🧺 Te Kete Ako

Sustainable Energy Systems

Sustainable Energy Systems · Years 7–10

Year LevelYears 7–10
TypeStudent handout — classroom resource

Ngā Whāinga Akoranga · Learning Intentions

  • Investigate a significant question using evidence from multiple sources
  • Analyse and evaluate information to form and support a reasoned position
  • Connect learning to real-world contexts, including Aotearoa New Zealand settings
  • Communicate understanding clearly and accurately for a specific audience

Paearu Angitu · Success Criteria

  • I use at least two sources and can evaluate their credibility
  • My position is clearly stated and supported by specific evidence
  • I can connect my learning to at least one real-world Aotearoa context
  • My communication is clear, organised, and appropriate for the audience
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⚡ Sustainable Energy Systems

Te Pūngao Toitū — Powering a Sustainable Future

🌍 Why Sustainable Energy?

Fossil fuels (coal, oil, gas) release greenhouse gases that cause climate change. They're also running out. Renewable energy comes from sources that naturally replenish — sun, wind, water, and Earth's heat.

Aotearoa is a world leader in renewable energy!

~85%

of NZ electricity is renewable

100%

renewable target by 2030

17%

from geothermal (unique!)

Renewable Energy Sources

💧

Hydroelectric Power

Water flows through dams, spinning turbines to generate electricity. NZ's largest source (~60% of power).

✅ Pros
  • Clean, no emissions
  • Reliable
  • Can store energy
❌ Cons
  • Dams change rivers
  • Affects fish migration
  • Droughts reduce power
♨️

Geothermal Energy

Heat from deep underground turns water to steam, spinning turbines. NZ has lots due to volcanic activity!

✅ Pros
  • Available 24/7
  • Very low emissions
  • NZ has plenty
❌ Cons
  • Location-specific
  • Can release some gases
  • Expensive to set up
💨

Wind Power

Wind turns large turbine blades, generating electricity. Growing fast in NZ!

✅ Pros
  • Zero emissions
  • NZ is very windy
  • Getting cheaper
❌ Cons
  • Wind is variable
  • Visual impact
  • Can affect birds
☀️

Solar Power

Solar panels convert sunlight directly into electricity. Great for homes and businesses.

✅ Pros
  • Zero emissions
  • Works on rooftops
  • Costs dropping fast
❌ Cons
  • Only works in daylight
  • Less in cloudy weather
  • Needs batteries for storage

🌿 Traditional Energy Use

Māori and Sustainable Resources

Traditional Māori practices already embodied sustainability principles:

  • Geothermal cooking — using hot pools and steam for hāngī
  • Water power — pā sites often near water for irrigation
  • Kaitiakitanga — guardianship ensuring resources for future generations
  • Seasonal harvesting — taking only what's needed

🔮 The Future of Energy

Emerging Technologies

  • Hydrogen fuel — clean fuel made using renewable electricity
  • Better batteries — storing solar/wind power for later
  • Tidal/wave power — using ocean movement
  • Smart grids — intelligent electricity networks

✏️ Activities

Activity 1: Energy Audit

Look around your home or school. List 5 things that use electricity:

  1. ________________ Could this use less energy? ______
  2. ________________ Could this use less energy? ______
  3. ________________ Could this use less energy? ______
  4. ________________ Could this use less energy? ______
  5. ________________ Could this use less energy? ______

Activity 2: Design Challenge

Design a home that uses 100% renewable energy. What systems would you include?

My renewable home design:

👩‍🏫 Teacher Notes

Curriculum Links

  • Science: Physical World — energy transformations
  • Technology: Energy systems, sustainability
  • Social Studies: Sustainability, decision-making

Hononga Marautanga · Curriculum Alignment

Social Sciences — Tikanga ā-Iwi

Level 3–4: Investigate social, cultural, environmental, and economic questions; gather and evaluate evidence from diverse sources; communicate findings and reasoning clearly for different audiences and purposes.

English — Communication

Level 3–4: Read, interpret, and evaluate information texts; write clearly and purposefully for specific audiences; apply critical thinking skills to evaluate sources and construct well-reasoned responses.

Tuhia ōu whakaaro · Write Your Thoughts

Reflect on your learning. What was the most important idea? What question do you still have?

Aronga Mātauranga Māori

This resource sits within a kaupapa that recognises mātauranga Māori as a living knowledge system with its own frameworks, values, and ways of understanding the world. The New Zealand Curriculum calls for learning that reflects the bicultural partnership of Te Tiriti o Waitangi, which means every subject area has an obligation to engage authentically with Māori perspectives — not as cultural decoration but as substantive contributions to how we understand our topics. The concepts of manaakitanga (care for others), kaitiakitanga (guardianship), whanaungatanga (relationship and belonging), and tino rangatiratanga (self-determination) provide a values framework applicable across all learning areas, and all are relevant to the work in this handout.

Ngā Rauemi Tautoko · Resources already provided

This handout is designed to be used alongside other resources in the same unit. Related materials are linked in the unit planner. All content is provided — no additional preparation is required to use this handout in your classroom.

📋 Teacher Planning Snapshot

Ngā Whāinga Ako — Learning Intentions

Students will engage with this resource to build understanding of Aotearoa New Zealand's ecosystems, biodiversity, and the role of kaitiakitanga in environmental stewardship.

Ngā Paearu Angitū — Success Criteria

  • ✅ Students can explain key concepts from this resource using their own words.
  • ✅ Students can connect the content to real-world environmental contexts in Aotearoa.

Differentiation & Inclusion

Scaffold support: Provide sentence starters, word banks, or graphic organisers to scaffold access for students who need it. Offer entry-level and extension tasks to address a range of readiness levels.

ELL / ESOL: Pre-teach key vocabulary and provide bilingual glossaries where available. Allow students to respond in their home language first.

Inclusion: Use accessible formats — clear font, adequate whitespace, structured tasks. Neurodiverse learners benefit from chunked instructions and choice in how they demonstrate understanding.

Prior knowledge: Best used after the relevant lesson sequence. No specialist prior knowledge required for entry-level engagement.