What's on a beach? What gets washed up and what shouldn't be there? This is a chance for students to consider objects on the beach – natural and unnatural – and find out how they can help to care for our coastal areas.
| Age/level: | Years 0–4 |
| Availability: | Available year round |
| Length: | 2 hours |
| Site: | Spencer Park beach, Waimairi beach, North New Brighton beach, New Brighton beach and South New Brighton beach |
| Cost: | Free |
| Number of classes: | One at a time (One class = 35 students) |
Programme outline
Key concepts
Natural items and things made by people, litter and its effects on the environment, caring for our beaches.
Lesson description/intentions
Students will take part in a scavenger hunt to find things on the beach and then decide whether their finds should be at the beach.
They will spend time thinking about how some of those items have made it to the beach, how they could have an affect on coastal creatures and the various ways we can all help to care for our coastal areas.
They will take these ideas and create a huge message in the sand to share with other beach-goers.
Possible success criteria
Students may be able to:
- Identify key reasons why beaches are special places.
- Identify things that would not naturally be on a beach and the problems that those items cause for coastal creatures.
- Name things that live in and around the sand and are dependent on the environment for their survival.
- Identify an action that they can take to reduce litter at the beach.
Key Competencies
Thinking - students will employ critical thought to make decisions regarding the rightful place of objects on our beaches; we hope to empower students to suggest and carry out environmentally friendly actions for our beaches
Participating and contributing - students will be given the opportunity to become actively involved in making a difference to the community through the learning and activities they take part in
Feedback
"Pre-visit communication was excellent...park staff informative, enthusiastic, related extremely well to the age group, maintained interest and promoted enthusiasm. Curriculum objectives well met."
Teacher, Year 1
Learning areas
| |
| Science | Nature of science | Levels 1–3 | - Investigating in science
- Communicating in science
- Participating and contributing
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| Living world | Levels 1–3 | |
| Social sciences | | Level 1 | - Understand that people have different roles and responsibilities as part of their participation in groups
- Understand how places in NZ are significant for individuals and groups
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| Level 2 | - Understand how places influence people and people influence places
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| Level 3 | - Understand how people view and use places differently
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| Health and physical education | Personal health and physical development | Levels 1–2 | |
| Healthy communities and environments | Levels 1–2 | - Societal attitudes and values
- Community resources
- Rights, responsibilities and laws
- People and the environment
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| The Arts | Visual Arts | Levels 1–2 | - Understanding visual arts in context
- Developing ideas
- Communicating and interpreting
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| Mathematics and statistics | Statistics | Levels 1–2 | - Statistical investigation
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