Ecology resources

Task: Match cards to show the relationship of birds' beaks and feet to the food they eat. Assessment focus: adaptations.

Task: Make observations from a photograph, identify potential environmental problems giving reasons, decide which problem is the most important, and give reasons for the choice. Assessment focus: (1) observation, and (2) identifying and prioritising cause and effect relationships.

Students match the names of five animal pests to notes on each of these pests.

Students read about the adaptations of a fictitious dinosaur, and then draw and colour in a picture of a dinosaur that illustrates these adaptations.

Some notes on the rabbit calicivirus are provided. Students use these and their own understandings of food chains to answer four questions.

Task: Students identify which different events threaten our native birds or have done so in the past. Assessment focus: identification of the specific impacts of human actions.

Task: Complete a drawing of things found in or near a waterway, and describe relationships between them. Assessment focus: interdependence in a waterways environment.

Students are provided with some information on the diet of eight NZ birds. Students use this information to fill in a table that identifies which birds are herbivores, omnivores, and carnivores.

Students colour in three fish according to given instructions. They then explain the advantage of this colour pattern for each fish.

Task: Play a card game to join two sentence fragments to complete a sentence. Assessment focus: a) relationships of elements in a waterway, and b) science vocabulary.

Task: Students play a card game to construct a waterways relationships web. Assessment focus: relationships within a waterways ecosystem.

Students identify the producers, herbivores, and carnivores in four illustrated food chains. Students then explain each of these terms and explain what the arrows in food chains mean.

Task: Read a table to answer questions about when birds are likely to visit a native garden for food. Assessment focus: interpreting a table.

Task: Fill in a chart to identify the damage caused by various animal pests. Assessment focus: specific contextual knowledge about animal pests.

Using a labelled flower, students select the parts which are responsible for seed formation, pollen production, and bud protection.

Task: Students interpret information about couch grass from a diagram and explain why its special features make it difficult to get rid of. Assessment focus: special features ensure a plant's survival.

Task: Students read a short written text to explain how the special features of wild ginger help it survive. Assessment focus: explanation of wild ginger's special features and why it is a pest plant.

Task: Interpret a flowchart and text to identify in what ways goats are pests. Assessment focus: identifying ways in which goats are pests and how they are controlled.

Task: Complete a drawing of things found on a dairy farm, and describe relationships between them. Assessment focus: interdependence in a dairy farm environment.

Task: Complete a drawing of things found in a garden, and describe relationships between them. Assessment focus: interdependence in a garden.

Task: Complete a drawing of things found in and near a flax bush, and describe relationships between them. Assessment focus: interdependence in a flax bush environment.

Task: Use pictures to identify special features of various fish and make predictions as to likely habitats based on these features. Assessment focus: purpose of adaptation in fish.

A bar graph showing the percentage of endangered species threatened by predation, competition, and/or habitat loss is given. Students use this graph to answer questions and explain the terms; predation, competition, and habitat loss.

Students explain why different animals have their eyes placed in different positions on their head.

Using a diagram of a crab, students explain some of the crab's adaptations.