Find out about your school’s relationship with the local hapū and iwi before beginning this activity set. See the Productive partnerships with whānau, hapū, and iwi section in the Leading Local Curriculum Guide Part 1 for more information on growing this relationship. Ideally the activities will incorporate these relationships, however many will still be meaningful without this connection.  

To facilitate this set of learning activities you need a good understanding of kaitiakitanga. To strengthen your understanding, you could: 

• Read this Te Ara story: Kaitiakitanga – guardianship and conservation  
• If appropriate, ask a representative of the hapū or iwi that have authority in your area to speak about what kaitiakitanga means to them and what it looks like in your rohe. 

You also need an awareness of the Sustainable Development Goals developed by the UN in 2015, to be completed by 2030. Reviewing the following resources may be helpful: 

• The 17 Goals:Overview of what the goals are, with links to how we are doing against each.  
• The World’s Largest Lesson: Guidance on use of the Sustainable Development Goals in education. 

You may also want to review the activities you choose to use with your class to identify vocabulary that may need to be pre-taught beforehand. Consider creating a word wall including these words that you can add to throughout the learning experience. 

• How are people working collectively to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals? 
• How do the Sustainable Development Goals relate to ways that people experience and manage scarcity? 

• Ask ākonga what they already know about the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Then watch this video for an initial introduction to the goals and the actions kids are taking. 
• In pairs, ask ākonga to research one of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals per pair, using the More information button shown underneath each goal. Next ask them to reflect on how far we currently are from achieving the goal they are researching. Have each pair draw up their findings and share them on a collective digital board or a display board in the classroom. 
• As a class, discuss what kaitiakitanga is, then identify which goals connect to kaitiakitanga. Ask: Which goals support kaitiakitanga, and which may have negative impacts on kaitiakitanga if we’re not careful? 
• Explain that many people liken the goals to a jigsaw – support ākonga to discuss the relationships and connections between the goals they’ve selected. Ask: What are the consequences of acting on one goal on the other goals? How about the consequences of not acting? How might understanding the connection between goals inform what actions we choose to take, as well as how we measure the impact of our actions? 
• Have ākonga brainstorm a utopian future. Ask: What might a sustainable neighbourhood and school community look like, smell like, feel like, and sound like? How will kaitiakitanga be woven through the community? What are the gaps between where we are today and this vision? What actions are required to get from here to there? How might local changes contribute to the global Sustainable Development Goals? 
• Support ākonga to research examples of citizen-driven initiatives dedicated to improving the environment. Then work with them to identify each initiative’s purpose, its connection to kaitiakitanga and which of the sustainable development goals it aligns with. The table below provides a model. 

Examples of initiatives include: 

• Kids greening Taupō: A video on a community initiative in Taupō for building healthy neighbourhoods by increasing greenery. 
• Predator-free Wellington and capital kiwi: A video on community projects in Wellington, aimed at helping to eradicate predators from the environment. 
• The great kererū count: A now completed annual citizen-science project that worked to create a better understanding of kererū numbers and distribution across Aotearoa New Zealand. 
• Bringing back Aotearoa, New Zealand’s birds A video in which Cacophony project lead Grant Ryan talks through the game-changing potential of technology. 
• Te Ara i Takahia: An interactive website documenting the collaboration between a kura and their community to restore the Waitaua river. Click the i icon to switch between English and te reo Māori. 

• Encourage ākonga to participate in an environmental or social project already underway. Collaboration will look different according to each project’s needs. Ākonga might help lead a global project inside the school, or they may find ways to contribute meaningfully to a local project out in the community. Such projects are a great way of making ākonga visible change agents, with relationships with project stakeholders evolving from year to year. See the Tips for engaging with community section of the Pūtātara home page for specific support. 

Example projects could include: 

• Ākonga choose an existing example of a citizen-driven initiative to participate in  
• Ākonga connect with a school or small business that inspires them, to learn what the small business did successfully to be more sustainable, and what they’d do differently next time. 
• Ākonga identify a local environmental issue that requires central government or local council action. They write submissions, post videos, and put out local releases about the issue, connecting it to the Sustainable Development Goals. An example of such an issue is the production and use of plastics, which requires intervention to ensure that corporations and businesses take responsibility for the full life of the product. 

Find out about your school’s relationship with the local hapū and iwi before beginning this activity set. See the Productive partnerships with whānau, hapū, and iwi section in the Leading Local Curriculum Guide Part 1 for more information on growing this relationship. Ideally the activities will incorporate these relationships, however many will still be meaningful without this connection.  

As part of this learning, you need a good understanding of the importance of the mauri of water. The following may be helpful: 

• If appropriate, ask a representative of the hapū or iwi that have authority in your area to speak about what the mauri of the water in your rohe means to them and what tikanga they use around water. 
• Water as the source of life: Te Ara article overview of Māori relationships with water 
• Can personhood rescue a river: Article reporting on the legal personhood and state of health of Te Awa Tupua (Whanganui River) 
• If the hills could sue: Article reporting on the personhood of Te Uruwera and the Whanganui River. 

Identify environmental actions being taken in your rohe to regenerate and protect water health. 

Consider climate change anxiety issues in your class. See the Kaitiakitanga section on the Pūtātara home page for more information. 

You may want to review the activities you choose to use with your class to identify vocabulary that may need to be pre-taught beforehand. Consider creating a word wall including these words that you can add to throughout the learning experience. 

• How are people working individually and collectively to respond to water-related challenges? What can we do to help? 
• What are short- and long-term consequences of ways people are interacting with water in our rohe? 
• What do we need to learn and do to be adequate kaitiaki in our rohe? In what ways is our community already improving the status quo? 

• Ask ākonga to turn-and-talk to the person next to them about why the health of our water is important. 
• Display this Te Kāhui Māngai map and support ākonga to identify the rohe that their school is in. Use the website to identify which iwi and/or hapū have authority in their rohe, noting that some places in Aotearoa New Zealand have overlapping authorities. Encourage ākonga to share any connections they have to these iwi and hapū. 
• Note that the hapū and iwi of your place have many histories of this rohe, and this has likely been their home for hundreds of years. Explain that hapū and iwi have special connections to the water sources in your rohe (awa and moana). Identify the awa or moana connected to the hapū or iwi of your rohe and acknowledge any of your ākonga who whakapapa to these iwi and their connection to the awa or moana. 
• Explain that clean, fresh water is essential for human life. Facilitate a class brainstorm on all the issues we face around water quality. Have ākonga write them on strips of paper and group ideas thematically. What can be done locally, nationally, and globally? 
• Choose one of the articles below to review and discuss. All of them relate to the reality of water health in Aotearoa New Zealand. 
  • ‘Sobering’ freshwater report: This article discusses the 2023 Ministry for the Environment report about New Zealand’s freshwater. 
  • Thousands of birds die at important wetland: This article details mass deaths of animals and water life in Whangamarino wetlands. 
  • How our love affair with plastic is fouling a national park: This article and podcast investigate the damage plastic is doing to Rakiura National Park. 
• Have ākonga research contemporary examples of initiatives and campaigns dedicated to improving the health of water in Aotearoa New Zealand. Examples include:  
  • Te Ara i Takahia: An interactive website documenting the collaboration between a kura and their community to restore the mauri of the Waitaua river. Click the i icon to switch between English and te reo Māori. 
  • Talking to the River: A School Journal article about a farmer working to protect a river. 
  • Freshwater fish: Forest and Bird info sheet on their water-related campaigns. 
  • Water conservation orders: Article from Fish and Game about concerns about water protection. 
• For each initiative, have ākonga identify the body of water, the kaitiaki (person or group who is acting to protect it), what the kaitiaki has done, and what the results have been so far. The table below provides a model: 

• Help ākonga to study their local awa, and Māori histories about it. They could investigate how healthy their local waterway is by testing the pH, turbidity, nitrate levels, flow, invertebrate presence, and wider ecological indicators of environmental health. They might ask people from Te Papa Atawhai | Department of Conservation, local iwi, and local businesses that discharge into or use the water the same key questions to hear their different perspectives on this taonga.  
• Encourage ākonga to explore the diverse perspectives that exist around farming and the environment. See the Tips for engaging with community section of the Pūtātara home page for specific support. 
  • Arrange for them to interview a range of stakeholders – farmers, environmentalists, council employees, dairy associations, and, for some, their own family members. Have them develop their own questions to explore perspectives on matters such as riparian buffers, effluent management, and water usage. The intention is to gather perspectives rather than debate them, while appreciating that there are many responsible and concerned farmers facing complex decisions. 
• Facilitate ākonga to advocate and campaign for changes in approaches to freshwater management from local council and national government. They might connect with local or global regeneration projects or develop their own plan to help return biodiversity and health to a freshwater system. 
• Have ākonga plan and implement a coastal clean-up, encouraging them to engage with wider community groups, whānau, and friends to create momentum and support for the event. Suggest that they develop an event timeline, organise transport and trailers for the day, and identify options for the disposal of the waste they collect. They could also develop a high-level plan for the ongoing operation of the clean-up in their area.

Find out about your school’s relationship with the local hapū and iwi before beginning this activity set. See the Productive partnerships with whānau, hapū, and iwi section in the Leading Local Curriculum Guide Part 1 for more information on growing this relationship. Ideally the activities will incorporate these relationships, however many will still be meaningful without this connection.  

As part of this learning, you need an understanding of what ngahere is, and some understanding of traditional Māori relationships with it. Reviewing the following resources may be helpful: 

• If appropriate, ask a representative of the hapū or iwi that have authority in your area to speak about what the ngahere in your rohe means to them and what tikanga they use around ngahere. 

• Read the Te Ara story Te ngahere: A useful summary of Māori forest lore. 

Identify environmental actions being taken in your rohe to protect ngahere.  

Consider climate change anxiety issues. See the Kaitiakitanga section on the Pūtātara home page for more information. 

You may want to review the activities you choose to use with your class to identify vocabulary that may need to be pre-taught beforehand. Create a word wall including these words that you can add to throughout the learning experience. 

• How can mātauranga Māori help people care for and transform te taiao? 
• How are people working together to respond to issues impacting on the ngahere? 

• Display this Te Kāhui Māngai map and support ākonga to identify the rohe that their school is in. Use the website to identify which iwi and/or hapū have authority in their rohe, noting that some places in Aotearoa New Zealand have overlapping authorities. Encourage ākonga to share any connections they have to these iwi and hapū. 
• Note that the hapū and iwi of your place have many histories of this rohe, and this has been their home for hundreds of years. Explain that they have special connections to the ngahere. Acknowledge any of your ākonga who whakapapa to these iwi and their connection to the ngahere. 
• Provide resources for ākonga to investigate people’s relationships with the ngahere or the bush in Aotearoa New Zealand. This could be individually, in pairs or in groups. Examples of resources include: 
  • The New Zealand bush: Te Ara article on the history and nature of the bush in Aotearoa New Zealand 
  • Sensory ethnography while in the ngahere: Stories and videos of one group of people documenting their sensory experiences of a trip to the ngahere. 
• Note: There may be ākonga Māori in the classroom who are experts on this, or whose whānau are. 
• Facilitate a class brainstorm on the key role of trees in offsetting climate change – sequestering carbon, filtering water, holding soil together, feeding bees, maintaining native birds, and cooling the landscape. You may also like to explore the following resources: 
  • Trees, seas, and soil: this Connected article looks at how different processes combine to affect the balance of carbon in the atmosphere. 
  • Rongoā for the land: School Journal article describing how the ngahere used to be on the Māhia Peninsula and one family’s work to restore it 
• Ask ākonga what they know about current issues facing the ngahere in Aotearoa New Zealand today. Provide them with a range of resources related to current issues. Ask them to work in groups to identify the issue and what is being done to address it. Do they think it’s enough? 
• Examples of resources include: 
  • Kauri Dieback: Connected article detailing a response to the issue combining mātauranga Māori and Western science 
  • Northland forest collapse: Forest and Bird article and video 
  • Stewardship land: Forest and Bird article and video. 
• For extension, ākonga could expand their research into global deforestation and which of the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals are connected to the wellbeing of the world’s forests. 

• Provide an opportunity for ākonga to investigate an issue in your rohe, and then think of and execute an action to contribute to addressing the issue. See the Tips for engaging with community section of the Pūtatara home page for specific support.  

Examples of actions include: 

• Ākonga engaging with a local iwi, a conservation group, Forest and Bird, or Te Papa Atawhai | Department of Conservation to discover the local success stories, challenges, and opportunities in forest regeneration.  
• Ākonga exploring the impact of predators by using tracking tunnels and the iNaturalist app to gather data about the balance of biodiversity and the presence of predators in their rohe. They could then engage with predator-free programmes in their area to find out how they can participate in their own school or neighbourhood.  
• Ākonga investigating the possibility of hosting a beehive on the school property. Alternatively, they could create a bee-friendly space by planning and sowing a garden with organic seed. Ākonga may wish to present to other year groups about what they are doing, and the important role bees play in biodiversity. 
• Ākonga working with school leadership, the school board, and school caretakers to develop a plan for a school vegetable garden. See Garden to Table for more information on empowering tamariki to create a vegetable garden. This could involve investigating the skills available in the neighbourhood (e.g., via a community afternoon at school), and collaborating with a community garden or gardener to develop a seasonal plan in relation to the local climate. Those with established school gardens could investigate expanding into the community or creating edible berms, in collaborating with the local council and community groups. 

Ask ākonga to reflect on their action. What impact did it have on the school? What impact did it have on them personally? What strengths and limitations did it have? How can they ensure that it is sustainable? 

Consider different views, values, and perspectives related to food in your class and take care to use inclusive language when speaking about food choices.  

Identify environmental actions being taken in your rohe to minimise carbon emissions and create carbon sinks. 

Consider climate change anxiety issues. See the Kaitiakitanga section on the Pūtātara home page for more information. 

You may want to review the activities you choose to use with your class to identify vocabulary that may need to be pre-taught beforehand. Consider creating a word wall including these words that you can add to through the learning experience. 

How are groups responding locally and globally to reduce or offset carbon emissions? What can we do? 

• Ask ākonga to turn-and-talk to the person next to them about what they know about carbon emissions and why they’re a problem. 
• Show ākonga this video summarising the problems and current situation with regard greenhouse gases.  
• Discuss times when humanity has altered its course before. Explain that through ‘people power’ humans have made large changes in the past. Ask ākonga to think of major changes in history they have likely already heard of, such as women’s suffrage and civil rights victories. Encourage them to consider how these changes happened, and what lessons they can therefore apply to the environmental challenges we face today. 
• Provide ākonga with a range of resources related to Aotearoa New Zealand-based movements which have successfully contributed to societal change. Ask them to work in groups to identify what change happened, who contributed to it, and how they did it. Examples of resources you could direct them to include: 
  • Hydro and the environment: An overview of the Save Manapōuri campaign and successful blocking of raising the lake 
  • Ihumātao land occupation: A timeline of significant events in the Ihumātao land dispute 
  • From banned, to 'official', to a 'taonga' and beyond: An overview of te reo Māori protection over time. 
• Ask ākonga to turn-and-talk to the person next to them about what they know about the carbon footprints of different foods, and what a “low-carbon diet” would look like. 
• Provide resources for ākonga to investigate the carbon footprints of different foods and what a “low-carbon diet” looks like. This could be individually, in pairs, or in groups. Examples of resources you could direct them to include: 
  • 12 Ways Having a Vegetable Garden Will Save the Planet: Article on the environmental benefits of growing your own food 
  • What’s the real carbon footprint of your food?: Video explaining where the carbon comes from in the food supply chain 
  • Underestimating Food’s Carbon Footprint: Study into what people know about their food carbon footprint, and what they can do to reduce it. 
• Facilitate a class discussion about what barriers there are to people enacting a “low-carbon diet”. Make sure to consider community, cultural, and individual factors. 
• Explain that planting trees is one of the best things we can do to combat climate change. As a class, explore this World Economic Forum webpage and video about why trees are vital to human existence. Or, watch this video on how forests help to reduce the amount of carbon dioxide in the environment. 

• Provide an opportunity for ākonga to think of and execute an action to address the issue of reducing or offsetting carbon emissions in your school and community. See the Tips for engaging with community section of the Pūtātara home page  for specific support. 

Examples of actions include: 

• Ākonga collaborating with an existing community project or approaching the local council to develop a plan for planting seedlings. They could identify appropriate sites, decide on species to plant, and approach native tree nurseries for support. They could also organise community planting events – on the school grounds, around the school’s periphery, or in a newly developed native glade. Planting could coalesce with trapping plans and bee-friendly environments, so that a flourishing ecosystem develops. 
• Ākonga collaborating with an energy expert to lead an energy audit of the school or their classroom. As part of this they may identify easy wins for saving money and reducing energy use. They would then be well placed to lead a consciousness-raising campaign – for example, by labelling appliances with their electricity consumption rates. If possible, they could work alongside a community enthusiast to develop a wind turbine or solar power set-up for the school. 
• Ākonga leading a month-long focus on sustainable ways to get to and from school – biking, walking, or taking public transport. This could be their own creation or in collaboration with a campaign such as Movin’ March. If their local council doesn’t have a similar programme, ākonga could consider petitioning to start one. 
• Ākonga presenting to whānau the insights they have gathered from their inquiry, focusing on the common barriers people trying to live a low-carbon life face. Whānau groups could then discuss what they can do as a community to offer lower carbon support. Is there a school garden that is shared with the community? Could it be adapted to use permaculture to produce more food? Is there a bike recycle or education programme where experienced cyclists can offer maintenance or repair tips? Is there a walking bus or buddy programme for younger children to walk to school? 
• Ākonga looking for ways to make a difference at national and international levels, drawing on international examples of successful student-led change. Examples include petitioning their council, writing to members of parliament, and taking part in climate marches and protests. 

Ask ākonga to reflect on the action they took. What impact did it have on the school? What impact did it have on them personally? What strengths and limitations did it have?