Exploring NZ Fauna

Curriculum Context

Subject: Science Level: Year 2 (Ages 6-7) Duration: 30 minutes Class Size: 13 students Unit: Discovering NZ's Unique Nature – Lesson 2 of 5 Learning Area: Nature of Science (Living World focus) Theme: Identify and learn about New Zealand’s unique animals, their habitats, and ecological roles.

This lesson aligns with the New Zealand Curriculum Refresh (NZC 2024) expectations for Year 2 Science, focusing on the Living World strand. It supports students to develop:

• Observation and classification skills
• Understanding relationships between animals and their environments
• Contributing to environmental stewardship and recognising New Zealand’s unique biodiversity
• Developing key competencies: participating and contributing, thinking, managing self, using language symbols and texts, and relating to others.

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Learning Objectives (Achievement Objectives)

By the end of this lesson, students will be able to:

1. Science Understandings:

• Identify some unique New Zealand animals and recognise key features that help them live in their habitats.
• Describe basic relationships between animals and their habitats.

2. Nature of Science:

• Use observation and description to explore living things.
• Share findings with others through discussion and simple classification activities.

3. Key Competencies:

• Participate actively in group tasks and discussions.
• Use language and symbols (picture cards) to represent and organise knowledge.

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Materials Needed

• Picture cards of selected New Zealand native animals (e.g., kiwi, tui, tuatara, weta, kererū, kea, morepork)
• Picture cards of New Zealand habitats (e.g., forest, bush, mountains, wetlands)
• Large printed map or floor space for grouping cards
• Whiteboard/flip chart and markers
• "Ecosystem Roles" simple explanation cards (predator, prey, pollinator, scavenger)

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Lesson Structure and Timing

1. Introduction and Engagement (5 minutes)

• Focus question: "What animals live only in New Zealand? What makes them special?"
• Show images of iconic NZ fauna and spark interest: "Here is an animal that only lives in New Zealand – can you guess what it is?"
• Briefly explain that New Zealand has many unusual animals found nowhere else — they live in different habitats like forests or mountains.

2. Main Activity: Matching Game (15 minutes)

• Split the class into small groups (3-4 students) to encourage collaboration.
• Provide each group with animal picture cards and habitat cards.
• Task: Match each animal to the habitat where it lives.
• As groups work, circulate and facilitate prompting questions:
• "What does this animal need to live? Food? Shelter? Protection?"
• "How does this habitat help the animal?"
• Once matched, groups pick one animal and share with the class:
• Name of the animal
• Its habitat
• One way the animal is important in its ecosystem (e.g., tuatara eats insects, kererū helps spread seeds).

3. Discussion and Consolidation (5 minutes)

• Gather students and use the whiteboard or flip chart to summarise:
• What animals did we learn about?
• What habitats do they live in?
• What do animals need from their home?
• How do animals help each other or the environment?
• Introduce the idea that every animal has a special role to keep nature balanced.

4. Reflective Closure with Te Reo Integration (5 minutes)

• Quick verbal quiz: Show an animal card, ask students to name it and its habitat.
• Introduce simple te reo Māori for animals and habitats used (e.g., kiwi, mōrehu (morepork), ngahere (forest), maunga (mountain)).
• Encourage students to say a sentence with these, e.g., "Te kiwi e noho ana i te ngahere" (The kiwi lives in the forest).
• Close with a sentence: "We look after our animals so they can keep living in their homes."

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Assessment

• Observation: Teacher notes student participation in discussions and matching activity.
• Oral: Students name animals and habitats using English and te reo Māori with support.
• Informal: Students explain one way an animal helps its environment based on ecosystem role cards.
• Formative feedback given verbally to affirm correct matches and contributions.

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Differentiation and Inclusion

• Provide picture cards with clear, colourful images and simple text.
• Scaffold support with sentence starters for discussion (e.g., “The kiwi lives in the ____”).
• Allow verbal, drawing, or movement responses for students with different communication needs.
• Pair students strategically to support social interaction and learning.

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Curriculum Links Summary

Curriculum Strand / Area	Achievement Objective / Focus	Notes
Science > Living World	Recognise that living things have different features and habitats	NZ native fauna identified and linked to habitats
Science > Nature of Science	Use their senses to observe, describe, and sort living things	Matching and classifying animals and habitats
Key Competencies	Participating and contributing, Using language, symbols, texts	Collaborative matching, use of picture cards and te reo
Values / Future Focus	Conservation and sustainability	Awareness of unique NZ fauna and importance of ecosystems

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This lesson leverages hands-on learning, visual aids, social collaboration, and language integration aligned with the refreshed NZ Curriculum’s focus on the environment and indigenous knowledge. It respects learners’ developmental stage by allowing active, playful engagement in a short, structured timeframe, making science both accessible and relevant.

Teachers could extend by developing a mural or a class book of NZ animals and their homes as the unit progresses.

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If you want, I can also provide sample scripts, te reo word lists, or worksheet ideas to support this lesson!