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This curriculum guide supports teachers in delivering an integrated unit of learning across curriculum areas, using the Sanctuary Mountain Maungatautari (SMM) virtual field trip as a key learning experience.
The guide will assist ākonga to explore the interconnectedness between people, land, and taonga species, particularly the kiwi. It also aims to increase awareness of the importance of taonga species and conservation within the unique environment of SMM, and to experience key parts of the kiwi translocation kaupapa.
Learning areas and achievement objectives
Social Sciences & Aotearoa New Zealand’s Histories
Focus strand: Tūrangawaewae me te kaitiakitanga – Place and environment
Achievement objectives:
- Understand how people view and use places differently.
- Understand how people make decisions about access to and use of resources.
- Understand how iwi and hapū have developed relationships with their environment and exercised kaitiakitanga over time.
Learning activities:
- Research the history and cultural significance of Maungatautari and kiwi to local iwi such as Ngāti Korokī.
- Compare the perspectives of conservation groups, mana whenua, and government on predator control and land use.
- Examine Treaty principles and how they are reflected in conservation partnerships.
Science
Strands: Living world, Nature of science
Achievement objectives:
- Recognise that living things are suited to their particular habitat.
- Explore how living things are suited to their environment and how they respond to environmental changes.
- Investigate the impact of human actions on ecosystems.
Learning activities:
- Study kiwi adaptations and threats to their survival.
- Explore ecological roles of native species and the impact of predators.
- Analyse SMM’s pest-proof fence design and its ecological effectiveness.
English: Phase 2 – Years 4–6
- Understand: Literature, language, and texts express, influence, and explore perspectives and ideas | Kei ngā mātatuhi, kei te reo, kei ngā tuhinga hoki te whakaahuatanga o te mana tangata, mana rōpū
- Know: Ideas within, across, and beyond texts | Ngā ariā
- Do: Comprehending and creating texts | Te whakamahi rautaki ki te whai māramatanga
Learning activities:
- Read conservation stories and reports, such as kiwi origin stories.
- Read/write persuasive articles or speeches advocating for protection of taonga species.
- Present a visual or oral recount of the SMM virtual field trip experience.
The Arts
Strands: Visual art, Drama, Music
Achievement objectives:
- Develop and revisit visual ideas in response to observations and imagination.
- Use drama techniques to explore ideas and convey meaning.
- Explore and express ideas through music-making.
Learning activities:
- Create a mural, sculpture, or digital artwork representing taonga species and the forest.
- Role-play or dramatise the journey of a kiwi, for example, whakapapa, or from discovery to relocation.
- Compose a soundscape reflecting the biodiversity of SMM.
Technology
Strand: Technological knowledge & practice
Achievement objectives:
- Understand how technological outcomes are influenced by the physical and social environment.
- Understand how materials can be combined to meet technological challenges.
Learning activities:
- Investigate how telemetry and GPS tools are used to track kiwi during the muster.
- Design a simple prototype for a pest trap or educational display about kiwi conservation.
- Evaluate the predator-proof fence at SMM and consider ways to improve it.
Mathematics and Statistics
Strands: Statistics, Geometry and measurement
Achievement objectives:
- Conduct investigations using the statistical enquiry cycle.
- Use measurement to collect and present data appropriately.
Learning activities:
- Gather and analyse data on kiwi movements or pest numbers using tracking logs.
- Create bar graphs, pie charts, and maps based on findings.
- Measure and plot areas of SMM using scale maps and grid references.
Health and Physical Education
Strand: Healthy communities and environments
Achievement objectives:
- Plan strategies to support environmental sustainability.
- Take action to contribute to their community’s wellbeing.
Learning activities:
- Reflect on how caring for the environment enhances personal and community wellbeing.
- Develop a class action plan to contribute to local conservation efforts.
- Discuss roles people can play in supporting a predator-free future.
Resources and links
Sanctuary Mountain Maungatautari
Information on the virtual field trip destination.
Save the kiwi
Save the kiwi work with Sanctuary Mountain Maungatautari on the kiwi translocation project.
Maungatautari Marae
Learn a little about a local marae – Maungatautari Marae.
Kiwi | DOC
Information about kiwi species and kiwi conservation.
Whakapapa resource | Save the kiwi
The whakapapa of kiwi.
Kiwi Forever | Save the kiwi
Kiwi Forever is a free teaching resource packed full of fun and educational activities aligned with levels 1–4 of the New Zealand curriculum.
Curious kiwi | Butterfly Creek
Curious Kiwi resources have been designed with primary aged children in mind.
Conserving our native kiwi | Science Learning Hub
Information about kiwi and kiwi conservation.
