Grow GIANT sunflowers over the holidays. Some of you may have chosen to grow GIANT pumpkins. HAVE FUN, GIVE IT A GROW! ... Photos in for judging in March 2018 ... All welcome to Enter ... seeds from Miss Hawtin in the science technology room.

SUPER MOON ... check it out

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/technology/news/article.cfm?c_id=5&objectid=11953644

How would you get fresh, drinking-water from dirty salt water?

So why is salt sprinkled on icy roads in winter ? What happens? How does this work? Can we use this knowledge in another situation e.g. to freeze fruit slushies ? Yum !

What's up with acids and bases? HNI scientists find out by testing household substances with cabbage juice indictor and universal indicator paper.

Expect to see 10-30 meteors an hour with best viewing in the dark hours before dawn on October 21. To spot the Orionid meteor shower, look to the north of the second-brightest star in the Orion constellation - Betelgeuse. Happy stargazing!

Nanogirl is coming again .... Engineering magic this time ... check out the link

https://nanogirl-labs.myshopify.com/products/pay-it-forward-tickets-nanogirl-live-engineering-magic

The SCIENCE and MUSIC connection ...... ENERGY !!! ... SOUND ... to KINETIC, STATIC, HEAT, LIGHT ... watch to the end ... the most dramatic section.

A massive aurora visible tonight and tomorrow night , cloud permitting ... keep an eye out :-)

blob:http://www.nzherald.co.nz/ed9206b2-7926-4e06-a921-8dc0210e6dbc

CONGRATS ..2 Commended, 3 Highly Commended, 3 Outstanding and the Best Project in Year 7 and 8 @ the Hawkes Bay Science and Technology Fair... Well done kids ... we are so proud of you.

8 Prize winners at the HB Science and Technology Fair ... WOW ... CONGRATULATIONS TO YOU ALL INCLUDING those others who also presented their projects so well to the judges. HNI is very proud of you.

Important dates and times for the 'Hawkes Bay Science and Technology Fair Events'

Science Quiz Thursday 24th August, 3.45p.m. to 5p.m. @ Karamu High School
Technology Challenge Thursday 24th August, 4.00 to 5.30 p.m. @  the Whare, E I T
Project Judging Friday, 25 August, 9.00 a.m.  to 1.00 p.m. @ the Whare E I T
Prize Giving Thursday, 7.00 p.m. to 8.00 p.m. at the Whare EIT

GO WELL EVERYONE

CONGRATULATIONS to ALL Science Fair PROJECT students

CONGRATULATIONS to all of you who thoughtfully beavered away, over some weeks, to complete the fantastic projects that are on display. The range of investigations is so exciting. Exampes are: a Bullet-proof material made from gelatine! Flour made from vegetable scraps, Testing natural substances in the search for a psoriasis cure, Human perception and bias, Dog health and our local rivers, Sound to Kinetic Energy, Soil Compaction and Flooding Risk, Diversity in Local Ecosystems, Bubbling Milk Proteins, Noise levels and Our Ablitiy to Concentrate, Do Video Games Affect the Human Body?, Sports ....   Photos posted soon !

DO COME AND HAVE A LOOK (in the Electronics Room) :  .. 3-4.30p.m. today 
Thank-you very much to our EIT judge, ... much appreciated :-) . 
Students, whose projects will represent HNI at the HB Fair, will be notified on Monday 14th, at the latest.

"Women in Nanoscience" .... 6p.m., 29th August at the National Aquarium, Napier

 An invitation to a talk by 3 women working in nanoscience:

• Dr Catherine Whitby from Massey University
• Professor Margaret Brimble from Auckland University
• Dr Gemma Cotton from the University of Otago

Science Fair PROJECTS will be set up in the Electronics room on Tuesday the 8th August ... in the AFTERNOON.

Wednesday, the 9th August, is the Judging Day 

and 

Thursday, the 10th August,  is the Display Day 

when students, parents and friends can read your fantastic investigations. 8.30a.m. to 4.30p.m.

CONGRATULATIONS TO EVERYONE WHO HAS WORKED ON A PROJECT THIS YEAR

Winners notified by Monday the 14th August

Curious Minds Science Camp Story 2017

http://www.curiousminds.nz/stories/exploring-the-science-behind-hawkes-bay/

Geology Camp clip .... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IqMzFCMUoME&feature=youtu.be

Science Fair Time / Science Fun Time ... (July holiday update ... You still have time to put a great project together. You are welcome to email Miss Hawtin during the holidays should you need info ... hawtinj@hni.school.nz ) .... School JUDGING is on the 9th August.

Here are a few projects from 2016  ... all neatly presented ... maybe do one step per week :-)

Science Camp: Geology Day 1 ... a short video from Day 2 at Waipatiki Beach ... Sincere thanks Aquarium staff, Geologists and the Royal Society.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IqMzFCMUoME&feature=youtu.be

Science Camp Workshop: Land Surveying and Bridge Building ... thanks engineers for your expertise and time.

Science Camp Workshop .... the visit to Plant and Food Research in May .... THANKS PFR ... a really interesting, 'hands-on day'.

Plasma = the sun, stars, neon lights, aurora borealis, northern lights, lightning. Having FUN with the plasma ball.

CONVECTION ... the movement of heat energy from one position to another ............... it's happening everywhere !!!!! ... Can you list 10 examples of 'convection' in our world?

"We have lift off !" ... Check out Rocket Lab's exciting launch details.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=11862250

It is Rocket Science!

A great day for checking out the variables

Science Fair preparations are coming up, in TERM 2 ... as you look for a science curiosity that you can investigate, OR a tech innovation to develop, remember that the SIMPLEST questions/ideas often have the most amazing results ... Have a smile at this cartoon !

Southern Light Spectacle

http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/91832560/southern-lights-delight-new-zealand-for-the-second-night-in-a-row?cid=facebook.ad.April

It is fun being a science monitor!!!

Reuben sharing his Kon Tiki styled model ... part of the group's study of the amazing Pacific Navigators

It is GIANT PUMPKIN time again ... Congrats Manasseh ... first one in and what a beauty .... WELL DONE .... Manasseh's secret growing tip???? WAS ... coffee grinds! WOW!

FUNGI FRIDAY ... was an opportunity to celebrate the amazing contribution fungi make to our lives and the planet.

  Our students were invited to bring and to look at a few of the one and a half million species of fungi in our world

.

Because fungi have the potential to unlock biological material and convert it into something else, they are being used in a multitude of ways e.g.for  medicine, food, textiles, fibre, packaging material and even biofuel.  NZ fungi are prominent in the research into the  development of new antibiotics to replace those which are bacteria resistant. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BlcKBKJ8uro

It's FUNGI FRIDAY tomorrow ... bring your fungi and WOW and LEARN. Add to this wee collection ... Fungi are fascinating :-)

So you are stranded on an Island !!! How would you make fresh water from the salty seawater, using a few items salvaged from your capsized boat? ... Here are some of the group's first ideas. Hey ... think about the experiments we have been doing :-)

What is the difference between physical and chemical changes? A year 7 group check it out.

Brainstorming, sharing ideas, testing and measuring.

Pumpkin Judging is on the 10th April :-) .. A few horror / disappointment stories are coming in ... we will all enjoy the humour!!!! Bring them in anytime before the 10th ... maybe you have a story, poem, video etc instead / or as well. All welcome.

"My pumpkin plant is like a triffid !! AND it has taken over the back yard !!

The leaves are HUGE !"

"It's gone rotten!!!  The babies keep falling off !!"  and this poem came in:

"I'm a BIG, FAT pumpkin,
Been growing fast and swell.
The rain did come
And drenched my fun.

Now I've rotted !! Oh Well ! (sigh)"  

No worries kids ... the weather has challenged us all this season: drought and rain ... stories, photos and pumpkins are all very welcome.  It is the process not always the outcome that matters and we can all have a few laughs.  Wait 'til you see my pumpkins!!!

Hey ... the Monach caterpillars are enjoying pumpkin along with their diet of swanplant.

The Butterflies are FREE

Come check out these little fellas in the lepidopterarium in the sci tech room. Metamorphosis in action.

Year 7 study the science in a candle.

Ring of Fire Eclipse .... watch live on Sunday 26th Feb :-)

http://www.sciencealert.com/a-ring-of-fire-eclipse-is-happening-this-sunday-here-s-how-to-watch

Hey Kids ... a piece out of a 'food web' ... can you relate this to one of our themes this year ? ' Energy cannot be created or destroyed ? ' ... Thought you could :-)

Testing our air-pressure rockets ... the day was far too windy for good science but plenty of ideas were forthcoming for .... factors which affected the rocket's flight ... and for modifications.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U_7uQezg-lc

How are your Pumpkins Growing? Giant Pumpkins will be judged at the end of term one .... they will be loving this rain !!!

Here are some beauties from 2016.  Their happy growers enjoying a relax after lifting them into the garden!  Some were 100kgs+!!  although size was not the only category :-)

Scientist ... Nanogirl visited HNI .... check out this video of her show ... https://youtu.be/FkInHz4UoFc

Scientist ... Nanogirl ... presented to HNI

was exciting 'explosive' learning for all attending.
Nanogirl = Dr Michelle Dickinson, a well known scientist and presenter of science shows touring NZ was a great role model for our students. A true promoter of making science accessible, understandable and the learning fun for everyone..  She is up-to-date with the latest in the science world and is an inspirational presenter.
She visited us on 12 December, 2016 and we look forward to seeing her again.

Her 2016 Tour Show for YOU to view ...  (about an hour long.)

Family fun .. enjoy it :-)

https://youtu.be/FkInHz4UoFc