Science resources

Students are given a graph that shows how many days it took for bread placed in different areas to grow mould. Students use this graph to answer three short questions.

Students are provided with a diagram of a thermometer and they answer questions on its use, how it works, and then read the temperatures from four thermometers.

Students read a map of a new school, and answer questions about the placement of some trees. They are assessed on their ability to suggest the trees' impact on the school environment.

Task: Students differentiate between simple observations and inferences, and between observations that require measurement and those that do not. Assessment focus: observing scientifically.

This resource requires students to construct a graph on data for temperature and depth below the Earth's crust. Students then answer four questions about this.

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.

For this practical students are required to investigate how the use of pulleys affects the effort force needed to raise a load. Students gather results, write a conclusion, and describe two situations in which a pulley system would be useful.

This resource requires students to process information on an earthquake. This entails calculating the distance that the recording stations are from an earthquake's epicentre, locating the epicentre, calculating the magnitude, and answering general questions on earthquakes.

Task: Using statements from four people decide and justify whether or not each person supports wind farms. Identify which person has a misconception about wind farms, giving a reason. Assessment focus: identifying different perspectives.

This assessment task provides students with four statements on recycling. Students circle whether each statement is true or false to determine their understanding of recycling.

Students write a story about the water cycle using a given sequence of events that take place.

Students are provided with a sequence of diagrams showing the erosion of a waterfall by a river over time. Students complete diagrams for two other waterfall erosion sequences. Each waterfall has different combinations of layers of soft and hard rocks.

Students answer a multi choice question and draw and explain their understandings about heat convection in a hot water cylinder. Assessment focus: Using science ideas to explain heat convection.

On a diagram students indicate how a cliff face might look different in 100 years from now, and explain the probable cause of this.

Task: Decide which of two graphs e.g., tally chart, pictograph, bar graph is represented by a picture and explain how the graph/s are interpreted.

Task: Identify features of 4 animals that live in water, then use this information to decide whether they are fish or not. Assessment focus: classification of fish.

Task: Describe how energy is transformed in three situations. Assessment focus: energy transformation.

Task: Match birds and nests, and explain why the choice was made. Assessment focus: using environmental cues to make inferences.

Task: Use information about differences between moths and butterflies to decide which category examples belong to, and identify what evidence was used. Assessment focus: observation, using evidence.

Task: Answer 2 multiple choice questions about how we would see Moon from Earth if its orbit changed. Assessment focus: relationship of Sun, Earth, and Moon.

Students are provided with a fact file on the tuatara. Students answer four questions that are based on information contained in the fact file.

Students explain how two armoured reptiles' adaptations protect them from being eaten by predators.

Task: Match vocabulary and definitions, and select why these terms are useful to know when thinking about butterflies at risk. Assessment focus: understanding science texts.

Task: Make careful observations of a picture to decide what you can see and what you might know but can't see.

Task: Make careful observations of objects in a picture to assess the size of one of the objects.