Lesson 2: Living Things Around Us - Ngā Mea Ora

Years 0–3 pitch · Lesson 2

Years 0–3: living or not living

Tamariki sort what they found into living and not living, and say one thing a living thing needs.

Years 0–3 move: Sorting, with a reason given aloud
Evidence it produces: A correct sort plus one stated need

Same topic at the other level: Years 4–6 pitch →

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Lesson 2: Living Things Around Us - Ngā Mea Ora

Discovering Plants and Animals in Our Environment

Students explore and identify the living things (plants and animals) in their environment, learning what they need to survive and how they depend on each other.

Whakatūwhera - Cultural Opening

All around us are living things - plants (rākau), birds (manu), insects (ngāngara), and many more. In Te Ao Māori, all living things are connected. They need each other to survive. Today we will discover the living things in our place and learn about them.

"He aha te mea nui o te ao? He tangata, he tangata, he tangata"

What is the most important thing? It is people, people, people - but we are all connected to other living things too.

Ngā Whāinga Ako - Learning Intentions

Students Will Learn

What living things are in their environment
Te Reo words for plants and animals
What living things need to survive
How living things depend on each other

Students Will Demonstrate

Identifying plants and animals
Using Te Reo nature words
Creating nature art or observations
Understanding basic needs of living things

🎬 Kaiako background — not for tamariki

Breed for release programme at Hamilton Zoo · Hamilton Zoo · 2 min 29 s. A general-audience item about the zoo's breed-for-release programme. It sat on this page under a made-up child-friendly name; it is kept here for your own preparation, not as a class screening. Watch it, take the habitat idea, and teach it in your own words.

Before the lesson: note what the zoo has to supply for a species whose own habitat stopped supplying it — food, shelter, safety. That idea is what you are taking; the footage is not.
With tamariki: do not screen it. Give them one sentence they can hold — "when a place stops giving an animal what it needs, the animal cannot stay there" — then run the sorting circle below.

Sorting Circle: Living or Not Living (10 mins)

Why this is here: Tamariki decide whether something is alive by asking what it needs, not by asking whether it moves. "It moves so it is alive" is the belief that has to be tested — a stream moves, a fantail moves, a toy dog moves when you push it. Run this in place of the "what is alive?" discussion in Activity 1 below, or straight after the hunt — not both.

What kaiako does: Sit the class in a circle with two mats or hoops in the middle, one for living things and one for not living. Have about ten things ready to sort: the drawings tamariki made outside, plus a stone, a fallen leaf, a photo of a manu, a cup of wai, a toy animal, a shoe, a pot plant. Nothing living is picked or carried in — the drawings and photos do that job.

What tamariki do: One at a time, a child takes an item, puts it on a mat, and finishes the sentence out loud: "I put it here because it needs ___", or "because it does not need anything." The need has to come from the list the class made — wai, kai, hau, rā, wāhi pai. The circle agrees, or asks one question.

Save these four for last — they are the ones that teach:

The fallen leaf: it was part of a living rākau. Is it still living now?
The stone: it has never needed anything. Some tamariki will put it with the living things because it comes from outside.
The cup of wai: living things need it — but does it need anything itself?
The toy animal: it moves when you push it. Does it eat?

How you would know it worked: Every child places one item and gives a reason that names a need. Listen for "because it moves" — that is the one to catch: ask "what does it need?" and let them try again. A class that argues about the fallen leaf has understood the question better than a class that sorts it in silence.

Differentiation:

Support: Hand the child two items and ask which one needs kai. Choosing one from two is easier than choosing one from ten.
Extension: Ask for a second need for the same item, or ask what would happen to it if that need stopped.
Inclusive: A child who does not want to speak can place the item and point to the need on the chart.

Ngā Mahi - Lesson Activities (45-60 minutes)

1. What Are Living Things? (10 mins)

Cultural Protocol: Begin with "Kia ora koutou." Remind students that in Te Ao Māori, all living things have mauri (life force) and deserve respect.

Discussion: Ask students: "What is alive? What is not alive?"

Living Things Include:

Rākau: Plants and trees
Manu: Birds
Ngāngara: Insects
Ika: Fish
Tangata: People

Differentiation:

Support: Use picture cards to sort "alive" vs "not alive"
Extension: Students explain why something is alive (grows, moves, needs food, etc.)
Inclusive: Include examples from different environments and cultures

2. Nature Scavenger Hunt (15-20 mins)

Exploration: Take students outside with scavenger hunt checklist. Look for different living things.

Scavenger Hunt Items:

✓ Find a plant (rākau)
✓ Find a leaf (rau)
✓ Find a bird (manu) - can be seen or heard
✓ Find an insect (ngāngara)
✓ Find something green (kākāriki)
✓ Find something that moves

Safety: Remind students to observe, not disturb. Look with eyes, not hands (unless safe). Respect all living things.

Differentiation:

Support: Use visual checklist with pictures. Work in pairs.
Extension: Record names of plants/animals found. Draw what they see.
Physical Needs: Adapt hunt for accessibility. Can use photos or classroom observations.

3. What Do Living Things Need? (10 mins)

Discussion: Back in classroom, discuss what living things need to survive.

Basic Needs:

Wai: Water
Kai: Food
Hau: Air
Rā: Sun (for plants)
Wāhi pai: A good place to live

Connection Activity:

Ask: "What happens if a plant doesn't get water? What happens if a bird doesn't have food? How do we help living things get what they need?"

Differentiation:

Support: Use visual cards showing needs. Match needs to living things.
Extension: Students explain how different living things get their needs met.
Inclusive: Connect to students' own needs and how we care for each other.

4. Nature Art Creation (10-15 mins)

Creative Project: Students create art showing the living things they found.

Art Options:

Drawing: Draw favourite living thing found
Collage: Use leaves, petals (if safe and allowed)
Painting: Paint a nature scene
Modelling: Create with clay or playdough

Te Reo Labels:

Encourage students to label their art with Te Reo words they learned.

Differentiation:

Support: Provide templates or stencils. Use stickers.
Extension: Write sentences describing their art using Te Reo words.
Creative: Allow various materials and styles.

Aromatawai - Assessment & Next Steps

Formative Assessment

Observation: Can students identify living things?
Te Reo: Are they using nature words (rākau, manu, etc.)?
Understanding: Do they know what living things need?
Respect: Do they show care for living things?

Homework & Extension

Home Hunt: Find living things at home - plants, pets, birds
Whānau Share: Show family your nature art and teach them Te Reo words
Observation: Watch a plant or animal - what does it do?
Practice: Practise saying "rākau" (plant), "manu" (bird), "ngāngara" (insect)

Whakaaro - Reflection

Today we learned that our place is full of living things - plants, birds, insects, and more. All living things need water, food, air, and a good place to live. When we understand what living things need, we can help care for them. Next time, we will learn how to be kaitiaki (guardians) who care for our place.

"He aha te mea nui o te ao? He tangata, he tangata, he tangata" - We are all connected to the living things around us.

Curriculum alignment

Curriculum alignment for this handout has not yet been verified against the live curriculum statements. A generated placeholder that stood here was removed on 2026-08-30 because it matched no real statement.