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ESSE news
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1. The name of the NZASE standing committee supporting teaching of the Planet Earth and Beyond (PEB) strand and the new Earth and Space Science (ESS) subject has had a name change. It is now called Earth and Space Science Educators or ESSE for short. This replaces the rather clunky name of SCIPEB. It also clearly shows which area of the science curriculum the standing committee is supporting. 2. ESS is gaining a lot of tertiary support. This bodes well for having ESS as a scholarship subject and for ongoing support. 3. There will be PD on ESS in Auckland, Hamilton, New Plymouth, Palmerston North, Napier, Wellington, Nelson, Christchurch, Dunedin and Invercargill in terms 2 and 3 this year. The dates and venues will be posted onto the website at the beginning of the school year. 4. ESSE are hoping to run a field trip instead of a conference in 2011. A few organisations have offered to host this. Keep an eye on our website for details. 5. The ESSE part of the NZASE website can be found at: http:// www.nzase.org.nz/esse/. This website will be updated regularly with news on resources, standard updates, news of courses and dates for conferences or field trips. 6. Part One of the Teaching and Learning guidelines is now online and can be found at http://seniorsecondary. tki.org.nz/Science. This Web document is important for gaining an understanding of the five strands of NZC. The sections that tease out the Achievement Objectives can be useful for classroom ideas. Work on Part Two is about to start. This part will contain learning programme design ideas for Years 11-13 and cross curricular programmes. 7. Secondary school teachers now have a single Web portal to use when looking for information about senior subject teaching and assessment. It is at: http://secondary.tki. org.nz/. From there you link to NZQA’s and TKI’s NCEA pages, Teaching and Learning Guides, the resource for secondary middle leaders, and other materials. There is a News section, and an RSS feed that teachers can subscribe to. If you have any ideas about how this portal can be improved send them to Nigel Evans at: nigel.evans@minedu.govt.nz
The Ocean as a Classroom Context It is becoming more and more apparent that students must not only know about the processes of the land but also the ocean. The ocean provides some wonderful contexts for classroom study. Some fundamental concepts and principles of Ocean Sciences are listed below. For a comprehensive list, as compiled in the Ocean Literacy Initiative document 2004–2005, visit: http://tinyurl.com/ycxk233. 1. The Earth has one big ocean with many features. The ocean covers 70% of the planet’s surface. There is one ocean with many ocean basins, such as the North Pacific, South Pacific, North Atlantic, South Atlantic, Indian, Southern and Arctic. An ocean basin’s size, shape and features (such as islands, trenches, mid-ocean ridges, rift valleys) vary due to tectonic plate movement. The highest peaks, deepest valleys and flattest vast plains are
all in the ocean. The ocean has one interconnected circulation system powered by wind, tides, the force of the Earth’s rotation (Coriolis effect), the Sun, and water density differences. The shape of ocean basins and adjacent land masses influence the path of circulation. 2. The ocean and life in the ocean shape the features of the Earth. Many Earth materials and geochemical cycles originate in the ocean. Ocean life has lain down most siliceous and carbonate rocks. Sea level changes over time have shaped the surface of land. Tectonic activity, sea level changes, and force of waves influence the physical structure and landforms of the coast. 3. The ocean is a major influence on weather and climate. The ocean controls weather and climate by having a significant influence on climate change by absorbing, storing, and moving heat, carbon and water. The ocean absorbs much of the solar radiationreaching Earth and loses heat by evaporation. This heat loss drives atmospheric circulation. Condensation of water evaporated from warm seas provides the energy for hurricanes and cyclones. The El Niño/La Niña Southern Oscillation causes important changes in global weather patterns because it changes the way heat is released to the atmosphere in the Pacific. 4. The ocean makes Earth habitable. The earliest evidence of life is found in the ocean. Most of the oxygen in the atmosphere originally came from the activities of photosynthetic organisms in the ocean. 5. The ocean supports a great diversity of life and ecosystems. Most life in the ocean exists as microbes. Microbes are the most important primary producers in the ocean. Not only are they the most abundant life form in the ocean, they have extremely fast growth rates and life cycles. Ocean habitats are defined by environmental factors. Due to interactions of abiotic factors such as salinity, temperature, oxygen, pH, light, nutrients, pressure, substrate and circulation, ocean life is not evenly distributed. Some regions of the ocean support more diverse and abundant life than anywhere on Earth, while much of the ocean is considered a desert. 6. The ocean and humans are inextricably interconnected. The ocean supplies freshwater (most rain comes from the ocean) and nearly all Earth’s oxygen. It moderates the Earth’s climate, influences our weather, and affects human health. From the ocean we get foods, medicines, and mineral and energy resources. In addition, it provides jobs, supports the economy and serves as a transport highway. Much of the world’s population lives in coastal areas. 7. The ocean is largely unexplored. Less than 5% of the ocean has been explored. Exploration, inquiry and study are required to better understand ocean systems and processes. Over the last 40 years, use of ocean resources has increased significantly, therefore the future sustainability of ocean resources depends on our understanding of those resources and their potential and limitations. For further information contact: jenny.pollock@xtra.co.nz New Zealand Association of Science Educators
earthspacescienceeducators
Written by Jenny Pollock
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