Aotearoa's Living Landscapes

Social Sciences Phase 3 — Place, Environment, and Kaitiakitanga. Each statement below is quoted verbatim, with its statement id, and anchors this unit's place-study lens — distinct from the Science/ecosystems twin. The two statements do not have the same standing: the first is mandated Te Mātaiaho, the second is still a Te Mātaiaho draft. Both are labelled below so you can plan accordingly.

"Climate shapes the type of ecosystem found in each location. …"

Statement 51155 — Social Sciences, Phase 3, Geography. Mandatory Te Mātaiaho (effective 1 January 2026). Quoted here as its opening sentence; the statement continues.

"Ways people adapt to climate and landscape."

Statement 47930 — Social Sciences, Phase 3. Draft Te Mātaiaho statement, not yet mandated. The unit genuinely teaches it, so it is kept and flagged rather than quietly dropped; treat it as provisional in your own planning documents.

How the statements map to the unit (only what the lessons actually teach):

• Climate shapes ecosystems (Lessons 1–2): why Aotearoa's climate and long isolation give it the biodiversity and endemic species it has.
• People adapt to climate and landscape (Lessons 4–5): human impact and conservation, then kaitiakitanga and restoration — how people live with and care for Aotearoa's landscapes.

Assessment tracks progress through the unit's ecosystem inquiry and culminates in an authentic capstone — evidence is gathered during fieldwork and investigations, not only at the end.

Formative — during the unit (Lessons 1–5). Use lesson activities as checkpoints:

• Lesson 1 — the schoolyard ecosystem audit: can students identify biotic and abiotic factors, name interactions between them, and connect the concept of mauri to ecosystem interdependence?
• Lesson 2 — the endemic species investigation and Biodiversity Tagger: can students explain why Aotearoa has unique species (isolation, adaptation) and what threatens them?
• Lesson 3 — the field study (Rangahau Taiao): can students conduct quadrat sampling, measure abiotic factors, and contribute data to iNaturalist NZ — following both scientific method and cultural protocol (karakia, respect for mauri)?
• Lessons 4–5 — the 1080 debate and restoration proposal: can students distinguish conservation strategies, evaluate trade-offs using evidence, and design a realistic restoration plan grounded in kaitiakitanga?

Summative — the capstone (Lesson 6). Mastery is shown by what students build, not a separate test:

• The Conservation Campaign Project (70%) — a campaign for a real local or national conservation issue, assessed on scientific accuracy, persuasive effectiveness, appropriate integration of mātauranga Māori, creative communication, and feasibility of proposed solutions.
• The Reflection Journal (30%) — learning reflection, perspective change on conservation, cultural understanding of kaitiakitanga, specific personal action plans, and future conservation goals.

Three pathways of genuine depth — each extends real unit substance rather than adding busy work, and each ends in something a student produces.

• Entry — go deeper on one dataset. Extend the Lesson 3 field study by conducting a second quadrat survey in a contrasting microhabitat (e.g., sunny vs. shaded, near water vs. dry). Write a one-page comparison report analysing how abiotic factors influence species distribution, using the real field data from both surveys.
• Developing — connect two knowledge systems. Research how mātauranga Māori indicators (ngā tohu o te taiao — signs from the natural world such as flowering times, bird behaviour, or tidal patterns) are used alongside Western ecological monitoring in a specific Aotearoa NZ restoration project (e.g., Zealandia, Maungatautari, or a local project). Present a comparison of what each knowledge system reveals that the other does not.
• Mastery — take it to a real audience. Develop the Lesson 5 school restoration proposal into a formal submission to the school board or a local council environmental committee. Include a planting plan with specific native species suited to the site, a timeline with ecological succession stages, and a monitoring protocol. Document the response and the next steps.

The unit moves students from observer to scientist to kaitiaki. It opens by making the schoolyard visible as a living system — students step outside with clipboards and discover that even a patch of grass is an ecosystem of interacting biotic and abiotic parts, connected through the concept of mauri (Lesson 1). From that concrete foundation, the arc zooms out to Aotearoa's unique biodiversity: why 80 million years of isolation produced species found nowhere else, and what threatens them now (Lesson 2). Lesson 3 puts scientific method into practice — students conduct real quadrat surveys, measure abiotic factors, and contribute data to iNaturalist NZ, beginning with a karakia acknowledging the mauri of the places they study. From data, the arc turns to contested decisions: the 1080 debate forces students to weigh conservation trade-offs using evidence rather than assumptions, and the possum impact lab grounds that debate in real ecological data (Lesson 4). Lesson 5 pivots from understanding threat to practising restoration — students plant native seedlings, simulate ecosystem succession through the EcoRestore game, and design a restoration proposal for their own school grounds. Everything converges in the capstone: a Conservation Campaign for a real issue, presented at the Science Wānanga, followed by a personal kaitiakitanga commitment (Lesson 6).

Where it leads. The Conservation Campaign and kaitiakitanga commitment are built to be enacted, not filed. Students leave with a concrete action plan they can carry into a school environmental programme, a local restoration project, citizen science contributions through iNaturalist, or a following unit on community action. The unit's real endpoint is a shift in how rangatahi see their relationship to place — not as consumers of an environment, but as kaitiaki responsible for its mauri.

Ngā Paearu Angitū — Success Criteria

• ✅ I can identify biotic and abiotic components of an ecosystem and explain how they interact, connecting the concept of mauri to ecosystem interdependence
• ✅ I can explain why Aotearoa has unique endemic species and identify threats to biodiversity using evidence from field data and case studies
• ✅ I can conduct a biodiversity field study using scientific method (quadrat sampling, abiotic measurements) while following cultural protocols
• ✅ I can evaluate conservation strategies using evidence and design a restoration plan grounded in kaitiakitanga

Differentiation & Inclusion

Entry-level learners: Use the Ecosystem Audit worksheet as a structured entry point for Lesson 1; the Biodiversity Tagger game provides a supported way to engage with species identification. Provide field data recording templates with pre-filled column headers for the quadrat survey.

ELL / ESOL: Pre-teach ecology vocabulary (ecosystem, biotic, abiotic, endemic, biodiversity) alongside Māori equivalents (mauri, kaitiakitanga, rāhui, tapu). Use visual field guides and labelled diagrams. The hands-on fieldwork and game-based activities are naturally accessible across language levels.

Accelerated learners: Extend the field study with comparative microhabitat analysis; research mātauranga Māori ecological monitoring alongside Western methods; develop the restoration proposal into a formal submission to a real decision-maker.

Neurodiverse / Inclusion: Structured field data sheets with clear steps reduce cognitive load during outdoor work. The EcoRestore game provides a low-pressure way to explore restoration concepts. Assign specific roles within field groups (recorder, measurer, photographer) so each student has a defined contribution.