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Introducing our breakthrough series for the new standards. 

As the frontrunner in educational resources, we are thrilled to announce our brand-new suite of NCEA Level 1 sciPADs, meticulously designed to help your students master the new NCEA Level 1 Achievement Standards. Each of these sciPADs is more than just a workbook – it’s an immersive learning experience designed to deepen understanding, stimulate curiosity and foster a lifelong love for science.

View the 2025 Catalogue

Using sciPAD Online alongside our printed sciPAD’s combines the educational outcomes of write-on workbooks with the advantages of cutting-edge digital learning.  After taking into account feedback received over the past three years, we are thrilled to announce the launch of sciPAD Online 2.0 for use in classes. Our new innovative platform offers interactive New Zealand based exercises, virtual experiments, multimedia resources, personalised feedback and a user-friendly interface, enhancing students’ learning experiences in science education.

Best of all, sciPAD Online comes FREE with the purchase of a printed sciPAD. 

Find out more
Student login

Using sciPAD Online alongside our printed sciPAD’s combines the educational outcomes of write-on workbooks with the advantages of cutting-edge digital learning.  After taking into account feedback received over the past three years, we are thrilled to announce the launch of sciPAD Online 2.0 for inspection. Our new innovative platform offers interactive New Zealand based exercises, virtual experiments, multimedia resources, personalised feedback and a user-friendly interface, enhancing students’ learning experiences in science education.

Best of all, sciPAD Online comes FREE with the purchase of a printed sciPAD. 

Find out more
Student login

About Silverback Academic Media

Silverback Academic Media is not like other publishers. We are a staunchly New Zealand company. Everything we do is new from the ground up and we are determined to do things differently. We want to develop a face-to-face relationship with teachers and ensure that their comments, ideas and suggestions get built into the books so that the sciPAD workbooks remain relevant to them. We want to bring our customers the best possible resources at the best possible price. Silverback Academic Media is solely focused on producing dynamic, exciting and engaging science workbooks that exceed the needs of teachers and learners.

We are NOT:

  • Dressing up Australian books to look like they are written for New Zealand students.
  • Replacing the cover on a tired old New Zealand workbook that has had the same content since we were in third form.
  • A faceless multi-national only interested in the bottom line.
  • Printing our books in China, Malaysia, Singapore, or anywhere else that means your workbook comes with a massive carbon footprint.

About Silverback Academic Media

Silverback Academic Media is not like other publishers. We are a staunchly New Zealand company. Everything we do is new from the ground up and we are determined to do things differently. We want to develop a face-to-face relationship with teachers and ensure that their comments, ideas and suggestions get built into the books so that the sciPAD workbooks remain relevant to them. We want to bring our customers the best possible resources at the best possible price. Silverback Academic Media is solely focused on producing dynamic, exciting and engaging science workbooks that exceed the needs of teachers and learners.

We are NOT:

  • Dressing up Australian books to look like they are written for New Zealand students.
  • Replacing the cover on a tired old New Zealand workbook that has had the same content since we were in third form.
  • A faceless multi-national only interested in the bottom line.
  • Printing our books in China, Malaysia, Singapore, or anywhere else that means your workbook comes with a massive carbon footprint.

Frequently Asked Questions

How can I purchase sciPADs?

Students and parents can purchase sciPADs online via our shop.

Schools need to download our order form in order to purchase sciPADs at a discounted rate for their students.

When should we order?

In order to keep the costs of the sciPADs low, we only print what we have sold. This means we need your order by the end of November each year. Don’t worry if you don’t know your exact student numbers. If you order too few, or too many, we are happy to send you more, or take some back. You will be invoiced once your sciPADs arrive at the beginning of the academic year.

Can we order a single copy?

Yes you can. In order to qualify for discounted pricing, the minimum order is 25 copies. If you’re from a small school and can’t make this threshold, send us an email and we’ll sort something out.

Inspection copies?

All of the sciPADs are available to view on-line. Email us and we’ll arrange for you to be able to view full-scale digital preview versions.

Answer books?

Teachers can find answers at the ANSWER’S WEBSITE. This website contains the answers in both interactive PDFs and printable PDF form. We don’t charge schools for answer files. 

Students can access answers web-app by scanning the QR code found in the back of their sciPADs

What happens if we need more sciPADs during the year?

As long as your school has made a minimum purchase (25 copies) previously, we are happy to send you extra books at the same price.

Do you have a sciPAD for....?

We currently offer sciPADs covering all aspects of levels 4-8 of the New Zealand Curriculum. These include:Year 9 and 10 sciPAD Science workbooks – Called “Book 1” and “Book 2”. Level 1 SCIENCE (Year 11) sciPAD workbook covering AS 90940 (Science 1.1 – Mechanics), AS90944 (Science 1.5 – Acids and Bases), AS 90948 (Science 1.9 – Genetic variation). Level 1 PHYSICS AS 90937 (Physics 1.3 – Electricity and Magnetism) AS 90938 (Physics 1.4 – Wave Behaviour) AS 90939 (Physics 1.5 – Heat). Level 1 CHEMISTRY AS 90932 (Chemistry 1.4 – Carbon Chemistry), AS 90933 (Chemistry 1.4 – Selected Elements) AS 90934 (Chemistry 1.5 – Chemical Reactions). Level 1 BIOLOGYAS 90927 (Biology 1.3 – Micro-organisms) AS 90928 (Biology 1.4 – Flowering Plants) AS 90929 (Biology 1.5 – Mammal as a Consumer). Level 2 BIOLOGY (Internals) AS 91153 (Biology 2.1 – Practical Investigation in a Biological Context) AS 91154 (Biology 2.2 – Analyse Biological Validity of Information) AS 91155 (Biology 2.3 – Adaptations of Plants or Animals to their Way of Life) AS 91158 (Biology 2.6 – Investigate a Pattern in an Ecological Community) AS 91160 (Biology 2.8 – Investigate Biological Material at the Microscopic Level). Level 2 BIOLOGY (Externals) AS 91156 (Biology 2.4 – Understanding of Life Processes at the Cellular Level) AS 91157 (Biology 2.5 – Understanding Genetic Variation and Change) AS 91159 (Biology 2.7 – Understanding Gene Expression). Level 3 BIOLOGY (Externals) AS 91603 (Biology 3.3 – Responses of plants and animals to their external environment) AS 91605 (Biology 3.5 – Evolutionary processes leading to speciation) AS 91606 (Biology 3.6 – Trends in human evolution). Level 2 CHEMISTRY (Internals) AS 91161 (Chemistry 2.1- Carry Out Quantitative Analysis) AS 91162 (Chemistry 2.2 – Identify Ions Present in Solutions) AS 91163 (Chemistry 2.3 – Chemistry Used in the Development of a Current Technology) AS 91167 (Chemistry 2.7 – Understanding of Oxidation – Reduction). Level 2 CHEMISTRY (Externals) AS 91164 (Chemistry 2.4 – Bonding, Structure, Properties and Energy Changes) AS 91165 (Chemistry 2.5 – Properties of Selected Organic Compounds) AS 91166 (Chemistry 2.6 – Understanding of Chemical Reactivity). Level 3 CHEMISTRY (Externals) AS 91390 (Chemistry 3.4 – Thermochemical Principles and the Properties of Particles and Substances), AS 91391 (Chemistry 3.5 – Properties of Organic Compounds) AS 91392 (Chemistry 3.6 – Understanding of Equilibrium Principles in Aqueous Systems). Level 3 CHEMISTRY (Internals) AS 91387 (Chemistry 3.1- Chemistry involving Quantitative Analysis) AS 91388 (Chemistry 3.2 – Understanding of Spectroscopic Data in Chemistry) AS 91389 (Chemistry 3.3 – Understanding of Chemical Processes in the World around us) AS 91393 (Chemistry 3.7 – Understanding of Oxidation-Reduction Processes). Level 2 PHYSICS (Internals) AS91168 (Physics 2.1 – Carry out a practical physics investigation that leads to a non-linear mathematical relationship), AS91169 (Physics 2.2 – Demonstrate understanding of physics relevant to a selected context), AS91172 (Physics 2.5 – Demonstrate understanding of atomic and nuclear physics).Level 2 PHYSICS (Externals) AS91170 (Physics 2.3 – Demonstrate understanding of waves), AS91171 (Physics 2.4 – Demonstrate understanding of mechanics), AS91173 (Physics 2.6 – Demonstrate understanding of electricity and electromagnetism).

Do you have technician's notes?

Yes we do! You can download FREE technicians notes for various sciPADs here.

Have a question that is not here?

Email us using the details below and we will get right back to you.

info@scipad.co.nz

sciPAD Reviews

The year 11 workbooks are exceptional for helping students prepare specifically for NCEA level 1. Each SciPad is perfectly aligned to the skills and content required for the standard they cover. My students genuinely enjoy working in their SciPads and use them as a revision tool prior to the assessments/exams.

Zev Fishman

We use Scipads for all year levels, and as TIC Chemistry I use them with my senior chemistry classes. Junior Scipads are clear, give good information which is accessible to all learners, and have a mix of engaging activities which are fun to teach and learn with. The Senior scipad books are similarly useful, and also have clearly scaffolded links to the expectations of each achievement standard. I also value that students can use Scipads outside of class to become more independent learners. The makers of Scipad are in touch with Science pedagogy and produce the best quality product on the market.

Bryar Lovell-Gibson

We have been using Yr 9, Yr 10 and Level 1 SciPads for some time. Now we have moved to Level 2 and 3. As HOD Chemistry I would highly recommend Level 2 and Level 3 Chemistry SciPad workbooks for clear explanations, heaps of examples for the students to complete, previous exam questions, room for summarising new concepts in their own words etc. The students complete their work in class or complete for homework and then mark their own work using the QR code. This cuts down on the size of the workbook not having pages and pages of answers in the back and the students can have the answers on their devices.

Kathryn Coakley

I work with Scipad on a daily basis for Year 9, Year 10 and Year 11 Science, and also with Year 12 Chemistry for externals and internals. I think they are great. I like how the questions for seniors are laid out the same way as exam questions and how the fill in the gaps sections scaffold the students’ writing. The Scipads for juniors cover a great range of topics that fit with our programme and contain lots of interesting information. Awesome that they contain plenty of practicals to do and also plenty of reading and literacy tasks. Highly recommended.

Monique Goodson

sciPAD Reviews

The year 11 workbooks are exceptional for helping students prepare specifically for NCEA level 1. Each SciPad is perfectly aligned to the skills and content required for the standard they cover. My students genuinely enjoy working in their SciPads and use them as a revision tool prior to the assessments/exams.

Zev Fishman

We use Scipads for all year levels, and as TIC Chemistry I use them with my senior chemistry classes. Junior Scipads are clear, give good information which is accessible to all learners, and have a mix of engaging activities which are fun to teach and learn with. The Senior scipad books are similarly useful, and also have clearly scaffolded links to the expectations of each achievement standard. I also value that students can use Scipads outside of class to become more independent learners. The makers of Scipad are in touch with Science pedagogy and produce the best quality product on the market.

Bryar Lovell-Gibson

We have been using Yr 9, Yr 10 and Level 1 SciPads for some time. Now we have moved to Level 2 and 3. As HOD Chemistry I would highly recommend Level 2 and Level 3 Chemistry SciPad workbooks for clear explanations, heaps of examples for the students to complete, previous exam questions, room for summarising new concepts in their own words etc. The students complete their work in class or complete for homework and then mark their own work using the QR code. This cuts down on the size of the workbook not having pages and pages of answers in the back and the students can have the answers on their devices.

Kathryn Coakley

I work with Scipad on a daily basis for Year 9, Year 10 and Year 11 Science, and also with Year 12 Chemistry for externals and internals. I think they are great. I like how the questions for seniors are laid out the same way as exam questions and how the fill in the gaps sections scaffold the students’ writing. The Scipads for juniors cover a great range of topics that fit with our programme and contain lots of interesting information. Awesome that they contain plenty of practicals to do and also plenty of reading and literacy tasks. Highly recommended.

Monique Goodson

The sciPAD Answer website provides free answers that can be both printed or displayed on devices and projectors.

Find out more