Farming as Kaitiaki

Overview

Students explore how farming provides food while also affecting soil, water, air, plants and animals. Through a hands-on farm-planning activity, they identify ways New Zealand farmers can reduce environmental impacts and practise being kaitiaki—people who care for and protect the natural world.

Learning intentions

Students will:

• understand that farming can have both helpful and harmful effects on the environment
• identify simple ways farmers care for land and waterways
• work together to design a more environmentally friendly farm
• explain how their choices show kaitiakitanga.

Success criteria

• I can name one way farming helps people and one possible environmental impact.
• I can suggest ways to protect soil, water, plants and animals.
• I can explain how my farm plan shows kaitiakitanga.
• I can listen to others and contribute useful ideas.

Curriculum links

• Geography — human adaptation to extreme environments: strategies for accessing food, water, fuel and shelter.
• Geography — Indigenous knowledge and technologies for sustainable land use, housing, clothing, transport and urban planning.
• Geography — economic and cultural responses to environmental challenges.
• Supports the key competencies: participating and contributing, thinking, managing self, and relating to others.

Lesson structure (40 minutes)

1. 0–5 min · Hook and prior knowledge. Teacher opens the farming and kaitiakitanga introduction deck with an image of a New Zealand farm beside a stream and asks, “How can a farm help people and care for nature at the same time?” Students think-pair-share what farms provide and what they notice in the image.

2. 5–12 min · Build shared understanding. Teacher uses the farming and kaitiakitanga introduction deck to introduce the idea of an environmental footprint: the effects an activity has on land, water, air, plants and animals. Show simple picture examples, such as animals needing food and water, soil being trampled, fertiliser reaching a stream, and trees sheltering waterways. Explain that farmers make choices to reduce harm, including planting trees and grasses beside streams, fencing stock away from waterways, protecting native bush, caring for soil, using water carefully, and managing animal waste. Students signal thumbs up, sideways or down to show whether each example is mostly helping, harming or depends on how it is done.

3. 12–16 min · Demonstrate the challenge. Teacher displays the farming and kaitiakitanga introduction deck and models a simple farm map on the board. Place a paper stream, paddock, house, animals, crops and a bare hillside on a table or large sheet. Think aloud: “If animals can walk straight into the stream, what might happen? Where could I add a fence or trees?” Students suggest one change and explain its purpose.

4. 16–29 min · Hands-on farm redesign. In groups of five, students receive a farm-planning tray or large sheet, blue paper for a stream, green paper or modelling clay for trees and grasses, animal and crop pictures, craft sticks or strips for fences, and labels. Teacher distributes the sustainable farm design sheet and gives each group roles such as mapper, materials manager, recorder, speaker and kaitiaki checker. Groups design a farm that provides food while protecting nature. Their plan must include a waterway, food production, animal shelter, at least two protective actions, and a label explaining how each action helps. Encourage groups to include planting beside water, fencing, native trees, careful water use, soil protection or composting.

5. 29–36 min · Share and improve. Teacher invites three or four groups to briefly present their plans using the farming and kaitiakitanga introduction deck as a reminder of the discussion questions: “What does your farm provide?” “What might its footprint be?” and “How does your plan care for the whenua?” After each presentation, classmates offer one warm comment and one helpful suggestion. Groups make one quick improvement to their model or worksheet.

6. 36–40 min · Reflection and exit check. Teacher returns to the opening question and asks students to complete the final section of the sustainable farm design sheet: “One way farmers can care for the environment is…” and “This shows kaitiakitanga because…” Invite several students to share. Collect worksheets and briefly restate that caring for land and water supports people, animals and future generations.

Resources

• the farming and kaitiakitanga introduction deck
• the sustainable farm design sheet
• Large sheets of paper or shallow trays
• Blue paper or fabric for waterways
• Green paper, wool, modelling clay or natural materials for trees and grasses
• Animal, crop, house and farm picture cards
• Craft sticks, paper strips, tape and glue
• Coloured pencils, crayons and markers
• Optional photographs of local farms, streams and planted waterways

Assessment

• Listen during the hook and thumbs responses for students’ understanding of farming benefits and environmental impacts.
• Observe group plans and questioning: can students connect a farming choice, such as fencing or planting, with protection of water, soil or living things?
• Use the worksheet reflection as an exit assessment. Look for a relevant action and a simple explanation of how it demonstrates kaitiakitanga.

Differentiation

• Provide picture cards, a partially drawn farm map, a word bank, and sentence starters such as “We added ___ because it protects ___.”
• Pair students strategically and give clear group roles; allow students to explain ideas orally, draw, label or dictate rather than write extended responses.
• For younger learners, require one protective action; for older learners, require three actions and a comparison of which action may have the greatest benefit.
• Support EAL learners with gestures, visual examples and repeated key words such as farm, stream, soil, protect, footprint and kaitiaki. Provide sensory alternatives and pre-cut materials for students with fine-motor needs.