A young explorer looking out over a green, sunlit Aotearoa landscape

Kōkiri Lab · Years 7–8 STEM · Aotearoa

Real science. Real making. Right here in Aotearoa.

Kōkiri Lab brings the new Years 7–8 Science and Technology curriculum to life. In eight inquiry worlds, students investigate real questions, build things that work, and share what they find with people who can use it.

Explore the eight worlds For teachers Join with a class code

inquiry worlds: 8inquiry worlds
one-hour lessons: 71one-hour lessons
investigations & builds: 48investigations & builds
community science platforms: 6community science platforms
for NZ schools: Freefor NZ schools

Why Kōkiri Lab

Science you do, not just read about.

The new curriculum asks students to think like scientists and technologists. Kōkiri Lab gives them real questions to chase, real things to make, and a real reason to share, and gives teachers everything they need to run it.

For students

Discover, make and share

Investigate real thingsMoths on a light sheet at night, the stream down the road, the Moon over Whanganui, the rocks in the cliffs.
Build things that workRobots that carry supplies, model homes that stay warm, gardens, sensors and playable model worlds.
Share with people who careYour findings go to real audiences: restoration volunteers, councils, whānau and other schools.
AI that asks, not tellsThe AI mentor asks you good questions. It never writes your explanation or gives you a mark.

For teachers

A complete STEM programme, ready to run

Built on the new curriculumEvery world is mapped to the 2026 Phase 3 Science and Technology statements, covered across two years.
Ready to teach, week by weekNine one-hour lessons per world with timed steps, support and stretch, and 5-week or 11–12-week routes.
One class, Years 7 and 8 togetherTaught as one combined class, in any term and order, with Getting started / On track / Stretch support.
Everything includedBackground readings, worksheets, hands-on investigations and builds, and formative checks with no marking load.

How it works

One four-part journey, in every world

Every world moves through the same four areas over about nine weeks. Students investigate with VOICE, design and build with FORGE, and finish by sharing something useful with a real audience.

VOICE: A scientist learns to look beyond opinions and ask what the evidence says.
FORGE: A maker turns evidence into something testable: sensors, prototypes, and data stories.
Pathways: Four learning journeys, one per world: investigate, think and create, make and test, then share and make an impact.

01
STEM Investigate
What evidence can we gather?
VOICE
In Biodiversity & Discovery: Observe and compare adaptations in organisms from different local environments.
02
Think & Create
What explanations, models or designs can we construct?
VOICE → FORGE
In Biodiversity & Discovery: Construct and label a model or diagram showing how an adaptation is suited to an environment.
03
Make & Test
How can we test or improve them?
FORGE
In Biodiversity & Discovery: Compare a MaramaTrap AI identification against expert or peer judgement and evaluate its confidence.
04
Share & Impact
What can we communicate, decide or contribute?
Community science
In Biodiversity & Discovery: Use evidence to explain how an adaptation increases survival or reproductive success in a specific environment.

See a whole world

Built with Aotearoa places, whānau and community partners in mind.

Inquiry worlds

Eight inquiry worlds for Years 7–8.

Each world is about nine weeks built around one real question, taught to the whole combined Year 7–8 class in any term, with its essential knowledge drawn directly from the 2026 Phase 3 Science and Technology curriculum. Pick a question to start.

8 inquiry worlds

Every world, the same four areas:STEM InvestigateThink & CreateMake & TestShare & Impact

See the whole curriculum

Community science

Open platforms: innovate as a community.

Tap Learn more on any platform for the full outline, then open its homepage to contribute. No class code required.

6 open platforms

Your observations count. Every moth photo, water reading, flight test, robot protocol, home design and world model joins a shared record for Aotearoa that classes, restoration groups and scientists can use. Each platform has missions for classes, families and groups of schools.

Watch the intro

A quick look at sustained STEM inquiry, teacher dashboards, and AI-as-support for Years 7–8 in Aotearoa (~2 minutes).

Earlier YouTube version if you prefer to watch on YouTube.

Professional Perspectives Survey

What should a school analytics tool actually measure?

Most educational software reports activity — logins, time on task, word counts — not whether a student connected a claim to their evidence. This survey asks people working in STEM education, learning analytics, educational technology, school leadership or data governance which reasoning practices actually matter, and separately, which of those a tool could realistically detect. About 25 to 30 minutes, anonymous, and you don’t need to have taught Year 7 and 8.

Take part in the survey

Recruiting ~10 teachers · browse open

For you

Trust and ethics

Built in NZ
No advertising
Student data never sold
Students control research consent

See inquiry growth and shape better STEM teaching.

Teacher dashboards and orchestration tools help you notice who is reasoning from evidence, who needs a nudge, and how makerspace builds connect to inquiry.

Apply to teacher trial group →

Kōkiri Lab updates

Follow the inquiry as it grows

Occasional updates about new inquiry worlds, teacher opportunities, and community science. This is marketing consent only and is not consent to participate in research.

Browse first, join when ready

Browse freely. You only need an account when you start a real investigation or join a recruited teacher cohort.

Browse inquiry worlds Apply to teacher trial group Join with class code

Already have an account? Sign in

Part of the Kōkiri ecosystem. Kōkiri Learn