Best for
Week 2 lab or field session — works as a classroom water-testing activity using tap or provided samples, or at a field site alongside the Stream Health Assessment.
Environmental Mātauranga • Unit 9 Week 2 • Years 7–10 • Lab / Field Protocol
Water Testing Protocol
Follow this step-by-step protocol to measure water quality indicators safely and accurately. Scientific testing is one tool for understanding wai ora — use it alongside field observation and mātauranga Māori knowledge for a fuller picture.
Free protocol, premium localisation path
Want this adapted for specific equipment your school has, or with reference ranges from your local waterway's monitoring programme? Te Wānanga can build a version matched to your school's lab kit and local water quality benchmarks.
- Calibrate reference ranges to match your local council water quality data.
- Adapt the protocol for the specific test kits your school uses (LaMotte, Hach, etc.).
- Save student data tables in My Kete for longitudinal comparisons across the unit.
Kaiako planning snapshot
- Use length: 50–60 minutes for a complete lab session including setup, testing, recording, and reflection. Field use adds travel time.
- Grouping: Groups of 3 — one to handle equipment, one to record, one to read values. Rotate roles if running multiple test types.
- Prep: Check equipment calibration before the session. Prepare water samples from different sources if doing a comparison (tap vs collected). Have disposable gloves and eye protection available. Waste disposal container for test chemicals.
- Differentiation: Entry: complete pH and temperature tests only; use the reference range card to interpret results. On-level: complete all four tests and the data table. Extension: run tests on two different water sources and compare results, then connect to mātauranga Māori tohu for both locations.
- Neurodiversity support: Step-by-step checklist format supports executive function. Allow the student who finds fine motor tasks challenging to take the recording role. Read the procedure aloud as a group before beginning — hear it, then do it.
Resources already provided
- Safety checklist — PPE, hygiene, chemical handling, waste disposal
- Equipment list — what is needed for each test type
- Step-by-step testing procedure with checkbox for each step
- Data recording table — pH, dissolved oxygen, temperature, turbidity
- Reference ranges for interpretation (healthy vs concerning values)
- Mātauranga Māori wai ora connection and reflection questions
All protocol steps and data tables are provided. School must supply test kits, PPE, and water samples. Reference ranges are approximate — use local council data for your specific waterway where available.
Ngā Whāinga Akoranga / Learning Intentions
- We are learning to follow a scientific testing protocol safely — using correct equipment, handling chemicals responsibly, and recording precise measurements.
- We are learning to interpret water quality data by comparing test results to reference ranges and drawing conclusions about wai health.
- We are learning to connect chemical water quality evidence with mātauranga Māori understandings of wai ora as a holistic concept.
Paearu Angitu / Success Criteria
- I can complete each testing step in the correct order, recording precise values with the correct units for each water quality indicator.
- I can compare my results to reference ranges and identify which indicators suggest the water is healthy or at risk.
- I can explain one limitation of chemical testing alone — and identify what mātauranga Māori or bioindicator data would add to the picture.
Curriculum alignment / Te Marautanga o Aotearoa
This protocol develops students' practical science skills — measurement, precision, and data recording — connecting to the NZ Curriculum's Nature of Science strand (investigating in science) and the Living World strand (ecology and environmental change). The wai ora connection integrates mātauranga Māori as a complementary knowledge system alongside scientific methods.
Curriculum companion in progress
Why this matters in Aotearoa
Wai ora — water that gives life — is a foundational concept in te ao Māori. Water is not simply a resource to be measured; it is a taonga, a living entity with its own mauri. Chemical testing tells us whether the water meets certain scientific thresholds. But kaitiaki who have observed the same awa for generations can detect changes in smell, colour, clarity, species presence, and flow that precede what instruments will later confirm. Both forms of knowledge matter — and the best environmental monitoring in Aotearoa uses both.
Haumaru / Safety checklist
Complete before beginning any testing. All boxes must be checked.
- Gloves on before handling any water samples or test chemicals
- Eye protection available if using indicator chemicals (pH reagents, etc.)
- Do not ingest any water sample — even if it looks clean
- Chemical waste disposal container identified and labelled
- Wash hands thoroughly before and after handling water samples
- Any cuts or open wounds covered before handling field samples
Equipment for today's testing (tick what is available):
Ngā tūāhuatanga / Testing procedure
Check each step as you complete it. Record time of each test — results can change with temperature and time of day.
| ✓ | Step | What to do | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Collect your water sample — label the container with location, date, and time | ||
| 2 | Record air temperature and initial water temperature with thermometer | ||
| 3 | Calibrate pH meter/prepare test strip per manufacturer instructions; test pH | ||
| 4 | Follow the dissolved oxygen test procedure; record result in mg/L | ||
| 5 | Measure turbidity — lower the Secchi disc or use the turbidity tube; record result | ||
| 6 | Record all data in the data table below immediately — do not wait | ||
| 7 | Dispose of all chemical waste in the designated container; rinse equipment | ||
| 8 | Remove gloves; wash hands thoroughly before moving to interpretation |
Raraunga / Data table
| Indicator | My result + units | Healthy range (approx.) | Healthy / concerning? |
|---|---|---|---|
| pH | 6.5 – 8.5 | ||
| Dissolved oxygen | > 7 mg/L | ||
| Water temperature | Seasonal — compare to baseline | ||
| Turbidity | < 5 NTU (clear) |
Whakaaro / Reflection
What does your chemical data suggest about the health of this water? Which result concerns you most, and why?
What does chemical testing alone not tell you about wai ora? What would you add from the Stream Health Assessment or maramataka observations?
In mātauranga Māori, wai ora means water that sustains life in all its dimensions — physical, spiritual, cultural. Does your chemical data tell you whether this water is wai ora? Why or why not?
Entry, on-level, and extension pathway
Entry
Complete pH and temperature tests only. Record results and identify whether they are in the healthy range. Answer the first reflection question.
On-level
Complete all four tests. Fill in the data table including the healthy/concerning judgement column. Answer all three reflection questions.
Extension
Test two water samples (e.g. upstream and downstream) and compare. Research what a single outlier result (e.g. very low dissolved oxygen) might indicate about sources of pollution or ecosystem stress.
Hononga Marautanga · Curriculum Alignment
Social Sciences — Ecological Sustainability
Level 3–4: investigate local environmental issues; understand that communities have responsibilities to protect the environment for future generations; develop the skills to take informed, responsible action.
Science — Living World / Planet Earth
Level 3–4: observe and describe patterns in the local environment; connect scientific observation to environmental decision-making; understand that human activity affects ecosystems and that this impact can be reduced through careful stewardship.
Aronga Mātauranga Māori
Rāhui — temporary prohibitions on resource use — were a core tool in Māori environmental management. When water quality declined, when fish populations fell, when a tapu event had affected a waterway, rāhui was placed to allow recovery. This was not a guess: it was an inference from careful observation, the same logical move you are making when you test water and decide whether it is safe. The protocol you are using today is a scientific expression of that same monitoring impulse.
Before scientific instruments existed, communities relied on tohu — signs. The clarity of the water, the behaviour of fish and birds, the presence or absence of kākahi, the smell and feel of the streambed — these were all readings of water quality. As you test today, record not just the numbers but also any observable signs: what does the water look, smell, and feel like? You may find that the tohu and the data tell the same story.