💧 Unit 11: Kaitiaki o te Awa
Water Guardianship — Years 4-6 (6-Week Journey)
Cultural Vision
"Ko au te awa, ko te awa ko au" — I am the river, and the river is me.
Unit Overview | Tirohanga Whānui
🌊 The Mauri of our Waterways
Water is the lifeblood of Papatūānuku. In this unit, students explore the health of their local awa (river) through both scientific measurement and cultural observation, developing a deep sense of responsibility as kaitiaki.
Driving Question: “How can we act as kaitiaki to keep our local awa healthy for people, species, and future generations?”
Learning Intentions
Cultural & Ecological
- Explain why wai (water) is tapu and vital within te ao Māori.
- Identify human impacts on waterways and propose practical improvements.
- Collaborate with whānau/community to plan a restoration step.
Scientific Inquiry
- Measure basic water-quality indicators (clarity, pH, temperature).
- Interpret macroinvertebrate counts as health indicators.
- Communicate findings through data-backed visuals and reports.
Learning Sequence | Te Ara Akoranga
Week 2: Field Observation
Conducting outdoor observations and simple water quality tests.
📦 Teaching Resources
📊 Curriculum Alignment
Science / Pūtaiao
- Living World: How living things depend on each other.
- Nature of Science: Gathering and interpreting data to answer questions.
Social Sciences
- Place & Environment: How places influence people and people influence places.
- Kaitiakitanga: Stewardship and environmental guardianship.
🌿 Cultural & Pastoral Care
- Consult local iwi/hapū for tikanga and stories specific to your local awa.
- Be sensitive to students’ experiences with flooding or water hardship in your region.
- Embed karakia/thanks before and after awa visits to honor the mauri of the water.
📋 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.