Our pānui for Mei features Kiwi Kai – a virtual farm and free Garden Bird Survey PLD. Both offer authentic, local cross-curricular learning opportunities.
New content – Kiwi Kai virtual farm
Kiwi Kai is a virtual farm that enables ākonga to explore the relationships between a healthy environment, healthy kai, healthy people and communities. Kiwi Kai reflects the environmental and cultural uniqueness of Aotearoa New Zealand – weaving mātauranga Māori and science throughout the simulation. During play, ākonga encounter quests in each habitat they visit – making choices, using the evidence available.
Kiwi Kai comes with wrap-around resources to support teaching and learning. An introductory article features the big ideas that underpin the virtual experience and includes an interactive quick start guide. Deepen understanding with the following articles:
- Unpacking science teaching with Kiwi Kai
- Ngā ariā o Te Ao Māori kei roto i te kēmu Kiwi Kai
- Te ao Māori concepts within Kiwi Kai
- Exploring enduring competencies with Kiwi Kai
- Kiwi Kai – key terms
Use Kiwi Kai as a contextual springboard for older students to investigate issues and innovative solutions regarding farming’s environmental impacts and greenhouse gas emissions.
Free PLD webinar – The New Zealand Garden Bird Survey
Sustainability, kai and local learning also feature in Aotearoa New Zealand’s longest running citizen science project. The Garden Bird Survey takes place in late June as this is when some of our native forest birds come to our gardens, looking for food and shelter.
Join Greta and experts from Manaaki Whenua – Landcare Research to find out why the survey is important, how to access loads of free digital resources – and discover just how easy it can be to make our birds count!.
Find out more about our free PLD webinar: Te Tatauranga o ngā Manu Māra o Aotearoa – The New Zealand Garden Bird Survey
- Date: Thursday 8 June
- Time: 4:00–4:45 pm
For educators working in years 3–8, the ready-to-use cross-curricular Birds in my backyard teaching resource is an easy way to introduce and incorporate the Garden Bird Survey into your programme. It’s available as a Word document – customise it to meet learner needs.
Some things to think about
Keep these on your planning radar:
- Matariki and Environment Aotearoa 2022 – collection that uses Te kāhui o Matariki to explore whetū and their domains
- The Great Kiwi Earthworm Survey – citizen science project that runs from June to September
- Night skies – citizen science projects ideal for winter months
- Use the filters on our Events page – see events coming up in the next month or just the ones in your area.
If there’s other planning that you’d like help with, please get in touch! See below for contacts via social media or email.
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We offer added value through our social media. Contact us about creating collections or boards tailored to your needs. We can help foster connections between the education and science communities.
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Your feedback
We hope you enjoy using the Science Learning Hub – Pokapū Akoranga Pūtaiao in your teaching and would love to hear from you. Your comments, ideas and feedback can be emailed to enquiries@sciencelearn.org.nz.
Noho ora mai
Science Learning Hub – Pokapū Akoranga Pūtaiao
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