Lesson 1: What is an Ecosystem?

Starter (10 mins)

What Lives Here?

Show students an image of a familiar New Zealand environment, like a forest, a beach, or a river. In pairs, students list as many living and non-living things as they can see in the image. Introduce the terms "biotic" (living) and "abiotic" (non-living).

Main Activity (25 mins)

Schoolyard Ecosystem Audit

Take students outside to a part of the school grounds (a field, a garden, under a tree). Using the "Ecosystem Audit" handout, students identify and record the biotic and abiotic factors in their small, designated area. They should also look for interactions between them (e.g., a worm aerating the soil).

Connection to Te Ao Māori: Discuss the concept of "mauri" – the life force present in all things, both living and non-living, and how this idea connects to the interdependence of an ecosystem.

View Handout

Plenary (15 mins)

Defining an Ecosystem

Back in the classroom, collate the findings from the audit. As a class, come up with a definition for an "ecosystem". Guide them to the understanding that it is a community of living organisms interacting with their non-living environment. Introduce kaitiakitanga: the practice of caring for a place and being accountable for its wellbeing. Kaitiakitanga is a role someone takes up through the work, with the standing to do so — it is not a label the class gives itself. Ask what caring for the patch they just audited would actually require of somebody.