:A Place to Live

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Approach: Station Level: Year 4 and year 8
1.8MB
Focus: Natural features of a place that makes it suitable for a purpose.
Resources: Video of promontory (no sound) on laptop computer, postcard of same area. Movie Icon Movie/Zipped: 3MB
Questions/instructions:

This activity uses the computer.
When Mäori lived in New Zealand a very long time ago, they looked for good places to build their homes.The video shows one of the places where early Mäori people decided to live.
Click the Play button and watch the video that plays then look at the postcard.
Why was this chosen as a good place to live?
Try to write 5 different reasons.



% responses
2001 ('97)
y4
y8
Reasons mentioned:
 
easy to defend (isolated, cliff, one main access route, high up)
10
27
beautiful/scenic/peaceful/other aesthetic considerations
37
48
good for food (farming, horticulture, seafood, hunting)
38
53
good for building and living (cleared of bush, flat, sunny)
31
38
good for recreation (swimming, tramping, hunting)
29
29
plenty of space
43
48
Overall strength of list of reasons
(appropriateness & range):
very strong
1
1
strong
5
15
moderate
36
46
weak
58
39
Commentary
A broad range of considerations were referred to by students at both year levels. The largest differences (“easy to defend” and “good for food”) probably reflected additional study of traditional Mäori practices between year 4 and year 8.
 
Chapter Graphic
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