• Digital tool

Geography teaching resources

Resources produced by Mary Robinson and Karen Finn based on research by the Sustainable Seas National Science Challenge (April 2024)

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The Sustainable Seas National Science Challenge was established in 2014, with the objective of enhancing utilisation of our marine resources within environmental and biological constraints. Sustainable Seas research addresses the question: How can we best develop our marine economy, while protecting the taonga of our marine environment?

To help achieve this, the research focuses on:

  1. Improving marine resource decision-making and the health of our seas
  2. Transforming New Zealand’s ability to enhance our marine economy

All forms of knowledge are important. The Sustainable Seas interdisciplinary research includes mātauranga Māori, geography, social science, economics, and biophysical science.

This resource package delves into the academic research and makes it accessible for geography and social science teachers and their classes. The package includes teaching sequences and student resources based on Sustainable Seas research. Each teaching sequence contains links to the New Zealand curriculum refresh, highlighting the Understand-Know-Do framework and geography Big Ideas and Significant Learning. Geographic and social science skills including numeracy and literacy are covered throughout, and the package offers two assessments linked to refreshed geography Level 1 achievement standards. Teachers can pick and choose from the package to teach develop a programme about the marine environment that is relevant to their ākonga.

This resource package contains units of 11 different topics. Each unit starts with curriculum links and a teaching sequence, and is supported by a variety of student resources. Although the units are numbered to help keep the resources together, teachers can pick and choose from units that suit the needs of their ākonga.