Sharing Coastal Action

Overview

Lesson 5 of 5 in Resilient Beach Life. Students present evidence-based recommendations for protecting local coastal life, give constructive feedback, and reflect on actions they can take in their school, whānau or local community.

Learning intentions

• WALT communicate evidence-based recommendations for protecting local coastal life.
• WALT explain how a recommended action supports the resilience of a coastal plant or animal.
• WALT listen respectfully and give useful feedback.
• WALT identify an action we can take locally.

Success criteria

• I can clearly describe a challenge affecting coastal life.
• I can use evidence about a coastal plant or animal.
• I can recommend an action and explain how it supports resilience.
• I can give a specific strength and next step, then identify my own local action.

Curriculum links

• Nature of Science: communicating scientific ideas and using evidence to support explanations.
• Living World: understanding how living things are suited to their coastal environment and how environmental changes affect them.
• Participating and contributing: taking informed action on a local environmental issue.
• Key competencies: thinking; using language, symbols and texts; managing self; relating to others; participating and contributing.

Lesson structure (45 minutes)

1. 0–5 minutes – Reconnect and set the purpose. Open with the coastal challenge hook and learning intentions. Remind students that this is the final communication task and review the WALT and success criteria using simple student-friendly language. Ask: “What makes a recommendation trustworthy?”

2. 5–10 minutes – Prepare for the expo. Explain the mini coastal-conservation expo: each team will share its challenge, evidence, recommended action and resilience explanation. Distribute the presentation and reflection sheet and have teams use the presentation checklist to organise their ideas. Encourage students to choose presentation, poster, model, video or recorded explanation.

3. 10–15 minutes – Rehearse and support. Teams rehearse with a supportive partner while the teacher checks that each recommendation is connected to evidence. Use the presentation sequence and speaking prompts to remind students of the order: challenge → evidence → action → resilience. Offer a presentation script, visual sequence cards, read-aloud support or a quiet sharing option.

4. 15–30 minutes – Coastal-conservation expo. Half the teams present while the other half circulate, listen and record feedback on their the presentation and reflection sheet. After 7 minutes, swap roles. If movement or noise is challenging, run presentations from seats or use small, quiet sharing groups. The teacher records brief observation notes, focusing on evidence, clarity and explanation.

5. 30–37 minutes – Strength and next step feedback. In teams or pairs, students share one “strength” and one “next step” with presenters. Model specific feedback, such as: “Your evidence clearly showed…” or “Your recommendation would be stronger if…” Students may give feedback orally, by pointing to sentence starters, or by drawing a response.

6. 37–45 minutes – Individual reflection and close. Students complete the reflection section of the presentation and reflection sheet: “What can I do locally to support coastal life?” and “How would this action help?” Invite several students to share. Close with the reflection and class commitment prompt and affirm that informed, collective actions can strengthen coastal resilience.

Resources

• the coastal communication expo slide deck
• the presentation and reflection sheet
• Students’ completed habitat maps, cause-and-effect organisers, adaptation profiles and design work
• Team presentation materials: paper, card, markers, recycled materials and devices if available
• Presentation script and visual sequence cards
• Timer
• Display space or presentation stations
• Teacher observation notes or class list

Assessment

• Use observation notes during rehearsal and presentations to assess whether students describe a challenge, use relevant evidence, recommend an action and explain resilience.
• Review the individual reflection for understanding of a realistic local action and its likely effect on coastal life.
• Consider evidence collected across the unit: habitat maps, cause-and-effect organisers, adaptation profiles, design work, collaboration and final communication.

Differentiation

• Allow students to present through speech, poster, model, video, recorded explanation or a quiet teacher/partner conference. Assess scientific ideas and communication rather than spelling or handwriting.
• Provide a short presentation script, sentence starters, visual sequence cards, a worked example and rehearsal with a supportive partner. Read instructions and student responses aloud where helpful.
• For dyslexic learners, use a clear sans-serif font, uncluttered templates, large print, colour-coded sections and oral response options. Do not require students to read lengthy text aloud.
• Support the student with Down syndrome through a reduced speaking role, concrete visuals, repeated rehearsal, a peer buddy, choice-making and a simple four-part prompt: “The problem… Evidence… Our action… It helps because…”.

Extension

• Refine the recommendation for a real audience such as the school, whānau or local council. Students should explain why the audience should act and justify the recommendation using evidence from multiple sources.