Resource 1.1A: System Sorting Cards

📚 Teacher Resource Notes

Purpose: Use these sorting cards to introduce systems thinking vocabulary and help students categorise different system types.

Ngā Whāinga Ako — Learning Intentions

Students will engage with this resource to build understanding of systems, governance, and civic action in Aotearoa New Zealand, connecting to Te Ao Māori principles.

Ngā Paearu Angitū — Success Criteria

• ✅ Students can sort cards into at least three system categories with justification.

📋 Teacher Planning Snapshot

Differentiation: Provide sentence starters or word banks for students who need scaffold support. Extend capable learners by asking them to find a real-world NZ example connected to this resource. Support ELL students with vocabulary pre-teaching. Adapt for neurodiverse learners by offering choice in how they record their thinking.

Prior knowledge: Best used after the relevant lesson or as an introductory hook. No specialist prior knowledge required.

Curriculum alignment

• Know: How different systems function in Aotearoa and globally.
• Understand: Systems shape how people and groups organise themselves.