TKI - Building Science Concepts

Book 7

The Bush: Classifying Forest Plants

Synopsis

The Bush develops themes treated in Is This a Plant? (Book 49 in this series). It focuses on the classification of plants and uses the forest ecology of New Zealand plants as a medium for the study.

Most New Zealand students will have access to an area of native bush, so this topic will have some immediacy, and detailed study is possible. The topic also offers students an insight into the nature of New Zealand's flora, including an introduction to some Māori ways of viewing the green world that surrounds and sustains us all.

Levels: 3-4

Strand: Living World

Achievement aim:
AA1: Gain an understanding of order and pattern in the diversity of living organisms, including the special characteristics of New Zealand plants and animals.

Concept overview Use the concept overview, which is also on the inside front cover of the book, as a reference for the concepts that relate to The Bush: Classifying Forest Plants.

The concepts are the building blocks for the column: each column is defined by a "big idea".
The arrows show the links between concepts and how they might build in sequence. Teachers can choose to develop a narrow focus by moving up the template or a broad focus by following arrows across.
Each "big idea" shows how a fully developed understanding of the supporting concepts might look. Such an understanding might not be achieved until level 7 or 8. The big ideas are included here to help you build appropriate concepts with your students, whatever their age.

Read the concept overview. To view it, you will need Acrobat Reader.