MInibeasts

If you’ve noticed your children peering under rocks, staring into grass patches, or excitedly bringing those bugs in the garden lately, you’re seeing our current Inquiry unit in action!  We are always so fascinated with our children's enthusiasm and care for animals and creatures.  This is the making of great tangata tiaki !  

This term, we are diving into the world of minibeasts. Through hands-on experiences and observation and play, we are taking steps into scientific thinking and practical skills.  We are learning how to observe carefully, ask questions, and make sense of the natural world around us.

Here is a look at what our children are exploring and how it connects to The New Zealand Curriculum:

Scientists observe closely, ask questions, and stay open to changing their minds when new clues appear. In our school grounds.  We want our children asking : How do we find answers to our questions about local minibeasts? 

We are supporting our children to think about What happens if two people notice different things about the same creature?  This is where our oral language comes in as children share debate and justify their thinking alongside learning the ‘facts’.  They learn that science involves exploring, testing ideas, and appreciating that there can be more than one explanation.

Through hands-on play and building simple models, students are discovering how minibeasts survive and how we can have an impact on this. They are looking at how different body parts help creatures move, hide, or find food right here at our place.  When we were at Zealandia we saw lots of wētā hotel and how these were actually inhabited by many creatures seeking peace and quiet !

We are super fortunate. Our place at Worser Bay is garden, bush and beach,  home to an incredible variety of tiny creatures! By looking closely at physical features, our children are learning how to group and sort them. They are unpacking big questions like: What actually makes an insect different from a spider or a snail?  What are the similarities and differences ?

How can we share what a minibeast looks like without taking it out of its home? Children are using drawings, large models as examples and new scientific vocabulary to describe creature bodies and habitats clearly to others.

We want our children to have a developing understanding of the vital roles minibeasts play in our schoolyard and gardens, children learn to act as tangata tiaki. They are exploring why these tiny creatures matter to our ecosystem and taking small daily actions to keep their habitats safe and healthy.

How You Can Connect at Home ? 

You can help extend this learning at home by:

• Going on a mini-beast hunt: Look under leaves or log piles in your yard or local park and ask your child what physical features they notice.

• Drawing & labeling: Ask them to draw a bug they saw and talk about the scientific words they learned for its body parts.

• Practicing kaitiakitanga: Talk about small actions your family can take to protect tiny habitats around your home.   Send those photos and discoveries in for your child to share :-)