Resources for Teachers

WWF-New Zealand provides resources for teachers and other educators that relate to the conservation work we do, with a particular focus on Maui’s and Hector’s dolphin and marine education.

WWF also offers funding for Environmental Education projects that take action for the environment.

Below is a one-stop shop of links to:

• resources about Education for Sustainability

• classroom resources

• credible sources of information about the environment

The Ministry of Education
The Ministry has recently released a series of New Zealand Curriculum Guides for Senior Secondary. Education for Sustainability guides can be found under the Social Science section and are well worth a look as a useful resource for teachers of all levels.

New Zealand Association for Environmental Education
The New Zealand Association for Environmental Education (NZAAE) is a national network of environmental educators.

Enviroschools
Enviroschools is a holistic programme that supports schools to take a whole school approach to sustainability.

TKI Education for Sustainability kete
Provided by the Ministry of Education, Te Kete provides a basket of information about education for sustainability for teachers.

See Change
Released in 2004 by the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment, the See Change report aims to raise the level of New Zealand’s debate about education for sustainability. It highlights how education, in its broadest sense, needs to bring about a ‘sea change’ (a transformation) for the better.

Environmental education in New Zealand schools: Research into current practice and future possibilities
Released by the Ministry of Education, this research, presented in four volumes, looks at current practice in environmental education in New Zealand schools.

United Nations Decade for Education for Sustainable Development 2005-2014
In December 2002, UNESCO took the lead in implementing the United Nations Decade of Education for Sustainable Development (DESD).

Working with schools
This website from WWF-UK for One Planet Schools, provides information, encouragement and inspiration for schools working to put sustainability issues at the heart of school life.

Environmental Monitoring and Action project
Developed by the Royal Society of New Zealand, the Environmental Monitoring and Action Project (EMAP) provides curriculum-based programmes to help schools get involved in monitoring their local environment.

DOC : Students and teachers
The Department of Conservation provides web pages for schools with conservation activities, field trips and suggested themes for study.

Up the Creek
This bilingual interactive website from the Department of Conservation introduces concepts about freshwater biodiversity by focusing on the life cycle of whitebait. Intended for level 3 and 4 of the New Zealand curriculum, the resource includes teachers’ notes and ideas for class discussions and activities.

Trees for Survival
This national programme run by a charitable trust provides a hands-on environmental education experience by involving children in local planting projects that provide ‘at risk’ land with plant cover, restore eroded land to improve stream and water quality, and provide habitat for native plants and animals. The programme builds community partnerships by engaging schools, landowners, service clubs, regional and local councils, business sponsors and volunteers.

Global Focus Aotearoa
Global Focus Aotearoa is a specialist provider of information and education on global and development issues. Their website gives quick access to a free lending library, magazines, teaching resources, email updates, training information and much more.

The GLOBE Programme
GLOBE (Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the Environment) is a worldwide hands-on, primary and secondary school-based science and education programme. GLOBE’s vision promotes and supports students, teachers and scientists to collaborate on inquiry-based investigations of the environment and the dynamics of Earth's environment.

Local Government Online
Most regional councils and unitary authorities have education pages, and resources and programmes for schools and community groups. This site provides access to all local government agencies in New Zealand.

WWF-New Zealand Treasures of the Sea
WWF-New Zealand’s comprehensive website detailing information about New Zealand’s marine biodiversity.

Environment New Zealand
Published in 2007 by the Ministry for the Environment, this report provides information about the state of the New Zealand environment. It follows on from and updates information from the inaugural 1997 report.

Department of Conservation
The Department of Conservation is the lead agency conserving New Zealand’s natural and historic heritage. This link goes to some of the key conservation activities the department undertakes.

New Zealand biodiversity
This site provides information about Aotearoa New Zealand’s native biodiversity, what is being done to help conserve and manage it, and who is involved. The information and work programmes covered in this site are part of the Government’s commitment under the New Zealand Biodiversity Strategy (2000).

Zero waste
The Zero Waste New Zealand Trust, funded mainly by The Tindall Foundation, dedicates its effort toward achieving zero waste and sustainable New Zealand. It focuses on recycling, minimising and/or eliminating waste and reducing consumption.

EnergyWise
EnergyWise supports renewable energy and encourages energy conservation in our homes, travel, businesses, buildings.

Climate change
Hosted by the Ministry for the Environment, this website provides information on how to take action and current initiatives.

Starfish
The Ministry of Fisheries provides educational resources for children, as well as images and games.

From August to December 2003 WWF (with support from the Department of Conservation) conducted a stocktake of all marine education resources, programmes and services for New Zealand schools and communities.

The purpose of the stocktake was to identify gaps, overlaps, opportunities and barriers to effective marine education provision in New Zealand.

Below are links to PDF files from the Marine Education Stocktake. You will need Adobe Reader to view these. (Download a free version of Adobe Reader).

• Quantitative analysis of the database (PDF, 121 KB) 
• Summary of recommendations gathered from stakeholder interviewees and workshop participants (PDF, 94 KB)
• Interview summaries from stakeholders and case studies (PDF, 136 KB)
• Workshop report (PDF, 140 KB)
• Provision map of Department of Conservation (PDF, 80 KB)
• Provision map of Territorial Local Authorities (PDF, 80 KB)

The Marine Education Stocktake CD has been sent free of charge to a wide variety organisations including central and local governments, community groups, iwi, non governmental organisations and commercial operators.

WWF hopes that broad use of the information provided in the stocktake will in turn encourage the following outcomes:

• Better utilisation of existing resources by schools and communities
• Strategic decision making by marine education providers when they consider gaps, overlaps and opportunities as identified in the report
• Improved collaboration between marine education stakeholders

Maui's dolphins are the worlds most endangered marine mammal and are only found along the west coast of the North Island. With only around 100 dolphins remaining, urgent action is required to prevent these dolphins from becoming extinct.

“Saving Maui's Dolphin” is an integrated teaching resource for Levels 1–5. Students will learn about the ecology of the dolphins, threats facing their survival, and what can be done to protect them.

• Teaching manual including background information, curriculum links and learning activities. (PDF, 535 KB)
• Colour picture cards (for printing) (PDF, 5.44 MB)
• Maui’s dolphin website
• Maui's dolphin poster (1): print version (PDF, 1.3 MB)
• Maui's dolphin poster (2): print version (PDF, 873 KB)
• Maui's dolphin poster (3): print version (PDF, 1.82 MB)
• Adopt a Hector's home page