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Te Taiao Non-Fiction Writing

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Te Taiao Non-Fiction Writing

A community radio station is preparing a short feature about Te Taiao—the natural world and environment. Read the fact file, then plan, draft and improve a short non-fiction article for local listeners. Use accurate information, organise ideas into paragraphs, and explain any te reo Māori words respectfully.

Read the fact file

TE TAIAO: A LIVING PLACE Te taiao is the natural world: the land, waters, skies, plants, animals and the relationships between them. In te ao Māori, people are connected with the natural world, and caring for it is a shared responsibility. Aotearoa New Zealand is home to many species found nowhere else. The kererū, or New Zealand wood pigeon, eats fruit and spreads seeds through the forest. This helps new plants grow. The tūī feeds on nectar and fruit, and can carry pollen between flowers. Native forests provide food and shelter for wildlife and help protect soil and waterways. Healthy waterways matter too. Rubbish, sediment and some pollutants can harm habitats and the animals living in them. Planting suitable native plants beside streams can help hold soil in place and provide shelter. People can also help by reducing waste, keeping waterways clean and following local guidance when taking part in restoration work. Kaitiakitanga is often described as guardianship or care for the environment. Its meaning and practice can be understood in different ways by different iwi and communities. When writing about mātauranga Māori or local tikanga, use reliable sources and follow guidance from mana whenua. Do not assume one community's knowledge or practices represent all Māori.

Understand and plan

Use the fact file as your evidence. Your article can focus on native birds, forest connections, healthy waterways or caring for the environment.

1.Which statement best describes the purpose of the fact file?

To entertain readers with an invented adventure
To explain real information about Te Taiao and ways to care for it
To persuade readers to keep a particular pet
To give step-by-step instructions for building a stream

2.Explain how kererū can help new plants grow. Include the action and its result.

3.The subheading “Healthy waterways matter too” signals what the next part will discuss. Name one other useful feature an information article could include and explain how it would help a reader.

4.True or false: “The tūī feeds on nectar and fruit” is a factual statement that can be checked.

TrueFalse

5.In your own words, explain kaitiakitanga as it is used in the fact file. Why does the file caution writers not to treat every iwi's knowledge or practices as the same?

6.Choose one focus for your radio feature: native birds, forests, waterways or environmental care. Name your focus, identify who might listen, and write two relevant facts from the fact file that you could include.

7.Write a topic sentence for your chosen focus, then add two details that support it. Keep each detail connected to the main idea.

8.Improve this sentence by replacing the vague word “things” with a precise detail from the fact file: “Native forests provide things for wildlife.”

9.Write a clear opening of two or three sentences for your article. Name your focus and give listeners a reason to care. Use information supported by the fact file.

10.Write one informative paragraph about your focus. Include a topic sentence, at least two supporting details from the fact file, and a linking word such as “because”, “also” or “therefore”.

11.Check your draft. Write one vague or repeated word you could improve, then replace it with a more precise word or phrase. If your draft has no obvious repeated word, choose a word that could be more specific.

12.Finish your article with one sentence that reminds listeners why your focus matters. Do not introduce a new fact.