Discovering Our World

Lesson 1 of 10 — Eco-Explorers: Nature Discovery

Curriculum Area:

Science - Living World
Te Whāriki | Early Childhood Curriculum
Strand: Exploration – Mana Aotūroa
Goal: Children experience an environment where they gain confidence in and control of their bodies, learn strategies for active exploration, thinking and reasoning, and develop working theories for making sense of the natural, social, physical, and material worlds.

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Lesson Title:

Introduction to Our Ecosystem

Duration: 60 Minutes

Class Size: 150 preschool students

(Note: Class will be divided into 5 rotating groups of 30 students each for manageable learning stations run concurrently by teaching staff/assistants)

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Learning Intentions:

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

• Begin to understand what an ecosystem is through storytelling and exploration.
• Identify and name at least two local habitats (e.g. bush, beach, wetland, backyard).
• Experience basic biodiversity by recognising a variety of plants and animals that live in different environments.
• Develop curiosity and respect for the natural world.

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Key Concepts:

• Ecosystem: The home where plants, animals, and people live together.
• Habitat: A special place where animals or plants live.
• Biodiversity: Lots of different living things in one place.
• Kaitiakitanga: Taking care of nature as a guardian.

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Te Ao Māori Integration:

• Use of local mātauranga Māori and kupu (words) throughout:
  • Ngahere (forest), moana (sea), repo (wetland), kaitiakitanga (guardianship)
• Include karakia tīmatanga to open the session and connect tamariki to Papatūānuku

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Resources Needed:

• Large interactive storybook: “Kōwhai’s Grove Adventure” (paper puppet version for large-group visibility)
• Habitat diorama boxes (bush, beach, backyard, wetland) filled with toy animals, plants, and real materials like shells, bark, and leaves
• Listening mats for sitting
• Sound jars: Each habitat has associated natural recorded sounds (e.g. birdsong, waves, rustling leaves) in child-activated sound buttons
• Ecosystem bingo boards with icons (tree, bird, fish, fern etc.)
• Name tags colour-coded for rotating group organisation
• Educator-led question prompt cards
• Music player for cues and songs
• Natural artefact treasure basket (leaves, feathers, seed pods etc.)

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Session Breakdown:

🧘 0–5 mins – Welcome & Karakia

• All children and kaiako (teachers) gather together
• Begin with a short karakia to acknowledge nature and ground the tamariki
• Quick warm-up song with actions related to nature (e.g. “In the Forest I Can See” to the tune of “The Wheels on the Bus”)

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📖 5–15 mins – Whole-Class Interactive Storytime

"Kōwhai’s Grove Adventure"

• A puppet-led big book session where a curious bird (Kōwhai the kōtare) travels through different habitats around Aotearoa
• Students interact by guessing animals behind flaps, making animal sounds, and repeating kōrero.
• Emphasise te reo Māori habitat names and repeat simple kupu for animals (e.g. manu, ngārara, ika)

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🔄 15–45 mins – Group Habitat Exploration Rotations (5 groups of 30 kids rotating every 6 minutes between 5 stations)

Facilitated by kaiako. Music cues prompt rotation.

Station	Activity
1. Ngahere (Bush)	Explore forest floor tactile table. Identify leaves, ferns, bugs.
2. Moana (Beach)	Play-based sensory bin with pohutukawa leaves, shells, toy ika.
3. Backyard Bingo	Play bingo using picture cards to match common home-garden species (e.g. tūī, pīwakawaka, worms, daisies).
4. Repo (Wetland)	Sound discovery - use buttons to play frog croaks, bird calls. Discuss what animals need to live.
5. Kaitiaki Corner	Dress-up and role play: put on kaitiaki cloaks and practise caring for toy animals and plants. Talk about how to keep habitats safe (no litter, gentle hands).

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🎨 45–55 mins – Group Debrief & Creating Our Class Habitat Collage

• Re-group students with their rotation group in breakout circles
• Provide large paper and cut-outs of animals, native plants for tamariki to build their "dream ecosystem"
• Encourage students to colour in and place animals and plants where they think they belong
• Educators scaffold with prompts: "Where do you think the lizard would like to live?"

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🗣️ 55–60 mins – Closing Karakia & Sharing Time

• Conduct a reflective karakia
• Invite a few children to share what they liked or learned
• End with a short action song about kaitiakitanga (e.g. to the tune of "If You’re Happy and You Know It": “If you're caring for the earth, clap your hands...”)

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Assessment for Learning:

This is formative and observational. Kaiako should:

• Watch for ability to name or describe an organism or habitat
• Note curiosity, participation, or questions asked
• Listen for children using new language (e.g. “wetland”, “manu”, “kaitiakitanga”)
• Use anecdotal notes and voice recordings if appropriate

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Extension Opportunities:

• Begin a class nature journal with leaf rubbings
• Invite whānau to bring in or talk about local nature stories from their whenua
• Set up a “Discovery Station” corner in the classroom with rotating natural materials

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Kaiako Notes:

This session prioritises sensory-rich, movement-based learning and collaborative engagement for large group management. By integrating te reo Māori and real-world NZ habitats, this foundation lesson supports both child-led inquiry and culturally grounded science learning. Every opportunity is taken to connect the local environment (Aotearoa) with universal eco-principles in an age-appropriate manner.

Let the wonder begin. 🌱