Years 9–10 Critical Thinking Unit | 45 minutes
Socratic questioning & evidence-based problem-solving
Key Vocabulary:
Display these questions about climate change:
Student Task: Pairs identify the difference, create one more example of each type
The Scenario:
Moa were massive flightless birds that lived in New Zealand for millions of years. Archaeological evidence shows they disappeared around 600-700 years ago, shortly after Polynesian settlement. But what exactly happened? Your job is to solve this mystery using evidence and expert questioning.
Clue 1: Moa bones found in middens (ancient rubbish dumps) alongside tools and oven stones
Clue 2: Māori oral traditions mention hunting large birds, but few specific moa stories survive
Clue 3: Pollen records show forest clearance began soon after human arrival
Clue 4: Moa egg fragments found in archaeological sites throughout NZ
Clue 5: No evidence of moa bones in sites dated after 1400 CE
Clue 6: Climate records show no major environmental changes during extinction period
Student Investigation Process (Groups of 4):
Archaeologist: "What dating methods did you use? How certain are these dates?"
Māori Elder: "What do oral traditions say about relationships with large birds?"
Paleontologist: "How quickly can large bird populations decline? What are the warning signs?"
Ecologist: "What role did moa play in forest ecosystems? What changed when they disappeared?"
Discussion Questions:
Key Point: Oral histories and scientific evidence can complement each other when used respectfully and carefully.
Task: Each group posts their best "expert questions" on class Padlet
Categories:
Peer Review: Students vote on most insightful questions
Names: _________________________________ Date: ___________
1. What do you think happened to the moa? (Before examining evidence)
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2. Which piece of evidence is strongest? Why?
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3. Which evidence is weakest or most questionable? Why?
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4. What patterns do you see across multiple pieces of evidence?
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5. Write your three best questions for each expert type:
Archaeologist:
a) _____________________________________________________________________
b) _____________________________________________________________________
c) _____________________________________________________________________
Māori Elder/Cultural Expert:
a) _____________________________________________________________________
b) _____________________________________________________________________
c) _____________________________________________________________________
Ecologist/Environmental Scientist:
a) _____________________________________________________________________
b) _____________________________________________________________________
c) _____________________________________________________________________
6. After analysing evidence and generating questions, what's your best explanation for moa extinction?
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7. What additional evidence would you need to be more certain?
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8. What makes a question "good" for investigation?
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9. How did generating questions change your understanding of the mystery?
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10. Give an example of when you could use this questioning approach in your own life:
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Question Formulation (4 points):
Evidence Analysis (4 points):
Students will engage with this resource to develop te whakaaro māramatanga — critical and analytical thinking skills — examining claims, evaluating evidence, identifying bias, and constructing reasoned arguments. This unit frames critical thinking through both Western analytical traditions and the kōrero-based reasoning of Te Ao Māori.
Scaffold support: Provide argument frames (claim → evidence → reasoning → counter-argument) for entry-level access. Use structured controversy activities where students argue assigned positions. Offer extension tasks requiring students to analyse a real media article or policy document using the lesson's critical framework.
ELL / ESOL: Pre-teach argumentative language structures ("I argue that…", "The evidence suggests…", "However, one might counter…"). Allow oral argument as a first step before written production. Sentence frames and argument maps lower the language barrier while maintaining cognitive demand.
Inclusion: Structured debate and discussion formats benefit all learners — particularly neurodiverse students who thrive with explicit rules and clear roles. Affirm that disagreement done respectfully is a high-value academic and civic skill. Allow quiet processing time before group discussion. Offer written alternatives for students who find oral argument challenging.
Mātauranga Māori lens: Te whakaaro māramatanga — enlightened thinking — reflects a long tradition of reasoned debate in Te Ao Māori. The whare (meeting house) is a place of kōrero, where multiple perspectives are heard before decisions are made. Tikanga requires that arguments be made with integrity and respect (mana). Māori oratory (whaikōrero) is a sophisticated critical tradition — whakataukī encode compressed wisdom that often challenges surface-level thinking.
Prior knowledge: Best used within a sequence building critical thinking skills progressively. No specialist knowledge required for entry-level engagement with structured tasks.
This lesson directly teaches source inquiry through probing questions about assumptions, authorship, purpose, evidence, and missing voices.
See the unit overview for the exact verified Ministry statements and lesson map.