Terraces in the Making

Overview

Lesson 3 of 6 in Discovering the Pink and White Terraces. Students investigate how hydrothermal activity, heat, water, minerals, cooling and time contributed to the formation of Te Tarata and Otukapuarangi. They use evidence to construct and explain a simple cause-and-effect model.

Learning intentions

• WALT explain how hydrothermal activity can change the natural environment.
• WALT identify environmental factors involved in the formation of the Pink and White Terraces.
• WALT use evidence to build a sequence showing how the Terraces formed.
• WALT describe how people and places are connected through natural processes and significant environments.

Success criteria

• I can describe hydrothermal activity in my own words.
• I can identify at least four factors involved in terrace formation.
• I can put the formation processes in a logical order.
• I can explain how hot water and dissolved minerals helped build the terraces.

Curriculum links

• Understand how people interact with and are influenced by natural and physical environments.
• Understand how places are shaped by natural processes and how people value significant places.
• Use inquiry processes to ask questions, gather and interpret information, and communicate explanations.
• Develop knowledge of Aotearoa New Zealand’s natural environment and its significance to tangata whenua and communities.

Lesson structure (45 minutes)

1. 0–5 minutes – Reconnect and hook Display the opening image and question in the introduction and hook slides: “How could hot water build a huge white staircase?” Students think, pair-share, then offer initial ideas. Remind students that this is lesson 3 and invite them to recall the location and importance of the Terraces from previous lessons.

2. 5–13 minutes – Build shared understanding Use the hydrothermal process slides to explain that rainwater can move underground, become heated by geothermal energy, dissolve minerals, and rise through cracks as hot spring water. When the water reaches the surface and cools, silica and other minerals can come out of solution and form deposits. Emphasise that the Terraces developed gradually over a very long time, not in one event. Clarify that this is a simplified model: real geothermal systems are complex and change over time. Ask: “What caused the water to move?” and “What changed when the water cooled?”

3. 13–17 minutes – Model cause and effect Model one chain on the board: underground heat → hot water → minerals dissolve → water rises → cooling → mineral deposits. Use arrows and oral rehearsal. Explain that students will create their own evidence-based sequence rather than copy a paragraph.

4. 17–30 minutes – Collaborative process mapping Place students in 10 mixed-ability groups of three. Assign roles with the group role cards. Distribute the Terraces formation worksheet. Groups use the diagram, notes and prompt questions to complete a formation sequence and label the environmental factors: rainwater, underground heat, cracks in rock, pressure, hot spring water, dissolved silica/minerals, cooling and time. Encourage students to discuss which factor comes first and which factors repeat or work together. Circulate and ask: “What evidence supports that step?” and “What would happen if the water did not cool?”

5. 30–37 minutes – Compare and improve explanations Display the group discussion and comparison slides. Two or three groups briefly share their sequence. The class identifies similarities and differences, then suggests one improvement to make each explanation clearer. Students revise their worksheet using a different-coloured pencil. Reinforce that natural processes can shape places and influence how people understand, use and value them.

6. 37–42 minutes – Individual explanation Students complete the final written task on the Terraces formation worksheet: “Explain how hydrothermal activity helped form the Pink and White Terraces. Use at least four process words and show cause and effect.” Year 4 students may use labelled arrows and sentence starters; Years 5–6 should include the importance of cooling, mineral deposition and time.

7. 42–45 minutes – Plenary and check for understanding Show the plenary slides. Students complete the sentence: “The most important environmental factor was ___ because ___.” Invite three responses, including one that identifies a combination of factors. Collect worksheets for assessment and preview the next lesson: how people experienced, described and valued the Terraces.

Resources

• the Terraces formation slide deck
• the Terraces formation worksheet
• the group role cards
• Whiteboard and markers
• Pencils and coloured pencils
• Projector or interactive display
• Group tables arranged for 10 groups of three
• Previous lesson map or class notes about the Terraces

Assessment

• During group work, listen for accurate explanations of heating, rising water, dissolved minerals, cooling and deposition.
• Check each worksheet for a logical sequence, at least four correctly identified environmental factors, and clear cause-and-effect language.
• Use the final sentence response to identify students who need further support with hydrothermal activity or the role of cooling and time.

Differentiation

• Provide a word bank, picture cues and sentence frames such as “When ___ happens, ___” and “This causes ___ because ___.”
• Pair students strategically and read worksheet instructions aloud; allow drawing, labelled arrows or oral explanation before writing.
• Support EAL learners with gestures, repeated demonstrations and partner rehearsal. Accept key terms in a home language alongside English or te reo Māori where appropriate.
• Extend Years 5–6 students by asking them to explain why the terraces formed in layers and to distinguish between a cause, a condition and an observable result.