Connect Tokelau
The Connect Tokelau resources are a collection of articles to support learning in the science, technology, social science, and health and physical education curriculum areas.
Connect Tokelau 1

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Connect Tokelau
Under the Sea
This article reports on a survey of a 100-metre-long rocky reef located 11 kilometres off the Taranaki coast in New Zealand. Students from local high schools are partnering with divers, biologists, engineers, fishers, and local iwi to discover and record the plants and animals that make the reef their home. This article focuses on the survey methods being used and the different technologies involved in each method. Science and technology
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Connect Tokelau
Blood Sugar
Sarah Cook is a busy Year 10 student living with Type 1 diabetes. Diabetes is a disease that can affect your day-to-day life. Find out what Sarah does to manage her diabetes and make sure it doesn’t prevent her full and active lifestyle. Science
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Connect Tokelau
A Sinking Feeling
Mr Tuala’s class have lost the Boat Float competition and they want to figure out why. By learning more about density (and how it relates to floating a boat), they critique their original boat designs and use what they have learned to design and build new, more successful vaka. Science and technology
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Connect Tokelau
Don’t Sit if You Want to Keep Fit
Scientific evidence suggests that sitting for long periods of time can cause health problems and that standing and moving around is better for us. But as with all scientific evidence, we need to ask questions about the evidence to determine if it can be trusted. Science
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Connect Tokelau
An Invasion of Yellow Crazies
Tokelau has been invaded by yellow crazies – an ant species. Scientists are investigating what can be done about them. By collecting and recording data, they are identifying the extent of the problem and figuring out the best course of action. Science
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Connect Tokelau
Winning Ways: Presenting Scientific Evidence
Grace is on a mission to win the science fair – but to do so she must structure and present her investigation in the most informative and thought-provoking way possible. Grace uses diagrams, photographs, tables, graphs, infographics, and clear science writing to present her data and blow the judges away! Science
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Connect Tokelau
COVID-19
In late 2019, scientists detected the emergence of a previously unknown virus. As the virus spread, a global pandemic was declared and Tokelau closed its border. Though people are now allowed to repatriate back to Tokelau, a quarantine is involved. Meanwhile, vaccination is beginning to provide some protection, though new variants of the virus are emerging. Understanding what a virus is remains critical to managing this new disease. Science
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Connect Tokelau
Blessings from the Sea
Nukunonu’s marine environment contains numerous species that we depend on for food. They are a blessing that supports us on our atoll, so we need to be cautious when it comes to the commercialisation of our exclusive economic zone. Science
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Connect Tokelau
Coral Bleaching and Ocean Acidification
This article explores the concepts of coral bleaching and ocean acidification. It reports on an underwater invesitgation in Nukunonu that looked into coral resilience in the lagoon and on the ocean side. The data the research team gathered established a baseline for ongoing monitoring. Science and technology
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Connect Tokelau
Climate Change
This article explores the concepts of global warming and climate change. It discusses some of the implications for Tokelau. Science
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Connect Tokelau
Rainwater Harvesting
Our survival here on our atolls depends on rainwater harvesting. This article explores some of the technology that is involved. Technology
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Connect Tokelau
Tokelau Governance in the 21st Century
The year 2026 will be the 100th anniversary of Tokelau–New Zealand relations. Support is growing to revisit the question of self-determination in that year. To understand what a new structure of governance might involve, we need to understand our current governance structure and how it came about.