Science resources

Task: Look for the similarities and differences in leaf patterns to answer questions about observations and evidence.

Task: Students use observation and a key to identify native plants. Assessment focus: Using a classification key.

Task: Match insects to their adaptations for protection against enemies, and infer two ways stick insects are adapted for their protection against predators. Assessment focus: using observations to make suggestions about survival methods.

Diagrams of four different vertebrate tails are illustrated. Students are required to name an animal that has each type of tail, and then explain how the animal uses this type of tail.

Four different vertebrate animals are illustrated. For each animal the student needs to name the body part used by each animal to move, and then explain how this part makes the animal move.

Task: sort pictures into specified groups and identify features that are common to each group. Assessment focus: classification of insects/non-insects.

Select from multiple choice options. Assessment focus: classification features of insects and mammals.

Students are provided with a picture of a New Zealand native bird. Students select a word from a given list to name each of these bird parts. Students are then required to explain why the bird needs each of these named parts.

Task: compare features of sea mammals and fish, and describe two features of mammals. Assessment focus: classification of fish and mammals.

Students categorise statements according to whether they are evidence or inferences. They make inferences about moa, supporting them with evidence. Assessment focus: thinking in scientific ways.

Students identify the solids, liquids, and gases in three short passages.

Students compare drawings of a healthy and unhealthy plant and decide which quantitative and/or qualitative data distinguishes them. They draw conclusions from the data. This is a mathematics/science resource.

Students answer two questions about preventing erosion and flooding by a river.

For this practical task students make a prediction about which lot of ice will melt first. Then students record their observations and explain why one lot of ice melted faster than the other.

Task: use information and observation skills to identify whether pictures of fish are either bony fish or sharks. Assessment focus: classification, interpreting a Venn diagram.

In this NEMP task students look at photos to describe similar and different environmental features of the moon, the Earth, Mars and the sun. Assessment focus: The solar system. In the original NEMP task the assessor gave oral instructions, read the questions and wrote the answers for each student.

Students are provided with a food web based on organisms of the rocky shore and sea. Students use this to answer questions about food chains in the food web.

Task: Students give oral explanations about how the features of a wētā or a mallard duck help it survive in its environment. Peer assessment sheets are included. Assessment focus: structure and function.

Students identify the larger group that four animals belong the features that those groups have using images of the animals.

For this task students are provided with photographs of four different types of weta. Students are asked to give two features that weta have in common with each other and to give two features that show weta belong to the group insects.

Task: use a chart comparing the features of insects and spiders to decide which group a wētā belongs in. Assessment Focus: classification.

This practical task assesses students' ability to identify the larger group that four animals belong to and then to identify the features that those groups have using animal cards and labels.

Students use provided symbols to write formula and to draw diagrams of different compounds.

Students explain the mistake in each of six sentences about elements, compounds or mixtures.

Students are provided with five diagrams of different arrangements of atoms. They select which diagram represents water, graphite, oxygen, and carbon monoxide.