Awa Risk Brief
Advocacy Template · Communicate Risk to a Decision-Maker · Years 7–9
Ngā Whāinga Akoranga · Learning Intentions
- Identify and clearly describe the environmental risk your inquiry has uncovered
- Gather and organise evidence to support the risk claim
- Identify stakeholders affected by the risk and understand their different perspectives
- Draft a concise, evidence-based risk statement addressed to a specific decision-maker
Paearu Angitu · Success Criteria
- I can describe the environmental risk in one or two clear sentences
- I can support my claim with at least two pieces of evidence from my investigation
- I can name at least three stakeholders and explain how each is affected differently
- I can write a brief statement that is direct, respectful, and likely to be taken seriously
Te Āhuatanga o te Raru · Risk Statement Scaffold
A risk brief starts with a clear, specific statement of the problem. Avoid vague language like "the awa is dirty" — be precise about what the risk is, who or what is at risk, and what evidence supports this.
Draft your risk statement here:
Ngā Taunakitanga · Evidence Summary
Complete this table using your field observations, data, and any other sources you have consulted. Each row should be a different piece of evidence that supports your risk statement.
| Evidence | Source (where from?) | What it shows |
|---|---|---|
Ngā Kaipānga · Stakeholder Impact Grid
Who is affected by this risk? Different people and groups are affected in different ways. Identify at least three stakeholders and explain how the risk affects each one differently.
| Stakeholder (who?) | How are they affected? | What might they want done? |
|---|---|---|
| e.g. Local iwi / hapū | ||
He Reta ki te Kaiwhakarite · Draft Brief to a Decision-Maker
Write a short, professional statement (3–5 sentences) addressed to a specific decision-maker. Include: who you are, what the risk is, your evidence, and what you are asking them to do.
Hononga Marautanga · Curriculum Alignment
Level 3–4: investigate how human activity affects freshwater ecosystems; collect and interpret environmental data; understand that freshwater is a shared resource requiring collective stewardship.
Level 3–4: take informed action on local environmental issues; understand the roles and responsibilities of different stakeholders in environmental governance; develop advocacy skills grounded in evidence and values.
Aronga Mātauranga Māori
In te ao Māori, the act of raising a concern before a leader or decision-making body is itself a formal cultural practice — it requires preparation, respect, and grounding in evidence. The concept of tika (justice, rightness) underpins all advocacy: a brief that is accurate, fair, and well-evidenced is more likely to achieve tika than one that exaggerates or ignores counter-perspectives. When students draft a risk brief, they are learning to speak truth to power in a way that manaaki (respects) all parties while still advocating clearly for the wai and the communities it sustains.
Ngā Rauemi Tautoko · Support Materials
Resources already provided:
- Awa Cause and Effect (awa-cause-effect.html) — systems analysis that identifies the risk to brief
- Awa Data Table (awa-data-table.html) — provides the evidence rows for the evidence summary table
- Awa Whanau Permission (awa-whanau-permission.html) — context for EOTC and community engagement
- Awa Poster Planner (awa-poster-planner.html) — the risk brief feeds directly into advocacy poster content
📋 Teacher Planning Snapshot
Ngā Whāinga Ako — Learning Intentions
Students will explore awa (river/water) as taonga, developing understanding of kaitiakitanga through water guardianship — connecting indigenous environmental knowledge with scientific and civic action.
Ngā Paearu Angitū — Success Criteria
- ✅ Students can explain the significance of awa in te ao Māori and their local community.
- ✅ Students can identify actions that reflect kaitiaki responsibilities for local waterways.
Differentiation & Inclusion
Scaffold support: Provide sentence starters and graphic organisers for inquiry tasks. Offer entry-level observation activities and extension challenges involving community advocacy or environmental data analysis.
ELL / ESOL: Pre-teach key te reo Māori terms (awa, kaitiaki, wāhi tapu, tūrangawaewae). Allow visual and diagrammatic responses. Bilingual glossaries strongly recommended.
Inclusion: Connect to students' own waterways and places of belonging. Neurodiverse learners benefit from structured field investigation templates and clear step-by-step inquiry protocols.