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Spacer Pix
Email the Social Studies Community Facilitator Spacer Pix Kia ora and welcome to the news page for the social studies community. We value your feedback and ideas, and invite you to contact us at socialstudies@tki.org.nz.

There are links to over 2200 quality-assured materials in this community. Find them by using the menu bars and the quick search facility under the arrow on the right-hand side of the page. Use this link to return to the Social Sciences community news page or select the appropriate navigation bar on the right.

Note also the two curriculum items immediately below and check these regularly for updates.

The New Zealand Curriculum. The New Zealand Curriculum
Explore The New Zealand Curriculum online and link to a range of resources and support materials. The revised curriculum will become mandatory from Feb 2010. Schools are encouraged to begin working towards its implementation. Check out the new section Strategies for Getting Started, and add comments to share your expertise and experiences.
http://nzcurriculum.tki.org.nz
Te Marautanga o Aotearoa. Te Marautanga o Aotearoa
Te Marautanga o Aotearoa: He tauira hei kōrerorero has been released for consultation. The document was launched on 15 November 2007. Schools will receive copies of the draft document for consultation shortly. Explore the online community for Te Marautanga o Aotearoa.
http://www.tki.org.nz/r/marautanga/index_m.php

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Education for Enterprise image.

Enterprise for Education
Explore this website about Education for Enterprise (E4E), a 21st century-focused approach to learning that promotes leadership and innovation. It includes how to develop E4E in a school, news about enterprising projects around New Zealand, digital stories, ideas, lesson and unit plans, templates and tools.
http://e4e.tki.org.nz
12-11-2008


Eco-bob icon.

Ecobob ─ Making Eco Living Easy
Visit this website that has information on environmentally friendly living, including an online community to share ideas on eco living topics.
http://www.ecobob.co.nz
12-11-2008


Responsible Tourism icon.

Responsible Tourism Code for the Pacific
Find out about this code primarily directed at New Zealanders travelling to the Pacific Islands. It explains topics such as protecting coral reefs, supporting local initiatives, and minimising environmental impact.
http://www.responsibletourism.org.nz
12-11-2008


Why Democracy icon.

Why Democracy?
Explore this documentary website that uses film to explore the complex questions, contradictions, and challenges of democracy in the 21st century.
http://www.whydemocracy.net
12-11-2008


Hot Topic icon.

Living Heritage
Discover the new look to the website where young people celebrate New Zealand’s heritage and taonga.
http://www.livingheritage.org.nz/
16-10-2008


Hot Topic icon.

Election - New Zealand 2008
The New Zealand general election was held on Saturday 8th November 2008. Make use of these resources and information to help your students learn about elections.
http://www.tki.org.nz/r/hot_topics/elections2008_e.php
16-10-2008


ENACT icon.

ENACT
Check out this website developed by the Peace Foundation, for New Zealand secondary school students and youth. It includes information and initiatives for youth on promoting peaceful relationships at home, in the community, and around the world.
http://www.enact.org.nz/
26-09-2008


Habitable Planet icon..

The Habitable Planet
Use these multimedia resources on environment science to learn about the Earth's natural systems, and the effect human activities have on them.
http://www.learner.org/channel/courses/envsci/index.html
25-09-2008


The Natural Heritage icon.

The Natural Heritage Collection
Check out this collection of images and videos, and appreciate New Zealand's natural heritage. The collection features extinct animals, endangered animals and plants, introduced pests, scenic, and early New Zealand history.
http://www.nhc.net.nz/index.html
18-09-2008


Census icon.

Census at school
Get your class to vote now for their favourite questions to be included in the 2009 Census at school questionnaire. Vote here or click on the link on the website.
https://www.censusatschool.org.nz/
18-09-2008


Treaty 2 U icon.

Treaty 2U
Explore this new website about the Treaty of Waitangi. Read the story, take time to play the Power Game, and listen to the poetry and waiata.
http://www.treaty2u.govt.nz/
28-08-2008


Wara Bilong Life icon.

Wara Bilong Life – Water for Survival
Encourage your students to participate in this interactive classroom activity. This is an Oxfam Water for Survival Programme educational project and will take place in term 4 2008. The aim of the project is to encourage creative problem solving in a 'real world' context.
http://www.megabright.co.nz/wara/home.htm
06-08-2008


Success for Boys icon.

Success for Boys
Create opportunities for all boys at your school to succeed. This site is designed to help school leaders look at teaching-learning relationships with boys in classrooms, create supportive learning environments for boys, and provide a range of approaches and tools to address the diverse learning needs of boys so they can achieve to their full potential.
http://success-for-boys.tki.org.nz/
06-08-2008


User-contributed content icon. New category of websites: User-contributed content
In response to the changing nature of the Internet, TKI will now link to selected social software (Web 2.0) sites. Social software allows users to contribute content and to collaborate with others using blogs, wikis, and other tools. These sites will have the head and shoulders icon to show that they contain user-contributed content. While all sites are still subject to rigorous quality-assurance processes, teachers are advised to evaluate this category of sites carefully for relevance and accuracy, and to consider any privacy and security issues before using them with students.
30-06-2008

See also the Social Sciences community news page.

  Community Facilitator's choice   
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President Barrack Obama.

New President elected for USA
Barack Obama has won the election for president of the United States of America. Visit the site to read about his victory and hear his victory speech.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/4751341a12.html


New Zealand History icon.

Armistice Day, 11 November
This article from the NZ History Online website focuses on the signing of the Armistice between the Allies and Germany on 11 November 1918 that was celebrated in many cities and towns around New Zealand.
http://www.nzhistory.net.nz/page/armistice-day
12-11-2008


Asia Knowledge. Asia Knowledge
Engaging with Asia is vital to New Zealand’s future. The new Asia Knowledge kete on TKI is aligned to the new curriculum and provides information and teaching resources for becoming Asia Aware. It includes an integrated teaching and learning resource on the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games.
http://asia-knowledge.tki.org.nz


Identity.

Social Studies digital learning objects
Students can create their own timelines and designs by using events and objects that reflect their own views of personal and national identity.
Identity Create: Market Icons intended for years 7–8
Identity Create: Street Icons intended for years 9–10
Identity Timeline intended for years 7–10
You will need Flash Player 9 to view these learning objects. Download it here.

International Year of the Potato

International Year of the Potato (IYP)
In recognition of the major role potatoes play in feeding the world's population, the United Nations has designated 2008 as the International Year of the Potato (IYP). Visit this site from Horticulture New Zealand, which includes information about potatoes, a calendar of IYP events, downloadable resources, and recipes.
http://www.vegetables.co.nz/potatoes/

International Year of Sanitation

International Year of Sanitation – 2008
This International Year of Sanitation seeks to raise awareness of, and to accelerate progress towards, the Millennium Development Goal of reducing by half the proportion of the 2.6 billion people without access to basic sanitation, by 2015. Visit the website for information and related links and activities.
http://esa.un.org/iys/

LEOTC. Learning Experiences Outside the Classroom (LEOTC)
Visit the recently updated LEOTC website. LEOTC is a Ministry of Education-funded project of educational programmes run by a range of organisations providing hands-on experiences for students on school visits, complementing and enriching classroom programmes. This website contains schools' learning stories (video and text) and case studies, as well as information about LEOTC for providers, teachers, parents, and boards of trustees.
http://www.tki.org.nz/r/leotc/
LEARNZ.

LEARNZ Virtual Field Trips 2008
Visit the website to register and enrol for their virtual social studies related field trips.
http://www.learnz.org.nz

wickED.

wickED
Visit the newly updated wickED website. wickED is the Ministry of Education's student-focused site for 7–12 year-olds, and contains curriculum-based fun learning activities that you can use to support your classroom programme. From the 'Teacher Information' page you can check out the curriculum links for wickED topics that can be integrated into classroom teaching and learning. Spelling Bee champion Kate Weir is the latest New Zealand role model profiled as a 'Cool Kiwi'. The 'Interactives' section contains language and literacy activities; 'Kokona Māori' provides a direct link to access Māori content.
http://www.tki.org.nz/r/wick_ed/index.php

International Polar Year.

International Polar Year (IPY) 2007–2008
International Polar Year is a global campaign focussing on the polar regions. It provides the opportunity to demonstrate, follow, and get involved with, cutting edge science in real-time, focussing on atmosphere, land, ice, oceans, people, and space. Visit the website for links to information, teaching resources, outreach activities, and related events.
http://www.ipy.org/

Living Heritage Tikanga Tuku Iho

Living Heritage Tikanga Tuku Iho
Involve your students in creating a website for Living Heritage, an online bilingual initiative that enables New Zealand schools to develop and publish an online resource, based on a heritage treasure in their community. The use of their self-publishing web pages is free to all New Zealand schools.
http://www.livingheritage.org.nz/index.html

NZHistory.net. NZ History
Visit this site for information and resources from within the history group of the Ministry for Culture and Heritage. The site covers three broad categories which showcase themes in New Zealand history: Culture and society; Politics and government; and War and society. A Hands on history section includes links to guides, external websites, and other material for those who are either studying or teaching history. New features are being developed and added to the site on a regular basis.
http://www.nzhistory.net.nz/
TeAra. Te Ara – The Encyclopedia of New Zealand
Visit the online encyclopedia developed by the Ministry for Culture and Heritage. Explore the themes 'New Zealanders' that covers the people who have made this country their home.
http://www.teara.govt.nz/
Goglobal.

GoGlobal
Check out this website from the Global Education Centre. It features a comprehensive database for education and resource needs on global and development issues, and allows users to search for a resource such as a unit of learning, a DVD or a game, or find out what is happening concerning global issues.
http://www.goglobal.org.nz/

Software for Learning

Software for Learning
Discover Software for Learning – a Ministry of Education initiative now on TKI. This area provides information for teachers when choosing software for learning. The first phase of the project is to provide descriptions of over 40 freeware programs that can be used to design specific tasks to meet the needs of individual students or groups of learners. Use the search facility available to find information about software to use in your learning and teaching programmes.
http://www.tki.org.nz/r/ict/software/index_e.php

TKI Gateway.

TKI Gateway
Visit this area of TKI that provides a gateway to EPIC: Electronic Products in Collaboration, and Index New Zealand (INNZ) Online. These resources are available free of charge to New Zealand schools. A login is required.
http://www.tki.org.nz/e/tki/gateway/

Teacher Talk. Teacher Talk
Visit this new section of TKI Interact, specifically designed for teachers to discuss issues, share ideas, and offer insights.
http://www.tki.org.nz/r/discuss/forumdisplay.php?f=1

Social Studies Subject Associations
Aotearoa New Zealand Federation of Social Studies
Wellington Area Social Studies Association.

TKI Kete.

TKI Kete
Have you ever used "Favourites" or "Bookmarks" to store your favourite websites so you can find them again later? TKI Kete on Te Kete Ipurangi functions in the same way only better! And it's absolutely free! Using the TKI kete function, you can save different types of resources, including websites, in your own space on TKI. This way you can access your favourites from any computer with Internet access. To find out more, click on the link above.


If you wish to draw the online editor's attention to a website then please email us

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Events are now listed on the TKI Social Sciences calendar, see right-hand navigation bar.

  Messages   
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Social Sciences Online
The Social Sciences Online website (SSOL) is currently under development and is expected to be available on TKI late in 2008. The site will be an interactive online community that encourages contribution, communication, and collaboration of all teachers of social sciences throughout New Zealand. Each section of the site: Economics Online, Geography Online, History Online, and Social Studies Online will be moderated. The site will contain generic material, and will also allow for the publishing of material, news and links, listservs, teacher resource exchange, and will have an 'ask' function for questions.
RSNZ logo.

The Royal Society of New Zealand (RSNZ)
The Royal Society has a duty to 'advance and promote' sciences, mathematics, social sciences and technology (Royal Society of New Zealand Act 1997). Visit the website to check out their initiatives, resources, and international travel opportunities for students and teachers of the social sciences.
http://www.rsnz.org/education

Telephone Tutorial. Telephone Tutorial
The TKI Team would be happy to provide a tour of the website, via the telephone or video conference, at your school staff meetings or planning sessions. Contact us at tutorials@tki.org.nz if you would like to explore this option.

If you wish to place message in this area, please send an email to socialstudies@tki.org.nz

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