Environmental and Technology Education

A yellow-eyed penguin-friendly habitat restoration plan

Students learn about the life and threats to one of our taonga species, the endangered yellow-eyed penguin from the viewpoint of OPV – Edward de Bono’s  Other People’s Views. Using this knowledge, they design a yellow-eyed penguin-friendly habitat restoration plan. 

Aims

Students should develop:

• awareness and sensitivity to the environment and related issues
• knowledge and understanding of the environment and the impact of people on it
• attitudes and values that reflect feelings of concern for the environment
• skills involved in identifying, investigating, and problem solving associated with environmental issues
• a sense of responsibility through participation and action as individuals, or members of groups, whanau, or iwi, in addressing environmental issues.

Planning for practice 

Using Other People’s Views (OPV), students look at the yellow-eyed penguin issues from a:

Habitat design from Port Chalmers School

1. Dog
2. Tourist/photographer
3. Sea lion
4. Local hoon
5. Farmer
6. The Yellow-eyed Penguin Trust
7. Fisherman
8. Your own and
9. A yellow-eyed penguin’s point of view

Students consider the needs such as breeding, of yellow-eyed penguins.

Students investigate why habitat restoration is more effective than creating a new habitat. 

Brief development

Students develop a brief for a yellow-eyed penguin-friendly habitat restoration to assist the endangered birds.

Outcome development and evaluation

• Students investigate and depict examples of yellow-eyed penguin habitat restoration.
• Students research these and depict systems, such as weed and predator control they observe in these environments.
• Students investigate the materials, design and modification of nesting boxes.
• Students investigate suitable habitat plantings, propagation techniques and ideal times of the year to plant (from the penguin’s OPV).
• They meet YEPT or DOC staff or others involved in habitat restoration for penguins.
• Students investigate how they could let their peers know about the restored habitats.

List what is being done to assist and hinder the penguins

Technological products

Groups design a prototype or digital model of their yellow-eyed penguin habitat restoration in consultation with DOC or the YEPT.

Nature of technology

Characteristics of technology

Students research the history and purposes of penguin habitats in their area.

Students investigate the attitudes of dog’s, tourist/photographer’s, sea lion’s, a local hoon’s, a farmer’s, DOC’s, a fisherman’s, their own and a yellow-eyed penguin’s point of view to the habitat and collate responses in terms of the values and beliefs expressed.

Characteristics of technological outcomes

Students investigate how the habitat improvements would benefit the yellow-eyed penguin.

Assessment

Students self-assess their yellow-eyed penguin-friendly habitat restoration plan against each of the Other People’s Views.