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Teaching resources

NIWA's educational resources and scientific data are tools for young people to learn about science.

Rangi - weather and climate lessons for teachers

Developed for teachers, these lessons offer intermediate age students an engaging and interactive way to learn about Aotearoa’s wild and mild weather and climate patterns. Rangi (meaning weather or sky in te reo Māori)  is supported by MBIE’s Unlocking Curious Minds contestable fund. Each lesson contains a teaching resource package with theory, videos, activities, experiments and quizzes.

Access Rangi - weather and climate lessons for teachers here.

Climate change

In 2020 NIWA published Climate change information for climate solvers - web content and video resources about the science of climate change. This material aims to be directly accessible to students but teachers may find it useful too.

In March 2020, NIWA took part in a virtual field trip with LEARNZ. On the LEARNZ website you can:

(The field trip was postponed partway through due to COVID19 and lockdown, but there are plans to resume later in the year).

Calculating the weather

Use our climate data to devise mathematics-orientated exercises for secondary school students. We also provide an overview of New Zealand climate data for use in school projects.

Climate and weather

Estuaries and coasts

When fresh water meets salty water

  • A classroom exercise that explores the physics of estuaries.

New Zealand’s Sandy Coasts

  • A NIWA CD resource for science and geography teachers which covers coastal processes and hazards such as the effects of erosion on development. The introductory material includes information on how the content fits into the New Zealand science, physics and geography curricula. 

Sponge resources

Specific project ideas

Links with teachers

NIWA collaborates directly with teachers through its involvement with the Royal Society of New Zealand Teaching Fellows. As part of the programme, Teacher Fellows participate in the life of the institute (including field work), engage in discussion and generally enhance their science skills and background. They work on defined projects and create teaching resources and activities to take back to the classroom.

Royal Society of New Zealand

The Royal Society of New Zealand has assembled a range of teaching and learning resources, including many on ocean and marine topics.

Air aware: air quality lessons for teachers and experiments for curious kids

Air Aware is a collection of air quality lessons for schools, made up of theory, videos, activities and quizzes. Air Aware is supported by MBIE’s Unlocking Curious Minds contestable fund.

Rangi - weather and climate lessons for teachers

Developed for teachers, these lessons offer intermediate age students an engaging and interactive way to learn about Aotearoa’s wild and mild weather and climate patterns.

Climate data and activities

NIWA produces a range of climate-related data. You can see some of it below, as well as related activities.

International Polar Year

Bring the International Polar Year into your classroom.

New Zealand's Sandy Coasts Educational CD

New Zealand's Sandy Coasts CD

The aim of this resource is to encourage secondary school students to learn about coastal processes and to use coastal processes as a tool for understanding other natural phenomena such as waves and tides. The CD is designed to raise awareness of coastal issues and hazards, such as the effect that erosion might have on coastal development.

Sponges

More sponge resouces for primary school students.

When fresh water meets salty water

As fresh water from rivers enters an estuary it mixes with saltwater from the sea. What happens to the two different densities of water when they meet? Water will become more dense as its salinity increases. Will denser water float or sink?
NIWA Invertebrate Collection Manager Kareen Schnabel showing students some of the Collection. [NIWA]