Nature of science

The nature of science is the overarching and unifying strand in the NZ science curriculum document. Our nature of science articles on the Science Learning Hub unpacks this strand and highlights places within the Hub that address this key component of scientific literacy. Here you'll find PLD resources and related materials and activities to aid the teaching of the NOS.

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Science Learning Hub

the science evidence pyramid is shown with information about what it's like to do

Levels of scientific evidence

Penguins April Fool - The Making Of - BBC VIDEO

an image of the earth from space with information about it and other things to see

Explainer: Scientists struggle to monitor Tonga volcano after massive eruption - REUTERS

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Mātauranga Māori: What is science? – AKLD UNI BLOG

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Stuff

On 15 December 2006, energy minister David Parker drove a Land Rover with biofuel in its belly around the forecourt of Parliament. "We believe we are the first company in the world to test drive a car powered by wild algae-based bio-diesel," Aquaflow founding director... Barrie Leay said ... It was one of many pieces of breathless hype to come out of the Nelson company - the fuel was actually 95 per cent ordinary diesel and 5 per cent bio-diesel. But the stunt received worldwide attention ...

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How scientists can stop fooling themselves over statistics

The past decade has seen a raft of efforts to encourage robust, credible research. Some focus on changing incentives, for example by modifying promotion and publication criteria to favour open science over sensational breakthroughs. But attention also needs to be paid to individuals. All-too-human cognitive biases can lead us to see results that aren’t there. Faulty reasoning results in shoddy science, even when the intentions are good. Researchers need to become more aware of these pitfalls.

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This is the most important science lesson of our lives — GLOBE & MAIL CANADA July 2020

As parents worry about the school lessons kids have missed because of the pandemic, there’s one dinner conversation about COVID-19 that can make-up for any lost science lessons. Talk about all the uncertainty and doubt, from changing rules about wearing masks to efforts to create a vaccine. Explain that what we’re living through is science in action. Because, if your kids come out of this pandemic knowing in their bones that science is as much about what we currently don’t know, as what we do

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'What could I have done?' The scientist who predicted the bushfire emergency four decades ago

Looking at Nature of Science/communication, science + society — this article is a tough read but one worth adding tot he mix. Dr Tom Beer’s pioneering 1980s research into bushfires and climate change has, to his dismay, proved all too accurate "“There are times when I get – maybe not quite as far as depressed – but I think that the value of the science investment is being belittled by people with ideological views on how the world is, rather than a view of the world that’s based on observations.

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Seven excuses for ignoring climate change, debunked

Scientists have been pleading the world to take action on climate change, yet a sizable chunk of the population still denies or downplays its reality. Gareth Shute runs down the most popular arguments for ignoring climate change and finds them wanting. There’s been consensus in the scientific community about climate change for at least a decade now. This includes 97% of actively publishing climate scientists, NASA, and 200 Scientific Organisations who agree that the earth is warming ...