
The Circle of Life
Levels 3 and 4

NZC Achievement Objectives

Te Mātauranga o Aotearoa
The Organism: Recognise that there are biological processes common to all organisms, which occur in different ways in different species.
Te Rauropi: Ka āhukahuka ki ngā tukanga koiora kei ngā rauropi katoa, me te mōhio anō he rerekē aua tukanga i ngā momo rerekē.

Learning Intentions

Integration Ideas
Learning Intentions are from the Ministry of Education
Integration ideas are from the Ministry of Education
Level 4
Investigate and describe different patterns of observable physical features within a species.
Coming Soon!

Related Topics
Resources

Get ready for “toad-al” fun with Bill Nye and the “Amphibians” episode.
Link for video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NMRCsjrjkpo
Level
1-4
Type
Video
Amphibians
Bill Nye The Science Guy
Get ready for “toad-al” fun with Bill Nye and the “Amphibians” episode.
Link for video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NMRCsjrjkpo

Animal Life Histories focuses on the process of growth and change that all animals undergo in their journey from fertilised egg to adulthood. Students can readily observe life's physical stages in people, pets, and other common kinds of animals around them.
Level
1-4
Type
Activity Book
Animal Life Histories: Reproduction, Growth, and Change
Ministry of Education NZ
Animal Life Histories focuses on the process of growth and change that all animals undergo in their journey from fertilised egg to adulthood. Students can readily observe life's physical stages in people, pets, and other common kinds of animals around them.

Join Bill Nye as he explores environments and ecosystems in a search of biodiversity.
Link for video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DJw1KXAjYS4
Level
1-4
Type
Video
Biodiversity
Bill Nye The Science Guy
Join Bill Nye as he explores environments and ecosystems in a search of biodiversity.
Link for video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DJw1KXAjYS4

There is a maze of water and sewage pipes under Wellington’s pavements, beneath manhole covers and bundles of cables. The oldest pipes are lined with bricks. They snake under the streets.
Level
3
Type
Book
Connected 2013 Level 3: ‘The Fish Highway’
Ministry of Education NZ
There is a maze of water and sewage pipes under Wellington’s pavements, beneath manhole covers and bundles of cables. The oldest pipes are lined with bricks. They snake under the streets.

Scientist Hannah Rainforth investigated kākahi in the Whanganui River to find whether the evidence supports claims by local kaumātua that kākahi have nearly disappeared.
Level
3
Type
Book
Connected 2014 Level 3: ‘Counting Kākahi’
Ministry of Education NZ
Scientist Hannah Rainforth investigated kākahi in the Whanganui River to find whether the evidence supports claims by local kaumātua that kākahi have nearly disappeared.

Some animals migrate thousands of kilometres every year - so how do scientists keep track of them? Take a look at the different technologies scientists use to study migration patterns, and discover what they have learnt about great migrations.
Level
3
Type
Book
Connected 2016 Level 3: ‘On The Move’
Ministry of Education NZ
Some animals migrate thousands of kilometres every year - so how do scientists keep track of them? Take a look at the different technologies scientists use to study migration patterns, and discover what they have learnt about great migrations.

Pauline Harris, a scientist of Rongomaiwahine and Ngāti Kahungunu descent, is working with a team of researchers to collect and record mātauranga from iwi and hapū about plants and animals in Aotearoa. The team is using a computer program to record the mātauranga and connect it to particular times and places in history. They hope that this information will help us understand how climate change is affecting Aotearoa’s wildlife and ecosystems, knowledge that we can then use to plan for the change.
Level
3
Type
Book
Connected 2018 Level 3: ‘Listening to the Land’
Ministry of Education NZ
Pauline Harris, a scientist of Rongomaiwahine and Ngāti Kahungunu descent, is working with a team of researchers to collect and record mātauranga from iwi and hapū about plants and animals in Aotearoa. The team is using a computer program to record the mātauranga and connect it to particular times and places in history. They hope that this information will help us understand how climate change is affecting Aotearoa’s wildlife and ecosystems, knowledge that we can then use to plan for the change.

This article demonstrates how students at Sir Douglas Bader Intermediate School designed a technological device to solve a community problem – how to care for the thousands of newborn kittens handed in to the SPCA each year. It encourages the reader to consider the issues, giving a model for how the same process could be applied to other problems.
Level
4
Type
Book
Connected 2020 Level 4: ‘Fostering Felines’
Ministry of Education NZ
This article demonstrates how students at Sir Douglas Bader Intermediate School designed a technological device to solve a community problem – how to care for the thousands of newborn kittens handed in to the SPCA each year. It encourages the reader to consider the issues, giving a model for how the same process could be applied to other problems.

In this lesson we are going to focus on the importance of soil, and the role of decomposers in reducing the food waste heading to landfill. What are you waiting for? Let’s dig a little deeper into the topic of soil … literally!
Level
1-4
Type
Unit
Exploring Soil
Kids Greening Taupō
In this lesson we are going to focus on the importance of soil, and the role of decomposers in reducing the food waste heading to landfill. What are you waiting for? Let’s dig a little deeper into the topic of soil … literally!

Join Bill Nye as he goes around and around and around to explain the cycle of life.
Link for video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mr1q-p-YQLc
Level
1-4
Type
Video
Life Cycles
Bill Nye The Science Guy
Join Bill Nye as he goes around and around and around to explain the cycle of life.
Link for video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mr1q-p-YQLc

This topic gives children an opportunity to investigate and understand how reproduction (whakaputa uri) happens in flowering plants (tupu puāwai).
Level
3-4
Type
Activity Book
Making New Plants: How Flowering Plants Reproduce
Ministry of Education NZ
This topic gives children an opportunity to investigate and understand how reproduction (whakaputa uri) happens in flowering plants (tupu puāwai).

It’s a population party with Bill Nye the Science Guy, and everyone’s invited.
Link for video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r1K3d-HLZ-c
Level
1-4
Type
Video
Populations
Bill Nye The Science Guy
It’s a population party with Bill Nye the Science Guy, and everyone’s invited.
Link for video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r1K3d-HLZ-c

Water, water everywhere, but not a drop to drink… Why? Because it’s salt water of course! In this unit, investigate how salinity affects the growth of plants and examine what that may mean for the environment.
Level
3
Type
Unit
Rising Salt
Primary Connections
Water, water everywhere, but not a drop to drink… Why? Because it’s salt water of course! In this unit, investigate how salinity affects the growth of plants and examine what that may mean for the environment.

With Bill Nye the Science Guy, it’s all science, all the time.
Link to video: https://www.schooltube.com/media/Bill+Nye+Time/1_hhgeslgw
Level
1-4
Type
Video
Time
Bill Nye The Science Guy
With Bill Nye the Science Guy, it’s all science, all the time.
Link to video: https://www.schooltube.com/media/Bill+Nye+Time/1_hhgeslgw