Participating and contributing resources

Students complete the wording for an advertisement about recycling. They need to complete sections on why, what, and how we recycle.

Task: Answer questions about a planned wildlife reserve. Assessment focus: interdependence of animals with their habitat.

Task: Match recycled materials to their possible uses, and justify reasons for recycling. Assessment focus: reasons for recycling.

Task: Students suggest ways to stop sand dunes blowing on to farmland, and describe the predicted outcome of their suggestions. Assessment focus: application of knowledge of erosion to a specific situation.

Students read a map of a new school, and answer questions about the placement of some trees. They are assessed on their ability to suggest the trees' impact on the school environment.

Task: Label a picture with ways to protect ourselves from the Sun, and describe why we need to do so. Assessment focus: protection from the Sun's rays.

Make observations from a photograph, identify potential environmental problems giving reasons, decide which problem is the most important and give reasons for the choice.

Task: Match animal pests to the harm they cause, and use information about pest control. Assessment focus: animal pests and their control.

Task: Students explain six things that would be needed to develop and maintain an offshore island habitat for endangered birds. Assessment focus: identification of needs of endangered birds.

Students are asked to provide reasons for and against having zoos.

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.

Task: Make observations from a photograph, identify potential problems giving reasons, decide which problem is the most important and give reasons for the choice. Assessment focus: observing, identifying risk.

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.

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 look closely at a photograph taken on the beach and record their observations. They think and write about the consequences of the things they see.

In this activity students progressively build up evidence for and against a new idea in pest control: using bumblebees to transmit a fungicide. Students practise argumentation skills and reflect on how they formulate opinions on environmental issues.

Task: Describe problems caused by cutting down trees on a bank. Assessment focus: erosion.

Students use their knowledge of the fire triangle to identify risk factors for a given scenario, and apply this to their own situation. They use rubrics to rate and improve some of their explanations.

Task: Using statements from four people decide and justify whether or not each person supports wind farms. Identify which person has a misconception about wind farms, giving a reason. Assessment focus: identifying different perspectives.

Task: Sort cards to identify how four items of rubbish will impact on the beach, plants and animals that are found there, and humans. They then select items to remove and leave, and justify their decisions. Assessment focus: impact of materials on the environment.

Task: Design a station on Mars. Assessment focus: problem solving to meet human needs in a different environment.

Students identify where heat is lost from a house, explain ways to reduce heat loss and suggest ways to reduce heat loss.

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.

Task: Identify how the kererū's adaptations contribute to its interactions with its ecosystem, and how knowing about kererū's' adaptations can benefit both it and people. Assessment focus: using understandings about adaptations to consider actions affecting the kererū.

Task: Demonstrate understanding of the pupil reflex of the eye, and apply this to answering questions about sunglasses safety. Extension questions probe understanding of who decides on and applies safety standards. Assessment focus: effect of UV light on the eyes and how it can be mediated by simple sunglasses technology.