Lesson 1: Kaitiakitanga & Local Ecosystems
Learning Objective: Describe the concept of kaitiakitanga and identify living/non-living components of a local ecosystem.
Warm-up (Whakawhanaungatanga)
- Whakataukī: "Toitū te marae o Tāne, toitū te marae o Tangaroa, toitū te tangata" – discuss meaning for environmental care.
- Pair-share: where have you seen kaitiaki actions in your community?
Concept Build
- Introduce ecosystem terms: organism, habitat, abiotic/biotic, interactions.
- Map local places using Māori names; note significant species/mahinga kai.
Field Preparation
- Distribute Field Journal and Survey Checklist.
- Safety, karakia, roles (observer, recorder, photographer, kaitiaki leader).
Success Criteria
- Explain kaitiakitanga in your own words with a local example.
- Identify at least 5 components and 3 interactions in the selected ecosystem.
Next: Lesson 2 – Food Webs