Phase 2 (Years 4–6)

Strand: Geography

Patterns and processes: Patterns in the visible features of places (landscapes) are shaped by processes, and influence how people live.

Knowledge During Year 5

Conceptual knowledge

Landform processes create distinctive landscape patterns that influence people’s use.

Landscape formation and use in New Zealand

• Differences in landforms (mountains, volcanic, plains, lowlands, hill country) create a variety of landscapes (e.g. Southern Alps, Volcanic Plateau, King Country, Te Urewera, Canterbury Plains, Southland Plains).

Processes responsible for New Zealand’s diverse landscapes

• Plate tectonics such as plate collision and volcanic eruptions play a major role in forming New Zealand’s landscapes.

• Landscapes are also shaped by the processes of erosion and deposition, fluvial (river) processes, glacial (ice) processes, and mass movement (landslips).

Interactions between landscapes and people

• Some human uses are based on modifications of the landscape such as hydro–electric power on rivers and irrigation. People have different perspectives on the value of these modifications.

• In te ao Māori hapū and iwi have explanations of landscape formation and a sense of connection to the natural world that brings with it the responsibilities of guardianship, protection, and preservation (kaitiakitanga /guardianship).

• In te ao Māori mountains and rivers are often considered and recognised as tipuna (ancestor), which are personified, living entities (e.g. Te Urewera, Taranaki maunga, Whakaari White Island).

Case study: Local landform landscape

• The landforms of the local area have a distinctive physical appearance resulting from natural processes that have formed and modified them.

• There are different narratives about the naming of local landforms. Hapū and iwi have narratives about their formation and naming.

• The landforms of the local area have shaped people’s activities and have been shaped by those activities

Practices During Year 5

Think conceptually

Define, explain, and use concepts of landscape formation and people-environment interaction.

Frame questions

Ask interpretive questions, for example:

o Why does this landscape look like that?

o Why do people choose to use the land the way they do?

Process information by:

• Using relief maps, aerial photographs, and cross–sections to identify landscape features.

• Using diagrams to show how tectonic processes and different erosion and deposition processes work.

• Using photographs to collect information on how people use different landscapes.

• Optional: Carrying out fieldwork on the landform features of the local landscape.

Identify values and perspectives by, for example:

• Comparing views for and against the use of a natural landscape for human modification (e.g. for hydro and solar power or irrigated farming).

• Comparing the ways that different individuals and groups (e.g. hapū and iwi, conservationists, farmers, developers) view and use particular natural landscapes.

Communicate findings and conceptual knowledge by:

• Describing landform differences from place to place, and the reasons for those differences (landscape formation).

• Describing human–use of different landscapes, and how the landscape has influenced those uses (people–environment interaction).

Design, implement, and evaluate social actions by, for example:

• Surveying people about the features of the local natural landscape that are important to them and why

• Considering actions that you can take to preserve and enhance valued natural features.

Phase 3 (Years 7–8)

Strand: Geography

Environmental change: Environmental change is driven by human activities and natural processes.

Knowledge During Year 8

Conceptual knowledge

Natural processes interact with human activities to create environmental impacts that affect people.

Natural hazards in New Zealand

Note: The two prescribed illustrative examples are floods and earthquakes; however, teachers in areas affected by natural hazards may choose to replace one of these with volcanoes, tsunami, or landslides if it better reflects the experiences of students in their class.

• Natural processes affect landforms and become hazards when they pose a risk to life or property.

• ‘The four R’s’ (Reduction, Readiness, Response, Recovery) underpin the emergency management system in New Zealand.

• Consequences for people affected by natural disasters include loss of life, loss of property and marae, damage to urupā (burial grounds), damage to infrastructure, siltation, damage to transport links, disruption to lives and livelihoods, psychological, and long–term health impacts.

Hazard management – exemplified through case studies

• The ability of a community to manage hazards is influenced by accessibility, costs, and available resources, and how they come together to support each other.

• Short–term responses include search and rescue, marae as a focal point for support, response and recovery, provision of essentials, temporary fixes, financial aid, and humanitarian assistance and citizen–initiated volunteering.

• Longer–term responses include reconstruction and mitigation but may also include relocation.

Practices During Year 8

Think conceptually

Define, explain, and apply concepts of natural processes and environmental impact, and make connections between these concepts.

Frame questions

• Develop analysis questions that investigate why events or patterns occur, for example: ‘Why are some places more vulnerable to natural hazards than others?’

Use questions to explore causes and impacts, for example:

o What causes particular hazards?

o What are the immediate and longer–term impacts of particular hazards?

Process information by:

• Using topographic maps and other tools to identify and investigate the shape of the land in flood–prone areas.

• Using diagrams to show the natural processes that create different types of hazards.

• Using flow diagrams to show the sequence of events in a hazard from cause to impact and response.

• Using quantitative data (e.g. casualties, costs) and qualitative sources (e.g. images, accounts of eyewitnesses) to describe the impact of hazards.

• Optional: Carrying out local fieldwork to test the local awa (river) for debris or loss of vegetation cover that may contribute to flooding, or to investigate the impact of impermeable surfaces.

• Optional: Surveying people to gather their opinions about perceptions of hazard risk.

Identify values and perspectives by, for example:

• Evaluating the values behind the actions of groups such as marae and volunteer organisations in their response to hazards.

• Analysing and comparing points of view about responsibilities in relation to natural hazards (e.g. whether people should be allowed to live in high–risk places).

Communicate findings and conceptual knowledge by:

• Describing the natural processes that create hazards, and the environmental impacts and changes to people’s lives that result from those hazards.

• Describing the natural hazards response plan in your local area.

Design, implement, and evaluate social actions by, for example:

• Considering how people could contribute to support communities affected by hazardous events.

• Considering how people could raise awareness of Civil Defence practices in New Zealand.

Phase 3 (Years 7-8)

Oral Language
Communicating and Presenting
Verbal reasoning

Knowledge:

• Precise and purposeful language is needed to analyse ideas, critique perspectives, interpret meaning, and structure arguments clearly for listeners.

• Creating and answering questions supports deep thinking by exploring different perspectives, testing assumptions, and considering possible consequences.

Practices:

• Asking and answering open-ended questions that test assumptions and consider possible consequences.

• Using spoken language to make inferences and draw conclusions by interpreting ideas, justifying thinking, and using evidence from discussion or experience.

Reading
Comprehension
Vocabulary

Knowledge:

• Expanding vocabulary, especially academic and content-specific terms, is essential for interpreting and engaging with increasingly complex texts.

Practices:

• Using a range of strategies to ascertain the meaning of academic and content-specific words and phrases in year-level texts.

• Using year-appropriate academic and content-specific words and phrases with accuracy.

Comprehension strategies

Knowledge:

• Readers monitor and actively manage their understanding while reading a variety of texts and sources, by applying a range of strategies — such as annotating, rereading, reading ahead, asking questions, visualising, and consulting references — to support continued meaning making.

Practices

• Identifying and summarising key ideas and themes in texts, explaining how supporting details develop and connect these ideas.

Writing
Composition
Writing to inform

Knowledge:

• Informative texts are written to communicate information, explain ideas, or present arguments clearly and logically.

Practices:

Writing texts to inform that:

• clearly introduce the topic and organise ideas and information logically into paragraphs

• include headings and visual features such as illustrations, charts, tables, and multimedia (when useful for aiding comprehension)

• include words and phrases to clarify, illustrate, or compare ideas.

Learning activities:

• Write a news article or report on a natural hazard event.

• Present a video journal from the perspective of someone affected by a disaster.

• Design infographics or public service announcements about being prepared.

• Create a poster informing people of the signs of unstable land and what to do if there is a landslide.

Focus concepts: Whakapapa o te whenua, kaitiakitanga, mātauranga ā-iwi

Learning outcomes:

• Understand Māori perspectives on the land, signs of natural change, and ancestral stories.

• Learn how iwi and hapū prepare for and respond to natural hazards.

Learning activities:

• Explore local pūrākau about natural events or landmarks.

• Compare local iwi knowledge with scientific predictions.

• Create a visual story (poster, animation, or mural) of how mātauranga Māori informs hazard awareness.