Sustainable Auckland Inquiry

Overview

In Lesson 8 of 24 in Auckland: Sustainable New Home, students begin a small-group case study of one Auckland sustainability issue. They apply prior learning about Auckland as a changing, diverse place by identifying affected groups and recording evidence from reliable sources.

Learning intentions

• WALT investigate one Auckland sustainability issue.
• WALT identify how an issue affects different groups.
• WALT locate, select and record evidence from sources.
• WALT communicate ideas using appropriate social sciences language.

Success criteria

• I can describe my group’s sustainability issue in clear sentences.
• I can identify at least two groups affected by the issue.
• I can record useful evidence from at least two sources.
• I can explain why each source may be useful or limited.

Curriculum links

• Social Sciences Years 9–10: analysing how places change and how societies function and change.
• Social Sciences Years 9–10: analysing data and sources, making decisions, and evaluating challenges.
• Social Sciences Years 9–10: participating in communities and the wider world.
• English language learning: developing reading, writing, listening, speaking and visual communication through supported inquiry.

Lesson structure (70 minutes)

1. 0–7 min · Hook and recall. Teacher displays the opening Auckland sustainability image showing a contrasting Auckland scene, such as a congested road beside a cycleway or a polluted stream beside restored habitat, and asks: “What makes a new home sustainable?” Students think-pair-share, then connect one idea to previous learning about Auckland’s growth and change. Invite responses in English or, where helpful, through a first-language discussion before sharing key words in English.

2. 7–17 min · Model the inquiry. Teacher uses the issue-and-evidence modelling slides to model a short investigation, such as stormwater pollution. Think aloud while separating a description of the issue, affected groups and evidence. Explicitly teach and display the terms sustainability, issue, affected group, evidence, source, reliable and the sentence frames: “The issue is…”, “This affects… because…”, and “Source 1 shows…”. Students identify which statements are evidence and which are opinions, and ask clarifying questions.

3. 17–23 min · Form research groups. Teacher places students in six mixed-ability groups of five and introduces the choices: transport, housing, waste, water, biodiversity or energy. Explain that each group will investigate one issue from more than one perspective. Students select or are allocated an issue, then assign roles: facilitator, reader, vocabulary finder, evidence recorder and reporter. Display the roles and success criteria in the group roles and task instructions.

4. 23–48 min · Source investigation. Teacher distributes the Auckland sustainability inquiry organiser and provides each group with a curated source pack containing varied reading levels, visual information and short texts. Confer with groups, prompting: “Who created this source?”, “What does it show?”, “Whose perspective is included?”, and “What information is missing?” Students skim headings, captions, maps, graphs or images; discuss meaning; and record the issue, at least two affected groups, and evidence from two sources. Students may use a bilingual dictionary, glossary or translation tool to support understanding, but must explain their evidence in their own words.

5. 48–60 min · Compare perspectives. Teacher pauses research and uses the perspective discussion slides to guide a structured group check-in. Each group shares one evidence statement and identifies whether it represents residents, mana whenua, local government, businesses, commuters, students or another group. Students listen actively, ask one question of another group, and add a perspective or limitation to their organiser. Encourage precise language such as “benefits”, “costs”, “responsibility”, “access”, “impact” and “trade-off”.

6. 60–67 min · Group progress reports. Teacher asks each group to give a 30-second report using the progress-report prompts: “Our issue is…”, “It affects…”, and “Our strongest evidence is…”. Students report orally while peers record one useful idea or question. Teacher checks that every group has a focused issue, named groups and two source references.

7. 67–70 min · Exit reflection. Teacher displays the exit reflection slide and asks students to complete the final section of the organiser: “One piece of evidence I trust is… because…” and “Our next research question is…”. Students submit organisers or photograph them for the next lesson. Briefly preview that the inquiry will continue by evaluating sources and considering possible responses.

Resources

• the complete Auckland sustainability inquiry deck
• the Auckland sustainability inquiry organiser
• Curated Auckland source packs at varied reading levels
• Short articles, maps, graphs, photographs and infographics
• Bilingual dictionaries, glossary cards or approved translation tools
• Highlighters and coloured pens
• Projector or interactive display
• Group folders or devices for shared research
• Timer

Assessment

• During modelling, check whether students can distinguish evidence from opinion and use the key sentence frames.
• During conferencing, assess each organiser for a clear issue, two affected groups and evidence from at least two sources; record students needing further reading or language support.
• Use the final explanation and next research question as an exit check for source understanding, written expression and readiness for Lesson 9.

Differentiation

• Provide curated sources in accessible, standard and challenging versions, with headings, images, captions, audio where available and important vocabulary pre-taught. Allow students to discuss complex ideas in Bengali, a Pasefika language or another familiar language before rehearsing in English.
• Support reading through chunked texts, annotation prompts, a vocabulary bank, bilingual dictionaries and teacher read-alouds. Support writing with a partially completed organiser, word banks and sentence starters: “The source suggests…”, “This may be limited because…”, and “From the perspective of…”.
• Support listening and speaking through clearly modelled pronunciation, repeated instructions, wait time, partner rehearsal and assigned roles. Accept labelled diagrams, keywords and oral rehearsal before expecting full written sentences.
• Challenge advanced learners to locate and evaluate an additional independent source, compare its purpose and perspective with the group’s curated sources, and explain whether it strengthens or challenges the group’s evidence.