Kaitiakitanga Begins

Lesson 1 of 6 — Conserving Our Environment Unit

Lesson Title: Introduction to Environmental Conservation
Duration: 45 minutes
Class Level: Year 4
Number of Students: 25
Curriculum Area: Science — Nature of Science and Living World
Curriculum Level: Level 2

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⭐ Learning Intentions

By the end of the lesson, ākonga (students) will:

• Understand what environmental conservation means
• Recognise the importance of protecting the unique natural environment of Aotearoa
• Identify examples of native species and the threats posed to their habitats

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✅ Success Criteria

Students will be successful when they can:

• Share, in their own words, what environmental conservation is
• Name at least one native New Zealand species (e.g., Kiwi, Kauri tree, Hector's dolphin)
• Explain one way humans can help or harm the environment

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📚 NZ Curriculum Links

Science: Level 2

• Nature of Science – Understanding about science:
  Recognise that scientists ask questions about our world that lead to investigations.
• Living World – Ecology:
  Recognise that living things are suited to their particular habitat.
  Recognise that people have a responsibility to care for living things in the environment.

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🧠 Prior Knowledge

It is assumed that students:

• Know basic differences between living and non-living things
• Have general knowledge of New Zealand nature (e.g., plants, birds) from early childhood education and home experiences

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🛠 Resources Needed

• Te reo Māori posters of native animals and plants (Kākāpō, Kiwi, Pūriri tree, etc.)
• A globe or classroom map of Aotearoa
• Paper leaf cut-outs (green and brown)
• Blu Tack or sticky tape
• Short video or teacher-led image slideshow of native habitats (forest, beach, wetland)
• Marker pens and large sheet of chart paper titled "Why Should We Care?"
• “Habitat Match” activity cards with images and names of animals and environments

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🕐 Lesson Breakdown

⏱ 0–5 mins — Welcome & Whakataukī

• Begin with a karakia or welcoming in te reo Māori
• Introduce the whakataukī:

  “Toitū te marae a Tāne-Mahuta, Toitū te marae a Tangaroa, Toitū te iwi.”
  (If the realms of Tāne and Tangaroa are preserved and flourish, so too will the people.)

• Ask: “What do you think this means about how we take care of our environment?”

💡 Note: Encourage students to use prior experiences — trips to the beach, bush walks — to connect with the idea.

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⏱ 5–15 mins — Introducing Key Concepts

• Define “conservation” in simple terms: “Taking care of nature so it can stay healthy.”
• Show native creatures (physical posters or digital slideshow) and their environments.
• Highlight 2–3 examples:
  • Kauri tree and kauri dieback
  • The Kiwi and habitat loss
  • Hector’s dolphin and pollution

Think-Pair-Share Prompt:

“What would it feel like to never see one of these animals again?”
“Have you seen any of these near where you live?”

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⏱ 15–25 mins — Activity: Habitat Match

• Hand out a card to each student: some with animal/plant pictures, others with habitat types (forest, ocean, wetland, mountain)
• Students work in pairs or small groups to match species with correct habitat
• Extension: Ask pairs to explain how humans might help or hurt that habitat

✍ Teacher records some of their answers under “Helping” or “Hurting” on the whiteboard.

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⏱ 25–35 mins — Interactive Wall Tree: Are You a Kaitiaki?

• Students take a pre-cut green leaf if they can name a way to help the environment, or a brown leaf if they can name something that harms it
• Each student writes or draws their idea and sticks it to a class tree poster displayed on the wall

Examples:

• Green leaf: “Pick up rubbish on the beach” or drawing someone planting a tree
• Brown leaf: “Throwing rubbish in rivers” or drawing of a cut-down forest

🧠 This gives the teacher a quick formative check for understanding.

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⏱ 35–43 mins — Building Big Ideas: Why Should We Care?

In a class discussion, compile a group chart:
“Reasons We Should Care About Nature in Aotearoa”
Ideas might include:

• "It’s our home too”
• “Animals need trees to live”
• “So our children can see them in the future”

Encourage the use of te reo Māori terms like kaitiakitanga (guardianship) when discussing responsibility.

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⏱ 43–45 mins — Reflection & Kete of Knowledge

• Students complete a sentence starter (teacher models first):

  “Today I learnt that [e.g. the Kiwi is endangered] and I want to help by [e.g. picking up rubbish].”

• Add these to a class “Kete o te Mātauranga” (Basket of Knowledge) – a real or decorated box where they store ideas and new learning during this unit

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🔄 Differentiation

• Additional support: Provide sentence starters or image choices for learners needing support
• Extension tasks: Create a “conservation superhero” character who protects a specific habitat
• ESOL learners: Visual aids, word cards with symbols, and te reo Māori included where possible

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🔍 Assessment for Learning (AFL)

• Observing students during think-pair-share and habitat matching
• Evaluating depth in their leaf contributions on the tree
• Responses added to the “Kete of Knowledge” for student voice evidence

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🧭 Looking Ahead

Next lesson will focus on “Our Taonga Species”, diving deeper into specific at-risk native New Zealand plants and animals and how they are special to our culture and environment.

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📌 Teacher Reflection (Post-Lesson Prompt)

• Did students connect emotionally to the idea of protecting nature?
• Were any misconceptions revealed in the match-up game to readdress next time?
• Did students start to use words like kaitiaki, taonga, or habitat correctly?

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Kia kaha, kia māia, kia manawanui!
Let’s guide our tamariki to be future kaitiaki of Aotearoa. 🌿