials with online support
All schools in New Zealand are sent a range of print materials from the Ministry of Education, each of which is designed for a different purpose. You can get more information about how to use the printed materials using these online resources:
- Down the Back of the Chair – this is the Ministry of Education Resource Catalogue where teachers can order or enquire about print resources
- Literacy Online – Connected Teacher Resources – provides articles, stories and material about science learning goals and activities and helps with development develop science ideas
- Applications Series – Notes for Teachers – provides science notes for each title as well as suggested activities and approaches
- Building Science Concepts – a series of 64 booklets for teachers. Each booklet is based around a theme and includes science information for teachers supported by a sequenced series of classroom activities. The series is for levels 1-4 of the curriculum
- Building Science Concepts Online Guide – a list of themes and concept overviews of big ideas.
Pūtaiao me tikanga
Iti Kahurangi
Science knowledge is a product of human culture, and belongs to all cultures. A Nation of Curious Minds supports students to engage with science by linking science / pūtaiao to Māori language, culture and identity through students’ local tikanga, whakapapa and stories.
When Rangitane o Wairarapa partner with the Ministry of Education to develop a curriculum framework to create these links, they both took up the opportunity enthusiastically.
The end product is Iti Kahurangi , the Rangitāne o Wairarapa Education Curriculum for Years 7-8. While it is aimed at one age group it has already proven to be easy to modify it to fit other age groups.
Read more and watch a video about how Iti Kahurangi was developed.
Education Outside the Classroom
"He waka eke noa - a canoe on which everyone can embark"
Education Outside the Classroom keteEducation Outside the Classroom kete
The Education Outside the Classroom (EOTC) kete recognises that learning takes place everywhere. This kete supports safe and effective curriculum-based teaching and learning that extends beyond the classroom walls.
Education outside the Classroom – a resource for some tips, hints and resources
Learning Experiences Outside the Classroom Teacher ResourcesLearning Experiences Outside the Classroom Teacher Resources
Learning Experiences Outside the Classroom (LEOTC) programmes provide students with access to tools, objects, exhibits, artefacts, expertise, and hands-on experiences that are not available in the immediate school environment. They offer unique and stimulating learning opportunities. The visits involve teachers and LEOTC providers working together to support student learning.
Visit LEOTC For Teachers for resources to support LEOTC experiences.
Student opportunities and materials
Visit the Resources for Students page for information you can share with your students.
Science and technology education organisations
- New Zealand Association of Science Educators
- Sir Paul Callaghan Science Academy
- LENScience
- The Mindlab by Unitec
- National Science-Technology Roadshow Trust
- Sir Paul Callaghan EUREKA! Awards
- STEM-TEC Centre at AUT
- Codeworx Challenge
- Science in a van
- House of Science
- Active Minds Aotearoa
- Science Alive
- Futureintech
- Otago University Advanced Schools Sciences Academy
- Hands on science
- Royal Society of New Zealand
- New Zealand Science Teacher
- The Big Idea
- Virtual Incredible Science
- GNS Science
- NIWA
- MacDiarmid Institute Learning Hub
- Landcare Research
Education research
- NCER Report – Building a science curriculum with an effective nature of science component
- NCER Report – e-in-science; Scoping the possibilities
- NCER Report – Science community engagement with schools
- NCER Report – Curriculum Support in Science
- ERO Report – Science in The New Zealand Curriculum: Years 5 to 8