Kaitiaki Thinking

Overview

Today students explore what it means to be a kaitiaki (care-guardian). They connect caring actions to how communities and environments can improve, using a quote and a story (The Lorax) as a starting point.

Learning intentions

• WALT explain what it means to be a kaitiaki and why caring matters.
• WALT identify actions that show kaitiakitanga in everyday choices.
• WALT create a simple plan that includes one action I can take as a kaitiaki.

Success criteria

• I can explain what kaitiakitanga means in my own words.
• I can give at least two examples of kaitiaki actions I could take.
• I can choose a realistic action and say how it helps something (people, animals, plants, or the environment).
• I can listen respectfully and contribute to our class discussion.

Curriculum links

• Social sciences: Economic Activity / Financial Education — students create a savings plan with a target amount (link: caring actions may require planning resources).
• Social sciences: Financial Education — building personal capability through setting a goal and tracking progress.
• Social sciences: Economic Activity — understanding that choices affect outcomes for ourselves and others.

Lesson structure (60 minutes total)

1. 0–5 min · Opening and big question. Teacher writes the big question: What does it mean to be a kaitiaki? and reminds students to think of examples from home/school. Students take out a pen and prepare to write on a post-it.

Success criteria check: students understand the task of explaining an idea.

2. 5–12 min · Quote thinking (post-it). Teacher puts this quote on the board: “Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It’s not.” and asks students to interpret it. Students write: (a) what the quote means, and (b) what someone “like you” could do, then stick it on the board.

Success criteria check: teacher scans for clear connections between caring and improvement.

3. 12–24 min · Video viewing (The Lorax). Teacher shows a Lorax YouTube video (pre-viewed for appropriateness) and pauses briefly for key moments about caring and consequences. Students watch and jot two notes: “What happens when people don’t care?” and “What caring action is shown?”

Success criteria check: teacher listens for vocabulary like care, consequences, choices.

4. 24–35 min · Kaitiaki discussion: turn and talk. Teacher prompts: “How is the kaitiaki like the person who cares a whole awful lot?” and “What would a kaitiaki do instead?” Students turn and talk, then share one idea with the class.

Success criteria check: students contribute at least one example of a caring action.

5. 35–50 min · Create a kaitiaki action + mini savings goal. Teacher explains: “Being a kaitiaki sometimes means planning. Today we’ll choose one action and decide how we might save a small amount of money (time/resources) to support it.” Students complete a simple template:

• My kaitiaki action (1 sentence)
• What it will protect or help (1 sentence)
• Cost/time needed (choose one: materials cost or time commitment)
• A savings target (e.g., $5 or 5 weeks of doing a planned chore) and how often they will contribute
• When I will start and how I will track it (checkmarks or a calendar)

Success criteria check: each student has a realistic action and a goal they can track.

6. 50–58 min · Share and gallery walk. Teacher organises a quick gallery walk or pairs-to-share, focusing on giving kind feedback: “I like…” and “I wonder…” Students share their action plan and listen to others’ ideas.

Success criteria check: teacher checks for clarity and practicality.

7. 58–60 min · Exit ticket. Teacher asks one final prompt on the board. Students write: “To be a kaitiaki, I will…” and add one reason why.

Success criteria check: quick evidence of understanding.

Resources

• Post-it notes and pens/pencils
• Board/marker or projector
• Pre-selected Lorax video (no links required)
• Student kaitiaki action template (paper or digital)
• Sticky notes or tape for wall display
• Timer
• Simple tracking sheet (checkmarks/calendar)

Assessment

• Formative: teacher checks post-it interpretations for understanding of caring and improvement.
• Formative: notes during video (two entries: consequences + caring action).
• Summative for today: exit ticket confirms definition of kaitiaki and a personal commitment; teacher checks mini-plan includes action + tracking.

Differentiation

• Support for learners needing extra scaffolding:
• Provide sentence starters: “A kaitiaki is someone who…”, “Because people care, …”, “I can be a kaitiaki by…”
• Offer a word bank (kaitiaki, kaitiakitanga, care, protect, choices, consequences).
• Allow drawing alongside writing on the template.
• Support for students who struggle with financial goals:
• Give three option targets (e.g., $2, $5, $10) or time-based targets (e.g., 10 minutes per day for 2 weeks).
• Extension for confident learners (advanced learners):
• Challenge: “Design a kaitiaki plan for someone else too.” Add a second action that helps a different group (animals/plants/people) and explain why both actions connect.
• Add justification: “What might get in the way, and how will I keep going?”
• EAL/SEN considerations:
• Use visuals from the video to prompt discussion.
• Allow oral response for part of the exit ticket; teacher or peer can scribe briefly.
• Keep instructions to one step at a time during the template activity.

Extension (optional)

• Teacher can offer a follow-up “kaitiaki check-in” tomorrow: students share whether they took the first step and how it felt.