Purpose and Aims
Pūtaiao education aims to equip all ākonga with the knowledge, skills and attitudes necessary to become responsible and informed members of society, and consequently positive and productive contributors to New Zealand’s economy and future.
The NZ curriculum provides the framework for planning and making decisions about a school’s science programme. However, to keep the learning authentic and meaningful, the Royal Oak Intermediate school community is charged with ensuring their science scheme is local and specific to the needs of all ākonga.
Science is both a process of enquiry and a body of knowledge; it is an integrated discipline. Therefore the development of scientific skills and attitudes is inextricably linked to the development of ideas (knowledge) in science.
Odd and Even Year Overviews
Royal Oak Intermediate are just beginning their exciting science journey as a specialised subject. Consequently, the overviews below serve as an initial prototype. They are to be viewed as ever evolving and will change and develop with further insight, individual student needs, community needs, as well as successes and failures. Much like a science experiment.
Tikanga, values, attitudes, skills and knowledge are interwoven within the learning, with a focus on both the science capabilities and content. Classes intend to build a platform for success at secondary school. This includes an essential knowledge base, as well as opportunities to apply and develop new understandings and skills with hands on practical and collaborative experiments, activities and projects. Curiosity is key and is utilised to support ākonga when researching, forming hypothesis and gathering and interpreting data. Competencies such as participating and contributing and the RERE values, kairangi (excellence) and manawaroa (resilience), are specifically encouraged and celebrated. Consequently ākonga are confident to engage with science through personal inquiry mahi in the classroom, within the wider community and in society in the future.
At this stage, specialised science classes run for a duration of 7 weeks. After consultation with local intermediates and secondary schools, as well as an in depth study of curriculum expectations – specifically, achievement objectives for Levels 3 and 4, the following overview is currently in place.
