Threats to birds
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Overview
Connecting to the Curriculum
Marking Student Responses
Working with Students
Further Resources
This task is about identifying how different events threaten (or have threatened) our native birds.
Tick the boxes to show which events affect (or have affected) each of these native New Zealand birds.
Level:
4
Curriculum info:
Key Competencies:
Keywords:
Description of task:
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.
Curriculum Links:
Science capabilities
The capabilities focus is brought about by the conversations you have and the questions you ask.
Capability: Engage with science
This resource provides opportunities to discuss how events impact on the existence of different groups of native birds.
Science capabilities:
Answers/responses:
Diagnostic and formative information:
The idea dealt with in this resource is important because students need to understand the specific impacts of the actions of humans if they are to make informed decisions about the environment.
- Students had little difficulty identifying the impact of fishing, hunting activities, or forest clearance on the birds listed. The exceptions to this were that many students (mistakenly) thought fishing would impact on dotterel and only a third of students recognised that kereru were hunted for food.
- Identifying the impact of predators and the loss of breeding grounds were more difficult. Less than 40% of students recognised either of these factors having an impact on dotterel, or the loss of breeding grounds impacting on kereru.
Generally, students had difficulty identifying the impact of the various effects on dotterel, probably as a result of limited background knowledge about these birds.
Next steps:
Students could individually, or in groups, find out about various endangered species and then identify which environmental changes would impact on the survival of each species. It is important to reinforce the idea that living things depend on each other and the non-living environment.
Related Assessment Resource Bank items:
- Native birds – This is a Level 5 resource that compares features that influence the chances of survival in a changing environment, for two types of native birds. It could be used as a teaching resource to reinforce the idea that some events impact more on some species of birds than others.
Ministry of Education (2003). Building Science Concepts Books. Wellington: Learning Media:
- Book 5, Fur feathers, and bark.
- Book 3, Birds.