Teaching resources
Resources for teachers, whānau and community members. Designed to provide learning materials for schools, groups and whānau visiting green spaces around the Auckland region.
Focus frame & exercise
Use this focus frame to pull your focus into a small area to look closely at and think about what you are noticing.
Download Focus Frame [PDF, 247.7 KB]
Download exercise notes [PDF, 148.7 KB]
Soil observations
Learn and apply scientific observation skills to determine soil and rocks' properties, including firmness, texture, colour and heaviness.
Think like an ecologist
Learn about what an ecologist does and have a lived experience of being an ecologist.
Colours in nature scavenger hunt
Use the colour charts as an observation tool to help students notice and describe colours in the natural environment.
Download exercise [PDF, 244.2 KB]
Download exercise [DOCX, 3.2 MB]
Living Labs Tree Identification
Use observation skills to find features in nature that can be used to identify the species at Living Labs (Pourewa, but could be applied to other sites).
Download exercise [PDF, 1.2 MB]
Download exercise [DOCX, 5.2 MB]
Insect hunt: What’s in my soil?
Invite learners to roam the site slowly and quietly, using their observation skills to look for insects.
Download exercise [PDF, 417.3 KB]
Download exercise [DOCX, 3.2 MB]
Draw like a scientist
Model and practise drawing a plant accurately in class before visiting Te Pourewa or your choice of land. Use a range of plants found in your kura setting to explore a variety of leaf shapes and leaf formations.
Download exercise [PDF, 141.6 KB]
Download exercise [DOCX, 3.0 MB]