Life in Aotearoa New Zealand
This article describes the evolutionary development of life in Aotearoa New Zealand and addresses the question of why our flora and fauna are so distinct.
About this resource
Series: Connected 2020 Level 3 – Kaitiakitanga
Category: Non-fiction
Strand: Nature of science, Living world
Life in Aotearoa New Zealand
This article describes the evolutionary development of life in Aotearoa New Zealand, and addresses the question of why our flora and fauna are so distinct. It introduces and explains the concepts of evolution and adaptation and offers a brief overview of how the land itself changed over many millions of years.
Order copies
More from this series
Heading
Connected 2020 Level 3 – Kaitiakitanga
In this Connected series there are four articles ("Te Tapa Ingoa"; "Trees, Seas, and Soil"; "Ra'ui - Giving It Back to the Gods"; "Life in Aotearoa New Zealand").
1 of 4Trees, Seas, and Soil
This article examines how different processes combine to affect the balance of carbon in the atmosphere. It explains that the increased level of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is having a huge effect on climate – an effect that can be reduced, as carbon is finite.
2 of 4Te Tapa Ingoa
This article explores how early Māori went about naming and grouping the plants and animals they found around them. It explains what this process reveals about Māori ways of viewing the world and the framework provided by whakapapa. It prompts comparisons with the Linnaean system for naming and grou...
3 of 4Raʻui - Giving It Back to the Gods
This article explores a scientific issue from a Pacific worldview. It describes how the people of the Cook Islands have attempted to manage and protect their marine resources with the tradition of ra‘ui.
4 of 4
