Guided Inquiry Project
Investigating Sustainable Technology — Is It Really Sustainable?
Ngā Whāinga Akoranga · Learning Intentions
- Investigate sustainability claims made about a technology or scientific innovation
- Evaluate evidence from multiple sources to reach a supported position
- Consider how a technology could be used or adapted in our own school or community
Paearu Angitu · Success Criteria
- I can describe how a technology works and what problem it addresses
- I can evaluate whether it is truly sustainable using specific evidence
- I can take a supported position on whether this technology should be adopted here
Hononga Marautanga · Curriculum Alignment
Technological knowledge: Students develop knowledge of how technologies work, how they are developed, and how they affect people and the environment. Evaluation of technological outcomes against sustainability criteria.
Investigating in science. Social sciences — sustainability, community decision-making, and how people relate to and protect their environments. Students form evidence-based positions on complex issues.
Te Kaupeka · Your Inquiry Topic
Choose a technology or scientific innovation that is marketed as a solution to a sustainability problem. This might be:
- Electric vehicles
- Vertical farming / hydroponics
- Plastic alternatives (bioplastics, seaweed packaging)
- Solar panels or wind turbines
- Water purification technology
- A local or hapū-led environmental technology initiative
- Your own choice (check with your teacher)
My chosen technology:
Wāhanga 1 — Pātai · Phase 1: Question
Before you research, write your starting questions:
What technology did I choose, and what sustainability problem is it meant to solve?
Is it actually sustainable — or is it just marketed that way? (Write what you think before researching.)
Wāhanga 2 — Rangahau · Phase 2: Research
Use at least 3 sources. Record them in the table below. Aim for a mix — not just websites.
| Source (title, author, website, book, or person) | Key information I found | How reliable is this source? Why? |
|---|---|---|
Wāhanga 3 — Tātaritanga · Phase 3: Analysis
How does this technology work? (Explain it in plain language.)
Who benefits from this technology? Who does not?
What are the environmental costs of making, using, and disposing of this technology?
Wāhanga 4 — Aromātai · Phase 4: Evaluation
Is this technology actually sustainable, or is it marketed as sustainable? Write your position clearly, then support it with at least two pieces of evidence.
My position:
Evidence 1:
Evidence 2:
The strongest argument against my position (steelman it honestly):
Wāhanga 5 — Tūāhanga · Phase 5: Action
How could we use or adapt this technology in our school or community? What would need to change for it to work here?
Who would you need to talk to? What would your first step be?
Aronga Mātauranga Māori
In te ao Māori, technology should be assessed by its relationship to taiao over time — not just by its immediate function. The question is not only "Does this work?" but "What does this do to the world in ten generations?" Māori technological innovation — from rua kūmara to waka design to pā building — always embedded this long view. A rua kūmara was not just a food storage system. It was a carefully engineered relationship between soil, microclimate, root, and community that needed to work across seasons and decades.
The modern tendency to call something "sustainable" because it emits less carbon than its alternative misses this depth. Sustainability, in the fullest sense, asks about relationships: between the technology and the land it requires, between the people who benefit and the people who bear its costs, between the present and the generations who will inherit what we build. Where does your technology sit in these relationships?
Ngā Rauemi Tautoko · Support Materials
Resources already provided:
- Inquiry topic list and teacher-approved alternatives
- Source evaluation checklist (CRAAP or equivalent)
- Position statement sentence frames
- Unit 3 sustainability concept overview
Aronga Rerekē · Differentiated Pathways
Tīmata · Entry Level
Choose a technology from the provided list. Use 2 sources (1 website, 1 other). Complete Phases 1–4 only. Focus on the analysis questions rather than a formal position statement.
Paerewa · On Level
Complete all five phases. Use at least 3 sources. Your evaluation should include evidence from at least 2 of your sources. Share your findings with your group in Phase 5.
Tūāpae · Extension
Contact a real person or organisation involved with your chosen technology (email, social media, local group). Include their response in your Phase 5 action plan. Write a 300-word op-ed making your position public — for the school newsletter, a community website, or your class.
Curriculum alignment
- Nature of Science — Knowledge: Science is a way of investigating, understanding, and explaining our natural, physical world; mātauranga Māori offers complementary systems of knowledge that enrich scientific understanding.
- Identity, Culture, and Organisation: Understand how different knowledge systems — including mātauranga Māori — shape how communities relate to the natural world.