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Book 22: Tidal Communities: Interdependence and the Effects of Change
Synopsis
Most children in New Zealand have experience of, or access to, some form of coastal beach: rocky shores, sandy and shingle shores, mudflats, lagoons, or estuaries. These places offer a wide variety of habitats, where various tidal communities can get the food and shelter they need.
Studying this environment gives children opportunities to explore concepts of:
- the variety and interdependence of living things
- the effects of change, both short- and long-term, on an environment
- the relationship between living and non-living elements in an ecosystem.
The topic is also a context for incorporating an awareness of Māori values associated with kai moana. Beaches are places of great importance to Māori as sources of food, and there are various protocols through which respect is shown for an environment which, through these sources, helps to sustain human life. The concept of inter-relatedness is particularly relevant here. This concept has physical, emotional, and spiritual dimensions in the Māori world. These can be applied to the study of this topic to enhance an understanding of interdependence and the idea of kaitiakitanga (people's responsibilities as guardians of their environment).
Concept overview
Use the concept overview, which is also on the inside front cover of the book, as a reference for the concepts that relate to Tidal Communities: Interdependence and the Effects of Change.
Read the concept overview (PDF 40 KB)
Links with other titles in the series
The concepts in this book lead on from those introduced in Life between the Tides, the companion book for levels 1 and 2 on this topic.
- Book 21: Life between the Tides (L1-2, Living World)
Assessment resources
Search the science section of the Assessment Resource Banks (ARB) website to find resources that assess the 'big idea' learning outcomes referred to in the concept overview for this title.