Can we make New Zealand pest-free? Lesson 2 and 3: Investigate: What is present?
Urban ecosanctuary ZEALANDIA, with support from WWF New Zealand, has produced a comprehensive teaching resource supporting schools to explore the pest-free vision with students. This series of lesson plans focuses on students becoming actively involved in contributing to a pest-free New Zealand.
This two-lesson sequence supports students to understand concepts such as biodiversity1 and unpack relevant terminology (for example, endemic2, native3 and pest). The practical component requires setting tracking tunnels and includes some safety guidelines.
Download lesson plans: Lesson 2: Investigate: What is present? (Part 1); Lesson 3: Investigate: What is present? (Part 2)
Download resources: Tracking tunnel template; Victoria University transect lines for tracking and trapping; What made these tracks?; Field identification of domestic rodents
Additional supporting resources
He tikanga – te reo Māori and English terms – The activities in this ZEALANDIA lesson plan are intended to be used throughout the whole unit, not as a one-off activity. The intent is to help students become familiar with te reo Māori and English terms mentioned throughout the resource.
Mathematics and statistics in a real context – The two main elements of this lesson are analysing examples and gathering other sources of data4, and collecting and displaying data to analyse to effect real-world outcomes. It can be adapted for higher levels of learning and shows the relevance of mathematical skills in a real-life context.
ZEALANDIA lesson plans series
- Inspire – overview of the resource
- Lesson 1: Investigate: Why do we need to help?
- Lesson 2 and 3: Investigate: What is present?
- Lesson 4: Instigate: What’s the solution?
- Lesson 5: Evaluate: So what?
Nature of science
Conservation5 efforts are improved when we understand how living organisms interact and how to effectively target pest species6.
Activity ideas
In the activity Making a tracking tunnel, students monitor the presence of pest species in a neighbouring gully7 or their school grounds.
Careful observation is an important part of science, as outlined in the activity Observation: learning to see.
In the activity Mapping the future, students are encouraged to connect and create a sense of belonging by exploring changes that have taken place in their local environment in the last 50–100 years and to plan for the next 50 years.
Related Hub's PLD
In the recorded online PD session Teachers using the Hub – Bird conservation and literacy, teacher Kim MacPherson talks about the Science Learning Hub’s resources and how she used a literacy approach to engage and explore science issues with year 7 and 8 students.
Useful links
ZEALANDIA has many other educational resources. For advice or assistance in implementing this programme please contact the ZEALANDIA Education team, education@visitzealandia.com. Go to Zealandia's Education Programmes Activites & Resources page and select Can we make New Zealand pest-free?, to see all downloadable resources on one page. If your school is in the Wellington region and you would like support to run this programme, access ZEALANDIA’s free Outreach programme by contacting education@visitzealandia.com.
Find out more about local and global conservation efforts by WWF.
If you want to get involved at an individual or community level, check out Predator Free New Zealand Trust.
Read about DOC’s work with Predator Free 2050.
Acknowledgement
ZEALANDIA is the world’s first fully fenced urban ecosanctuary. It has an extraordinary 500-year vision to restore a Wellington valley’s forest and freshwater ecosystems8 as closely as possible to their pre-human state. For 50 years, WWF has been protecting the future of nature as the world’s leading conservation organisation. WWF’s unique way of working combines global reach with a foundation in science, involves action at every level from local to global and ensures the delivery of innovative solutions that meet the needs of both people and nature.
- biodiversity: The range of species found in a particular region. The more species that exist (the higher the biodiversity), the more likely it is that an ecosystem will survive episodes of change.
- endemic: Native to only one location. For example, species endemic to New Zealand naturally occur only in New Zealand but may have been introduced elsewhere in the world.
- native: A species that lives naturally in a country, as opposed to species that have been introduced by the activity of humans.
- data: The unprocessed information we analyse to gain knowledge.
- conservation: The protection, preservation and careful management of a species, habitat, artifact or taonga.
- species: (Abbreviation sp. or spp.) A division used in the Linnean system of classification or taxonomy. A group of living organisms that can interbreed to produce viable offspring.
- gully system: A small valley originally formed by running water. Many of these small valleys connect to form a gully system, which often drains into a stream, river or other water source. Urban gully systems may serve as wildlife corridors.
- ecosystem: An interacting system including the biological, physical, and chemical relationships between a community of organisms and the environment they live in.
