Science (Pūtaiao)

At Cashmere our moto is that “Science is Fascinating and Fun!” We aim to make our lessons relevant and useful, challenging ākonga to make sense of the world around them through experiment and observation, as well as allowing them to experience the joy and wonder of discovery. The University of Berkeley capture the essence of science well in these points:

  • Science is both a body of knowledge and a process. Science is a collection of observations, facts and theories built up over many years. Just as importantly, science is also a process of discovery that allows us to link isolated facts into coherent and comprehensive understandings of the natural world.
  • Science is exciting. Science is a way of discovering what's in the universe and how those things work today, how they worked in the past, and how they are likely to work in the future. Scientists are motivated by the thrill of seeing or figuring out something that no one has before.
  • Science is useful. The knowledge generated by science is powerful and reliable. It can be used to develop new technologies, treat diseases, and deal with many other sorts of problems.
  • Science is ongoing. Science is continually refining and expanding our knowledge of the universe, and as it does, it leads to new questions for future investigation. Science will never be "finished."
  • Science is a global human endeavour. People all over the world participate in the process of science. And you can too!

In Aotearoa New Zealand, there is a growing interest, appreciation, and integration of mātauranga Māori (traditional knowledge) in our understanding of the world. We believe that a rich curriculum for science is one that acknowledges, respects, and draws on the similarities and differences between both world views and we aim to bring this to all ākonga at Te Iringa o Kahukura.  He waka eke noa is a whakataukī that also sums up our view of Science, that we are all in this together. Whether cooperating with each other in class or solving problems related to planet earth with its finite resources that we all share.​​​​​​​

Science/Pūtaiao at Cashmere breaks into several senior subjects at Year 11 and 12. Follow the links below to find out more about each one: