Web Conferences

Web conferences with schools are hosted live from the field by the LEARNZ Teacher and are coordinated by the LEARNZ Office. 

To book as a speaking school, email Shelley the LEARNZ Teacher shelley.hersey@core-ed.org.

• Web conference activity for students: Students can work on this activity while they listen to live or recorded web conferences - Word (25k) | PDF (167k) | Google Doc. Activity notes could be shared to help put together a class web conference summary.
• Create a web conference summary. Making a class summary of a web conference is a great way of reviewing the information your students heard. Feel free to create your own template or use the webconference summary sheet - Word (29k) | PDF (114k) | Google doc. We'd love to share your ideas so please send your class summary to shelley.hersey@core-ed.org.
• Find out more about using LEARNZ.

Questions from Owairoa School answered in Web Conference #1

1. What are some species that live in Ōhiwa Harbour?
2. Where does the fresh water that enters the harbour come from?
3. How do animals live in estuaries if they consist of salt and fresh water?
4. What are the non-living elements of the harbour ecosystem?
5. What are the producers, consumers, decomposers, and inorganic matter in the harbour?
6. How are humans harming the ecosystem?
7. What effect is nearby farming having?
8. What would happen if the mussels disappeared?
9. How can we prevent sedimentation?
10. What is the current health of Ōhiwa Harbour?

Questions from other schools answered in Web Conference #1

1. What are fiords? (Te Ngaere R7 Pamapuria)
2. How do we stop over-fishing? (Alex R7 Pamapuria)
3. Can you explain what sedimentation is? (Alex R7 Pamapuria)
4. What would happen without fish? stjosephsTakahe
5. Is Ohiwa Harbour protected? (Lauvale R7 Pamapuria)
6. How many plastic bags are going into the ocean? (Jack R7 Pamapuria)
7. Do starfish help clean the ecosystem too? (Ellie Te Rerenga School)
8. If we recorded all of the connections for the marine ecosystems what would it look like? (R7 Pamapuria)
9. How can we help to stop the pollution? Baxter Te Rerenga School
10. What are the areas the marine environment can be divided into? (CB R7 Pamapuria)
11. What is an estuary? (Lauvale R7 Pamapuria)
12. Other than mussels, what other species of sea creature filter water? (Alex R7 Pamapuria)
13. In the harbour behind you, do other species of sharks come in? (Solomon Te Rerenga School)
14. What is the local food chain? (Manawa R7 Pamapuria)

Questions from Brooklyn School answered in Web Conference #2

1. Is the Rena oil spill still affecting the wildlife in New Zealand? Jack
2. We are more aware that plastic is polluting our oceans, is what we are doing making a difference? Jordan
3. Are there more whale standings happening and are we, as humans making that happen? Toby
4. Where is the place whale strandings are happening the most and why do you think this is? Jai
5. Which animal species do you notice the most is declining? Leroy
6. What evidence do you have that pollution is affecting the animals in New Zealand oceans? Emmelia
7. How much of our oceans are still unexplored and how many species do you think there may be undiscovered? Asher
8. Can you tell us more about sea weed, what it's made of and how important it is to the food chain? Petra
9. How many species of fish are there around New Zealand? Kayden
10. Are boats affecting New Zealand's wildlife and if so how? Zoe

Questions from other schools answered in Web Conference #2 

1. Do all the boats disturb the species in the harbour? Josh, Te Rerenga School
2. What is the most endangered sea species in Aotearoa - Isabella, Greerton Village School
3. How would the harbour cope if one vital species like mussels died out? Eden, Te Rerenga School
4. If you were able to change something that is happeing to our moana, what would it be? Isabella, Te Rerenga School
5. Are marinas and moorings and anchors bad, do they harm our sea life? Stina, Te Rerenga School

Questions from Te Rerenga School answered in Web Conference #3

1. Are there still problems and threats within our marine reserves? Ben
2. Have there been any noticeable effects from climate change in and around the harbour? Katie
3. How many fish, for example snapper, would be a sustainable recreational limit and should there also be a size limit for the big snapper, so fish bigger than 50cm also have to be let go? Charlie
4. If there were an increasing number of sharks in the harbour, would that be good or bad? Elijah
5. What new ideas do you have for how to protect marine areas, for example, should New Zealand have more marine reserves? Meg
6. Are there mangroves within the harbour? What do they do within the ecosystem? Stina
7. Our school is by the ocean on the Coromandel Peninsula and there are a lot of pine forests close by. What problems are caused in the ocean when the trees are cleared and then we have a lot of rain? Grace
8. When it is low tide, do the ika stay in the harbour or do they move about with the tide? Angie
9. The mussels are very important, so are the sea stars that eat them good or bad and why have the numbers of the eleven-armed sea star increased so much? Seth
10. Are there any examples near the Ōhiwa Harbour where an ecosystem has reached its tipping point and what were the consequences? Tobias

Questions from other schools answered in Web Conference #3

1. Can you please explain how a crab breathes underwater? Keera, Greerton Village School
2. What is the worst human impact we are having on the ocean? Lexie, St Josephs Queenstown
3. Have you found any fossils in the ocean? Leilani, Greerton Village School
4. What impact would the megalodon have on the ocean ecosystem if it was still alive? Harry, St Josephs Queenstown
5. Would there be a difference if there was no algae in the ocean? Zofia, St Josephs Queenstown.