Programme 2025
What is the Science Roadshow?
The Science Roadshow is a mobile science discovery centre. Annually traverses the length of New Zealand in a 15 metre truck and trailer. This initiative brings an array range of captivating interactive science and technology exhibits directly into communities. The Science Roadshow’s mission is to bolster science education in New Zealand schools through science outreach. We appreciate the support of theMinistry of Educationto achieve this mission.
hands-on science learning experiences for ākonga while also supporting kaiako to do more science in theirclassrooms.
Offering an engaging, lively, and interactive learning encounter of science for children, a visit to the Science Roadshow encompasses live shows and hands-on exhibits that expand students’ comprehension of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. This endeavor strongly supports the Nature of Science strand and the Five Foundational Science Capabilities.
Each year our shows, themes and exhibits change,
so there’s always something new for students
to learn and engage with.
Each session includes two exciting live science shows:
- Planet Earth — Whakaaturanga Papatūānuku:
matter cycles, energy flows and life webs. - Balloons and Bernoulli — Ngā puangi me Bernoulli:
amazing pressure phenomena.
And over 60 hands-on exhibits to experience,
grouped under the following themes:
- Applied science —Te pūtaiao whaipainga
- Detecting —Te tautohu
- Forces —Ngā tōpana
- Patterns —He tauira
- Structures –He hanganga
- Trees and environment —Ngā rākau me te tai
The Science Roadshow gratefully acknowledges the support of the Ministry of Education through the contestable Enriching Local Curriculum process.
During your visit to the Science Roadshow the experience is structured as follows:
A school visit to the Roadshow lasts for 70 minutes and is divided into three sections:
First show— As each session begins your students may be joined by those from other schools, depending on numbers. One of our two shows is then presented to the entire group. This takes around 15 minutes.
Interactive exhibit exploration— Each of our exhibits is set up around the hall according to its theme. Your students will have approximately 40 minutes to explore each of the activities. To help them out, each exhibit has a context board which includes information about how to use the exhibit, the science behind it, and where such things occur in everyday life. A number of the exhibits also have student explainers — senior students from the host school, who are there to assist visiting students gain the most from their Roadshow experience.
Second show— The second of our two shows is now presented, then your students return to school.
Free Resources:
All teachers who book and bring students to the Roadshow getcomprehensive and complimentary resourcesthat offers stimulating classroom ready activities for pre- and post-visit classroom experiences, including a complete science unit. These experiences and resources will provide support for your learning programme(s).
2025 Resource Book includes a unit plan titled Trees, trees, trees — He Rākau, he rākau, he rākau.
The Science Learning Hub Pokapū Akoranga Pūtaiao have a collection of resources supporting the 2025 Science Roadshow.
Price
$10 per student, accompanying teachers and adults free.